Global Art Industry Going Green

Will Tackle Its 92 Million Tons of Annual Waste 

“Egret,” a woodcut print by environmental artist Pippin Frisbie-Calder. Wikimedia

In recent years, the art world has begun a significant shift toward environmental responsibility. Artists, institutions, collectors, and consumers are aligning creativity with elements like reducing waste, integrating renewable energy, and eco-friendly policies. Here are some of the gains being made, according to Gitnux’s Sustainability in the Art Industry Statistics, 2025.

• The global art market’s carbon footprint is estimated at 8.4 million tons of CO₂ annually. 

• The global art industry produces about 92 million tons of waste each year. Much of it is non-biodegradable.

• Digital art exhibitions typically have about a 25% lower carbon footprint than traditional brick-and-mortar exhibitions.

• For the past five years, solar-powered lighting has increased by 150% in outdoor art installations.

• The trend toward digital catalogs and virtual exhibitions saves approximately 2,000 tons of paper per year.

• Textile waste from art and exhibition manufacturing has declined by about 40% due to environmentally conscious practices.

• Artworks made with sustainable materials have an average carbon footprint that is about 30% lower than those made with conventional materials.

• The use of biodegradable pigments in art production has grown by 50%.

• Approximately 60% of art institutions report implementing some form of eco-friendly policies in the past five years.

• The number of green-certified art galleries worldwide reached about 200 in 2023, growing at roughly 20% annually.

• Seventy percent of art collectors say they are willing to pay a premium for eco-friendly artworks.

• Between 2018 and 2022, eco-friendly art supply companies increased by 45%.

Source:

https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-art-industry-statistics/