The Problem with Traditional Photography
Photographs may be an important part of humankind, a way of remembering and preserving, of creating and envisioning — but some of the basics of photography are not environmentally friendly. Many of the chemicals used to develop photos are toxic, most photo paper is not recyclable, and the amount of resources and energy that goes into making and powering cameras, batteries, lighting, and all the other equipment can be tremendous.
According to Ecology.com, the world's consumption of paper has grown more than 400 percent in the past forty years. Today 35 percent of the trees that are cut down around the world — approximately 4 billion per year — are used in the paper industry.
The actual act of taking a photo is not a highly consumptive process, especially in natural light. It requires little other than the camera and the photographer. However, developing the photographs uses the most energy, resources, and possibly hazardous chemicals.
Some of the highly toxic chemicals that are used in the developing process include silver and silver nitrate, diaminophenol hydrochloride, ethylene diamine, formaldehyde, iodine, lead oxalate, hydroquinone, mercuric chloride, acetic acid, ammonium hydroxide, and bromine. These chemicals can cause damage through inhalation or contact with skin. If they are not properly disposed of, they end up in landfills and sewage systems, contaminating soil and groundwater. The good news for photographers who still process in darkrooms is that there are now safer chemicals such as Kodak's Xtol, one of several new ascorbate (vitamin C) developers. Silvergrain Photography (silvergrain.org) has several nontoxic solutions.
