Don’t forget to be accountable to mother earth.

Again less is more. Once you’ve convinced your client to produce less and better stuff (see previous post), how can you improve the quality of what you are producing and be accountable for it’s impact on society? Here are some things we have started looking at:

Specify papers with recycled content, specifically Post Consumer Fibers.

Even better, try to specify papers that are Processed Chlorine Free. The bleaching process for making most papers bright white is currently the worst water polluter in the world. I’m trying to convince myself that soft white is the new bright white.

Better yet, find a printer who is FSC Certified and use an FSC Certified stock. The FSC goes even deeper and is not only accountable to the earth but insists on fair social practices at every business involved in the production, from the growing of the trees to the end printing.

If your project requires plastics, consider bio-degradable plastics made from renewable materials such as corn. Another option is to use less plastic. No need to make such sturdy rigid bottles to last, literally, till eternity. A thinner package wall produces a nice touchable feel.

Make sure that your printer is running an alcohol-free press, preferably with soy and vegetable based inks.

Also as mentioned in my previous post, creating less stuff and utilizing digital media rather than paper whenever possible is a great way to be earth-friendly.

Consider reducing the carbon footprint of the work you do and the materials you and your clients create by supporting renewable energy sources. In NY this can easily be achieved by selecting ConEdison’s Green Power program.

Last, but not least, buying local whenever possible is a great way to support your community as well as reduce resources used with excessive shipping.

Any steps made in the above areas show your support for a better tomorrow. The more people that ask for and utilize these resources, the more they will become the norm rather than the exception. And that is truly being accountable.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 1st, 2007 at 8:07 am and is filed under Graphic Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.