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Willard

How Conservators Can Work More Sustainably


A customer's working heated spatula, originally purchased in 1976.

Sustainable living such as recycling and reducing energy is a subject we often think about at home, but what about in the conservation studio? Inspired by a blog post by The CRC Conservation Team intern, Karoline Sofie Hennum, we wanted to share ways you can work more sustainably with your choice of tools and equipment.

Sustainable production


When looking for tools and equipment, it is second nature to look for the best price. However, cheaper tools simply will not last long and when they do break, it’s often not economic to repair, or not possible due to mass production so the tool is simply thrown away. The term ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ comes to mind. Here at Willard, we have never made throw-away tools. Our tools and equipment are engineered in our Chichester workshops and have a proven reputation to last a whole career. Investing in tools that are likely to last your career is a sustainable choice indeed.

We are also committed to the production of responsibly manufactured products using sustainable sources and ensuring our environmental impact is kept to the minimum possible level. We also only use recycled or biodegradable materials in our packaging.


One tool, multiple tasks.


When sourcing tools and equipment, it’s important to look at how you can buy sustainably while also boosting productivity. We have quite a few models that boast multiple functions and uses. Some of these include:

Heated Spatulas

The Willard range of heated spatulas benefit from their interchangeable tips meaning you can use one main tool for a whole range of applications.

View and buy hand tools here.


Light box and suction table, combined!

First made as a bespoke item, our sub-illuminated suction table is now part of our core range thanks to its popularity as a multi-use piece of equipment. Made using energy efficient illumination, find out more about this unique table here.

Multifunction table

The ultimate piece of equipment that boasts multiple use is our multifunction table. With a host of custom feature options and of course the freedom to design it to fit your exacting requirements, this table can be seen used in the most famous museums and studios around the world.

Find our more here.


Make your conservation tools last even longer


If the time comes when your hand tool or large piece of studio equipment does needs a tweak or repair, then our engineers are more than happy to assist so your Willard products can go on to give plenty more years of service.

Find out more about our aftersales service here.


More ways to improve sustainability in your studio...

  • Take note of wastage and if this can be reduced or recycled.

  • Can single-use items be switched to reusable?

  • If materials can’t be traditionally recycled, is there a new way these can be reused?

  • Review basic energy consumption around the studio to see where improvements can be made i.e. automatic lighting, low watt bulbs etc.

  • We particularly like this suggestion from Karoline’s blog: “Participate in sustainability discussions and join networks. Examples: Icon’s Environmental Sustainability Network, Sustainable Scotland Network and Fit for the Future.”

To read Karoline’s full blog post, click here.

Finally, if you come up with a great way to reuse, repurpose or recycle something, don’t keep it to yourself! Share it with your colleagues, social media, your blog and even at industry events and conferences.

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