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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Adhesives can also be very toxic. Whenever possible, try to minimize their use by clever folding or using older bindery techniques, like sewing.
- 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.
- 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
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July 25, 2007 - 4:18am
Great article.
To go a deeper shade of green, graphic design firms could switch to a 100% renewable energy supplier and power off all machinery over night and publicize this. As well as doing good, in the current climate (no pun intended), it's great marketing and may well give your firm the edge over another if dealing with a green conscious client. Further still, being green is not just about just changing the actions of others, such as printers and clients, it's about changing ourselves as well.
Good resourse website with lots of info (although some is very UK specific)
http://www.lovelyasatree.com/index.htm
March 11, 2008 - 9:31pm
Nice article.
May 2, 2008 - 10:31am
Thank for great article.
May 29, 2008 - 11:20pm
It was a great read , thanks
June 1, 2008 - 8:03am
Great post and great action! I am going to add this to my Google Shared items for all to see, uh huh!
June 28, 2008 - 11:20pm
flower plant coler green is impression.
July 4, 2008 - 6:46am
Thank for great article.
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Interesting site
http://wilmaabbott.007sites.com/emo1299.html
August 1, 2008 - 12:30pm
I guess the printing technology also has an important contribution in this direction, it never occurred me this and now I realize how important really is the innovation aspect.
August 5, 2008 - 4:28am
It was a great read , thanks
August 8, 2008 - 8:02am
Its very amazing blog
August 15, 2008 - 12:14pm
Excellent article! i knew that we used different things on a daily basis that were not good for the environment. But, I was not aware of things like heavy metal in ink. Or of the toxicity of glue on the back of tape. Thanks for the great insight.
Cheap Digital Frames
August 15, 2008 - 12:17pm
There are so many ways to go green. We just do not know how many toxic things we are exposed to on a daily basis. It only takes a little effort to reduce your carbon foot print and make the worl a little bit greener.
Bowling Balls For Sale
August 18, 2008 - 5:48am
We are tyring to go greener all the time - your artickle is a great reference.
August 20, 2008 - 5:36am
Its amazing how much can we save using small but smart techniques. Even when you have all sorts of digital storage devices, Most of the offices add print medium as their backups. Awareness is the first step, always. Thanks for sharing.
Donna.
August 29, 2008 - 5:11pm
Very inspiring, thanks for posting.
August 31, 2008 - 2:30pm
It was a great read , thanks.
September 27, 2008 - 3:31am
Very inspiring, thanks for posting
October 7, 2008 - 10:00am
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October 7, 2008 - 11:33am
Very inspiring, thanks for posting
October 7, 2008 - 11:35am
We are tyring to go greener all the time - your artickle is a great reference.
October 17, 2008 - 1:05pm
Going green should be every ones priority. It not only is good for the environment but it is also good for the economy and national security. Simple steps can be taken to reduce our carbon foot print. I can't wait for electric cars and 200+ miles per gallon cars. Maybe then we can finally get on track with other things like eduction and universal health care.
October 20, 2008 - 11:35am
8 fantastic ideas and tips. There are so many things that can be done to help go green. There are a ton of very easy things that we can all do to help out and educate our friends. It is so easy to reduce your over all carbon foot print. too bad not many of us take the time or have the time to truly follow through on them. we would all be so much better off. Thanks for the list I learned a good bit from it.
October 29, 2008 - 10:14am
Very inspiring, thanks for posting..
October 30, 2008 - 6:44am
Thank for great article.
November 6, 2008 - 3:43pm
Some really great ideas here. They all seem to be common sense. but, isn't that they way it is with common sense. it is not so common until someone points it out to you. Good job on outlining it all here. Cheap Baseball Bats
Cheap Baseball Bats
November 11, 2008 - 2:53am
I am glad to see that there seems to be plenty of people more conscience of doing what is right for our earth. There was great advice, I know this because my business has gone a lot greener over the last 18 months. We do everything we know to do to lessen the impact we have on our great planet.
By the way, maybe you should try consulting since you seem to have a nack for this and some top notch ideas concerning going green in your industry.
November 12, 2008 - 7:09pm
Any cost associated with going green is money well spent.
November 15, 2008 - 1:05am
I am glad to see that there seems to be plenty of people more conscience of doing what is right for our earth. There was great advice.
November 25, 2008 - 11:16pm
I'm glad more people are taking the time to be ecologically friendly... although every little bit helps, do you know the one thing you can do to help combat environmental problems the most?
Go vegetarian... seriously. This is not a PETA attempt bc I actually dislike them for the wrong methods they apply to spread vegetarianism. Anyway...
Great article nonetheless! :)
December 4, 2008 - 12:47pm
It doesn't require a lot of change to go green. But what is more important is to help others understand the point so they can promote this movement too.
December 5, 2008 - 8:07am
I was looking for this thanks.
December 5, 2008 - 8:09am
Congrats dude good article.
December 10, 2008 - 8:12am
But what is more important is to help others understand the point
December 10, 2008 - 8:14am
people more conscience of doing what is right for our earth
December 10, 2008 - 8:15am
There are so many things that can be done to help go green.
December 10, 2008 - 8:16am
I am going to add this to my Google Shared items for all to see, uh huh!
December 11, 2008 - 3:11pm
I guess the printing technology also has an important contribution in this direction, it never occurred me this and now I realize how important really is the innovation aspect.
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