Eco-Conscious Tattooing
Sustainable Mindset in a Wasteful Industry
Something that is paramount in the tattoo industry is sanitation. Blood-borne pathogens are a serious concern for both the tattooer and the recipient. When I became licensed as a tattoo artist in the state of Tennessee, it was required that I attend a class on how blood-borne pathogens can be transmitted. I already had some knowledge of this coming from a career as an aesthetician. Sometimes people bleed when you engage with their skin (via waxing, extractions, or tattooing) and it’s very important to know how to manage that and avoid cross-contamination. Beyond viruses like HIV, there’s also Hepatitis (B + C) which is extremely serious and the possible exposure must be carefully managed by the tattooist.
One way that most tattoo artists reduce exposure is with disposable station prep. This may include covering the workstation with a non-permeable membrane, wrapping equipment, wearing gloves, disposing of needles in a sharps container, disposable ink cups, plastic razors, etc. Most tattoo artists rely on plastic wrap as it is cheap, easily obtained, and does the job. Ink cups and trays are plastic and disposable, same goes for rinse cups. As you can imagine, cleanup involves throwing away a lot of plastic to go sit in a landfill.
As someone who has been diligently working towards reducing plastic in my personal life, I decided to find solutions for my professional life as well. I am really thankful that there are options that function well and dramatically reduce the environmental impact of my tattoo practice. I found the company Good Judy while doing research on sustainable tattooing and I’m so glad I did! They offer compostable versions of pretty much everything a tattooist needs except for the needles themselves. I now use fully compostable station covers, trash bags, gloves, rinse cups, razors, ink cups and trays (made from mushroom fiber), and wash bottle covers. I use ointment from recyclable metal tins (Tattoo Goo, Dr. Bronners, or Fat and the Moon All Salve) and attach my needles to compostable wooden dowel rods. That’s almost everything I use for the whole process! The only real downside, which I don’t feel is a deterrent, is that Good Judy is located in Canada and I’m in the US so shipping can take up to a week. This has yet to pose an inconvenience as I plan ahead and track my supply inventory closely.
I’m excited to see what else comes about for eco-tattooists like me who love what they do but also want to reduce their impact on the environment while still offering the very best safety for everyone involved.
