Our Story
Our Story
You picked up a brush. We picked up the problem.
If you've ever felt the pull of creativity alongside a quiet unease about what you're leaving behind, you're in the right place.
We built Sustainable Canvas for artists who care as deeply about the planet as they do about their practice. Artists like you.
Where it began
Hi, I'm Alanah, artist, ocean lover and former scuba diving instructor.
For years, I painted the world I loved: the movement of the sea, the texture of weathered coastlines, the raw beauty of nature, but the more time I spent underwater, the harder it became to ignore what was down there with me. Plastic. Everywhere. In the reefs I treasured.
Then later in life after becoming an artist, I wasn't comfortable with the amount of plastic in my practice. Canvas wrapped in plastic, single-use palettes, paint tubes, lids & packaging. The very act of creating was contributing to the problem I cared most about solving.
So I wondered how we could introduce recycled plastic into the art world and the answer was right in front of me, sitting on the easel, the canvas.
Two years. A lot of prototypes. One breakthrough.
What followed was two years of global research, testing with professional artists, independent verification by the Australian Wool Testing Authority and Global Recycled Standard certification. Then partnered with a Melbourne based primer to ensure the quality of the canvas was second to none.
The result? A professional-grade, archival-quality canvas made from 37 recycled plastic bottles per square metre, that artists describe as "better than cotton."
That's not a sustainability compromise. That's a sustainability upgrade.
What we make
Every product we create starts with the same question: can we make this from something that already exists?
🎨 Primed Canvas on the Roll: RPET recycled plastic canvas, gesso primed in Melbourne, ready to paint, cut to your size.
📖 The Sustainable Canvas Book: Completely new format. Lay-flat, tear-out pages made from the same primed canvas. Paint on them, remove them, stretch them, frame them. A place for ideas to land.
🎨 Palettes with a Past: Made from 100% recycled Australian industrial HDPE plastic. Paint peels off satisfyingly clean. Built to last.
🪣 Planet Protecting Painting Pots: Crafted from recycled milk bottle lids, these vibrant little pots hold your water, oils or brushes beautifully — and look great doing it. Wide enough to rest your brushes, weighted enough to stay put, and easy to clean. Loved by artists and non-artists alike.
(And one more products in the works, worth the wait, we promise.)
You're part of this
Every time you paint on a Sustainable Canvas, you're doing more than making art. You're keeping plastic out of the ocean & supporting Australian innovation proving that the creative industry can do better and that better can feel great to work with.
From professional studios to kitchen tables, artists across Australia are choosing creativity with purpose. We're so glad you're here too.
Thank you for being part of the movement.
Whether you're a working artist, a weekend painter, or someone who just picked up a brush for the first time, welcome. Your creativity matters. So does the planet you're creating on.
With gratitude and paint-stained hands, Alanah & the Sustainable Canvas Team 🌊