Environmental & Ethical Policies
We’re a business that is taking sustainability and ethics to the next level
Environmental Policy
Buttercup Learning is committed to operating under ethical and environmentally friendly practices. Our design and production processes are continually refined because it is a responsibility we take seriously.
What we have achieved so far
We wanted all poster orders to be shipped without any plastic packaging. This has now been achieved.
Poster tubes are a triangle of strong, weather-resistant cardboard. They are easier to transport and apply labels to, making them practical and environmentally friendly!
The following summarises our packaging and environmental policy as a whole:
Our posters are printed by our suppliers, using only water-based inks. They’re OEKO-TEX® certified (they don’t contain any chemicals that may harm our environment).
In our design studio, we recycle all cardboard and paper.
Buttercup HQ uses refillable ink cartridges for their test prints, which are then donated to local schools and community centres.
DPD, one of our print-on-demand delivery partners, has a carbon-neutral commitment.
All purchases are packaged 100% plastic free (with the exception of framed prints, which are protected by biodegradable bubble wrap).
As we work towards our goal of zero emissions, we tax ourselves for the amount of carbon we do emit and fund projects that offset our footprint. As of April 2021, Buttercup Learning is offsetting its carbon footprint by planting trees – www.ecologi.com/buttercup
One percent of every Stripe payment also is donated to emerging carbon-reduction technologies.
We are striving to reduce our digital footprint. Our new website will be 65% better than the average for carbon emissions and will use a green web host.
All our virtual employees, along with the company HQ, are operating on green energy.
We encourage our staff to take part in sustainability team challenges through Giki and Drawdown Ecochallenges.
Buttercup’s Ethical Policy
We won’t work with brands or suppliers who do not comply with laws and regulations; we only work with the most ethical and environmentally friendly print-on-demand service in the UK – Inkthreadable.
Inkthreadable is a great fit for us because they have a very clear environmental and ethical policy.
The following summarises our ethical policy:
01
Fair wage
We pay our staff above the National Living Wage, regardless of age.
02
Coaching for all staff
Buttercup partners with More Happi to offer two 45-minute coaching sessions per month for the benefit of our employees. All Buttercup employees can take advantage of the coaching service for any reason, whether it is personal or work related.
03
Recruit from under-represented groups
We actively recruit women in tech to tackle the gender gap in the field.
04
Supporting mental health
Employees are offered Headspace subscriptions to support their mental health.
05
Flexible working hours
Schedules are flexible for all employees, and full-time staff never work Fridays.
06
Fair opportunity
Interns are paid if we use their work for commercial purposes, and they are credited for it.
07
Investing in people and communities
All people should have the chance to thrive, so we are investing 1% of our profits in grassroots initiatives, working with organisations that help people and create change at a local level.
Things we still want to improve..
- We want to be able to clearly track our emissions across all our business activities so we will be working with others to enable a clearer picture of the carbon we emit.
- We would like to add a carbon footprint label to each of our products, inspired by footwear brand All Birds. Our labels will keep us accountable and our customers informed.
What we are learning and getting involved in
- Rachel has been studying carbon literacy and regenerative economy.
- Pants club will be launching soon, a local community project with the aim to remove children’s pants from landfill and encourage parents to donate locally. If we are all comfortable buying second-hand cloth nappies, why do we feel yucky about second-hand pants?
- Rachel’s young daughter has been growing a ‘pet’ potted apple tree, learning about recycling and taking care of bees with a no-dig wildflower meadow.
- Rachel will be working with local primary school children to help them create posters with augmented reality on the topic of biodiversity. Alongside working with local school teachers to create a site for their green club to support local families to rewild their gardens.
Have a suggestion for improvement?
All our policies are disclosed on our website. If you’d like to talk to us about anything, or if you have some suggestions as to how we can improve, click on the chat icon and we can talk. Alternatively, send us a message.