Resin Repercussions

The human tendency to create art is a wonderful thing, but all that creative power can sometimes be not-so-beautiful. Resin art uses epoxy resin (a petroleum-based plastic-like product) to make everything from sculptures to keychains, furniture, wall art, and more. It starts out in a pourable, liquid form and can be “cured” into a mesmerizing solid. Watching flowing resin be poured and molded is hypnotizing, and the final product can be astounding, hence the proliferation of resin artists on TikTok.

But in both the solid and liquid stages, resin has big environmental consequences. Uncured resin emits toxic fumes and should only be handled using proper safety equipment in a very well-ventilated space. It’s also toxic to aquatic life and can cause a lot of harm if it’s dumped down the drain (or in the trash) in its liquid form. Uncured epoxy can only be safely offloaded via professional, hazardous waste disposal services.

When it’s cured, solid resin becomes just as indestructible as other plastics. It doesn’t readily break down. Instead, it’s destined to eventually sit in landfills, unchanged for thousands of years.

“I am not one to judge any artist’s medium choice, but I do worry that because resin crafts have become popular lately, we will eventually see a lot more resin in landfills than we typically do,” Alaina Wood, a solid waste disposal expert, told Mashable.

“I hope that people aren’t immediately throwing away resin crafts, but it is naïve to think resin crafts won’t eventually be thrown out,” she added.

Thankfully, it seems that as the popularity of resin art continues to grow, so too does awareness of the issues with it. In their report, Mashable pointed out that a new trend has emerged alongside resin art, TikTok-ers (like Wood) are encouraging each other to use more sustainable materials.