sustainability

At Scola, we are integrating sustainability into our product development, ensuring that new products meet environmental standards before moving forward. This involves assessing production processes, packaging, raw materials, and suppliers to enhance sustainability.

We are also reviewing existing products to make them more sustainable by refining recipes, reducing raw materials, and merging ranges where possible. In response to the UK plastic tax, we have improved data collection on packaging materials and weights, allowing for faster analysis and more sustainable packaging choices.

Carbon Footprint

By implementing our first and second bottle blowers, we have significantly reduced our carbon footprint, removing the need for 35 trucks on UK roads to supply our 600ml bottles each year. This initiative allows us to produce over 3 million 600ml bottles on-site, saving 250kg of CO2 emissions annually. Our bottle blower is used for all sizes, from 150ml to 1L, and we aim to achieve complete autonomy in bottle production in the next few years.

Recycling and Sustainable Energy

We have established a recycling centre at our Bracknell site to sort and track waste materials, ensuring efficient recycling of paper, plastic, metal, and wood. Across all Daler-Rowney sites, we have installed recycling bins and introduced reusable crates to minimise landfill waste. Our packaging now aligns with international recycling regulations, including replacing black plastic tray inserts with recyclable white ones. To improve plastic tube recycling, we are preparing educational resources on the safe disposal of water-based paint residues. Additionally, all energy purchased for our Bracknell site comes from renewable sources, and we have installed solar panels at warehousing locations, with further investment planned for factories. Since 2021, all UK sites have sourced energy from solar, wind, anaerobic digestion, and biomass, and we support the Cool Earth initiative to protect rainforest areas matching our building footprint.

Water, Plastic, and Waste Reduction

We have reduced water shipments by 60,000kg per year by using advanced basket mill technology to produce pigment dispersions in-house, cutting transportation emissions. A new water recycling system has also significantly reduced water waste in our watercolour production process. To reduce single-use plastic, we are setting specific reduction targets and exploring recyclable alternatives for plastic pots. We are also adapting our paint-filling process by replacing large CHEP bags with reusable, sealed plastic drums. In colour production, we minimise waste by repurposing excess paint into bespoke colours, promoting sustainability within the artist community.

We are in the process of being certified by the occupational ISO 45001 Health & Safety Management Standard and implementing a health & safety programme that inspects by area and is in line with ISO 45001.

ISO 45001 is an international standard for health and safety at work developed by national and international standards committees independent of government.

We frequently donate sample and discontinued products to local schools and charities, including In Kind Direct, making a positive impact on the community.