Going Green Doesn't Have to Take Much Green

By now, you've probably heard of sustainable design (or green design), and how we should all be applying the principles of economic, social and environmental sustainability to things we design. But, you're concerned that applying those principles will be too costly maintain in the long run.

Sustainable graphic design's major aim is to design printed pieces in a way that reduces use of non-renewable resources, decreases environmental impact, and factors in the human angle by ensuring no one is being directly harmed by the action.

Most of the steps I've outlined below are easy to adopt, and can definitely help your business thrive. Most are aimed at print designers but multimedia designers aren't off the hook! Any changes you can make to make your office more environmentally friendly are beneficial and most will even save you money.

By making a commitment to sustainable design, you are definitely making a commitment to the future. The community at large looks very favorably on this kind of commitment and these days you can help grow your business just by being green and letting the world know it.

Eight Easy (and Inexpensive) Steps Toward Sustainability
1. Determine whether a project is really necessary as printed piece. Would this brochure information be just as effective as mini web site? Reducing the amount of items that are printed saves on paper, inks, cleanup chemicals, energy and non-renewable fossil fuels used in transportation. You might lose the revenue in designing a complete brochure or the profit on the printing cost, but by making it electronic, you've made it easier to update (and redesign too!) so the client is likely to come back more often.
2. Whenever possible, specify papers that are produced locally; as a second choice, use those that are already in stock at your printer or distributor. Use costly mill orders as sparingly as possible. Locally produced papers are not usually any more expensive than the others (often cheaper) and by using them, you cut down on transportation therefore reducing fossil fuel consumption which contributes to global warming, environmental harm and human health problems.
3. Print as locally to the where the piece is to be used as you can. It reduces the high environmental cost of transportation to print a book for Canada in Canada, than to make it in China. Using local suppliers also helps foster the economy in that community. By asking for more ecological handling of your print work, it also creates a demand for more accountability in that printer.
4. Switch to papers with a high post-consumer recycled content (non de-inked when possible) and that are also processed chlorine free. Prefer papers that are produced using clean energy such as wind and solar power. By specifying recycled papers, you help reduce the amount of waste in the world which means less landfill; reducing the amount of chlorine means fewer toxins in our water table and rivers; clean energy means less pollution.
5. Certain inks contain heavy metals and petroleum-based inks require strong chemicals for clean-ups (for press make-readies for example). By using vegetable based inks you can reduce the amount of toxins that end up in the soil and water once your piece is at the end of its life cycle and you can also help ensure the health of those workers that handle inks. We've found the cost difference between petroleum-based and vegetable-based inks is minimal, especially when your printer is familiar with them.
6. Adhesives can also be very toxic. Whenever possible, try to minimize their use by clever folding or using older bindery techniques, like sewing.
7. Ask your printer to help you maximize the press sheet, taking into account bleed, gripper edge and grain direction. You can gang other projects on the same print run or maybe even fit more pieces of the same project on the sheet so you can save lots of money and reduce the amount of paper waste generated by your project.
8. Learn and share your knowledge. I've included a list of great jumping off places with tons of resources to help your studio become more sustainable. One you've got your head wrapped around it, talk about it to everyone - the more designers working in this way, the more printers being more responsible, the more clients who insist on it, the better for everyone!

Design Resources
Re-nourish
- Defintions, tips, and links to sustainable resources designers
Organic Design Operatives
- Includes an eco-design toolkit with excellent forms
Design Can Change
- Bringing the Design Community Together to Effect Change
O2 Global Network for Sustainable Design
- Includes an excellent reading list
Conservatree
- Expert paper advice