Use a digital camera
Film cameras use up chemicals and paper in the processing and printing phases.
Most people own at least one camera in their household, and many have one (or more) per person. Photography is a huge part of our lives, whether just taking snapshots of family and friends or creating dramatic images on holiday and in the countryside.
But have you thought about how your photographs may be affecting the environment? If you use a film camera, and have your photos printed each time, your snapshots will be using up a huge amount of paper.
Processing film also employs a large quantity of potentially damaging chemicals, which can cause harm to the natural environment if allowed to leak into waterways. There are rules in place stating that photographic labs have to dispose of any chemicals in an environmentally sound way. That usually means trapping them in absorbent materials designed to render the chemicals inert and then disposing of those materials in a landfill. But more often than not, because of the increased expense involved in such endeavors, some film processing companies just pour the chemicals down the drain.
Digital cameras negate the need for chemical-laden developing and printing processes. By being able to look through your photos before printing you’ll be saving on paper wastage. You can also easily share images with family and friends without having to produce extra copies.
If you’re not in a position to be able to buy a digital camera, consider asking for your photos to be burnt on to a CD, rather than being printed. This will give you some of the benefits of digital photography without wasting as much paper.
