8 Ways to Green Your Photography

This story is part of Earth911’s “Green Eight” series, where we showcase eight ways to green your life in various areas.

First, the bad news: photo paper is not recyclable. Your old photographs don’t belong in the recycling bin, but there’s plenty of other options for green to show up in your pictures. Here’s eight ways to see what develops when you shoot with the environment in mind:

1. Recycle Obsolete Cameras

No matter what kind of camera you have, it should be recyclable.

• If you’ve gone digital, your camera should be recycled with other mercury.
• Non-digital cameras feature metal and glass that can be recovered and reused.
• Disposable cameras may have manufacturer recycling programs, such as Kodak’s.
• Donating your used camera is also a great way to recycle it.
• You can find camera recycling locations using Earth911.

2. Cut the Special Features

Cameras (especially digital ones) can go through batteries faster than you can say “cheese.” If you’re not already using rechargeable batteries for your camera, they may be worth the investment. But how can you make your batteries last longer?

One easy way is by turning off the LCD screen. You can use the viewfinder to frame your photo, and take multiple shots instead of using the playback feature. Another battery saver is turning off the auto-flash feature, so you can decide whether your picture has enough lighting.

3. Share Your Equipment

When you get into photography, you may find the need for various accessories (a tripod, longer lenses or a portable flash). Before you buy this equipment new, consider sharing equipment with a fellow photographer. Many camera stores also have a used equipment section that will allow you to buy these accessories second-hand.

4. Reuse Your Film Canisters

Some people prefer film cameras to digital, but what do you do with the additional waste? Once your film has been developed and is in negative form, you can use the leftover canisters as storage. They can hold anything from paper clips to cooking spices, or you could use them as packaging for tiny gifts. If you’re looking to get rid of them, see if a photo lab will take them off your hands.

5. Look Into Pinhole

You may remember a school project where you created a camera from a box with a tiny hole instead of a lens. This is better known as pinhole photography, and it’s a creative way to take pictures. Consider the pros of pinhole:

• You can make your own camera by reusing items around the house (such as oatmeal containers and soda cans)
• You can develop an image directly onto photo paper and eliminate the need for film and batteries
• The longer exposure will create unique artwork that will be different than your other photos

There’s actually a Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day held in April, so you’ve got plenty of time to investigate the process.

6. Store and Send Pictures Online

Going digital is a great way to avoid printing pictures that didn’t come out well. So what do you do with the ones that you want to keep? Instead of filling up a hard drive with high resolution images, sign up for a free account to upload your pictures online. You can then email albums to all your friends, instead of printing them out and mailing.

7. Investigate Recycled Content Photo Paper

Photo paper may not be recyclable, but it can be made from Red River Printer.

8. Strive for Silver

We’ll spare you the details on how photos are developed, but if you produce photos in a darkroom you’re using chemicals. One of these chemicals is silver, which is generated as a by-product when your film is developed. Silver is a precious metal in limited supply, making it valuable to recover. However, it is difficult to treat if dumped down the drain. You can use Earth911 to find a location for your photographic chemical disposal needs.

Jennifer Berry contributed to this story.