Especially in the world of graphic design, being kind to the environment should never be an afterthought. That’s why we make sure each project we take on has a positive effect from the beginning — both for our clients and the world we live in.
With this in mind we’ve developed this Green Checklist, which is meant to serve as the beginning of a dialogue so you can meet your communication needs while treading as lightly as possible on the planet.
First of all, is paper necessary at all? Remember, printing is like any other industrial process and can use large amounts of hazardous chemicals and waste. Email shots, PDFs, web pages — these are all environmentally sound alternatives to firing up the printing press, and you will save on printing costs too!
If print is essential, consider looking at ways to reduce the size of your product. Scaling down means cutting back on not just paper, but also on ink, carbon emissions and even postage costs.
Recycled materials should be a given. Aside from the benefits to the environment, they can also help your project stand out — we’ve provided our clients with USB flash drives made from recycled CD cases and pencil cases recycled from car tyres.
Go steady on the ink. The more you use, the more has to be disposed of, and your product becomes harder to recycle, even if you use friendlier soy and vegetable-based products.
We can help you develop a communication piece — be it a brochure, press kit or look book — which can be updated rather than reprinted. Again, what helps the planet helps your budget too.
Going super-size isn’t always the best option. Although it often doesn’t work out much more expensive to increase your print run, only order what you need — everything else is waste, no matter how you look at it.
To find out more about environmentally friendly graphic design, paper and printing, take a look at the rather wonderful Lovely as a Tree website.