Filed under: Studio Practices
Most large corporations–at least those with some sort of formal sustainability and social responsibility policy–publish an annual report that focuses just on their work in protecting the environment, improving the workplace, and treating suppliers fairly. Read their corporate social responsibility reports (here’s Starbucks CSR Report, for example). You can not only learn a thing or two you could apply to your own business, but you’ll also develop a list of prospective clients who you know will appreciate your skill and interest in sustainable design.
Filed under: Studio Practices
The first thing to do is reduce the amount of carbon-based energy your design practice uses by reducing your energy consumption by turning off lights, two-sided printing, using pdfs rather than printouts, and encouraging your staff to use mass transit–among other things. At some point though, you’ll still consumer carbon-based energy, which is bad for global warming and your guilt factor. For those energy leftovers, you can purchase carbon offsets. The money you spend, in turn, goes to support projects that reduce carbon dioxide emissions in some other part of the economy. Since most small businesses generate about 70 tons of carbon dioxide each year through their energy use, you can become carbon-neutral by purchasing a 70-ton offset for $385 from organizations such as carbonfund.org. Yes, it’s a little difficult to get your brain wrapped around this idea, but trust us that you’ll be doing a good thing in the fight against global warming, and you can definitely market your carbon-neutral position to prospective clients.
Filed under: Paper
Several paper companies have calculators on their web sites where you can determine the energy, water, waste, and emissions saved by using recycled, rather than virgin fiber paper. Mohawk Paper’s calculator can be downloaded to your desktop (and they offer both PC and Mac versions) so you can show your clients the specific savings for their projects.
Filed under: Studio Practices
Designer Paula Rees, of Seattle’s own Maestri Design, has cleverly reused found objects to add a delightful new twist to store graphics for PCC Natural Market in Fremont. Old jars, bottles, and pizza paddles return to a new life as provocative displays.
Filed under: Printing
Vinyl-based banners–and the solvent-based inks typically used to print on them–are nasty distributors of volatile organic compounds, often referred to as VOCs. Fortunately, there are preferable materials available these days, such as water-based and UV-curable inks. You can also now by vinyl mesh that’s recyclable from the French company, FerrariTextiles.
Filed under: Paper
Grays Harbor Paper in Hoquiam is a modern-day success story. The company took over a closed-down paper mill on the Washington coast and started making FSC-certified 100% post-consumer recycled office and offset printing paper. In 2005, the mill started generating its own electricity, earning the company a Green-E certification. Its Harbor 100 paper is the only 100% post-consumer recycled paper made with 100% renewable energy. Another plus: Paper made in Washington doesn’t gobble up gallons of diesel when it’s trucked to your Puget Sound area printer.
Filed under: Studio Practices
Steven Heller (has anyone written more books about design?) came out with a book in 2003 that hasn’t received much attention. Citizen Designer: Perspectives on Design Responsibility. The book examines and critiques through essays and interviews three areas in which designers practice and in which responsibility to oneself and society is essential: Social Responsibility, Professional Responsibility, and Artistic Responsibility. It’s not just about sustainable design. It’s about not wasting your talent on endeavors that don’t enrich the planet or the soul.
Filed under: Paper
This seems like the most obvious place to start to clean up your enviro-act, but how do you make intelligent decisions about what stock to use. Fortunately, Celery Design Collaborative in Berkeley has done the heavy lifting for you by creating an online ecological guide to paper. It lists more than 100 paper options and includes links to the paper manufacturers’ web sites.
