IN THIS ISSUE
Publisher's Note
This Big Green Thing
Thinking Green
Quote Of The Month
More Thinking Green
Event Spotlight
More Thinking Green
Now On GDUSA.com
While we all try to figure out what the
heck happened to Hopenhagen at Copenhagen, and how much Climategate
set back the global environment movement, I am going to spend more
time focusing on what individuals, individual companies and local
groups are doing to contribute to environmental progress at the
grass roots level. Maybe its the libertarian in me. In this
regard, a small but nice story caught my eye. It turns out that
Yurich Creative, a Cleveland OH-based graphic design and
marketing communications firm, has set aside one day a week as
a "meeting day" with clients to reduce the negative
impact of driving. As first reported in Green America magazine
— "Green Businesses Lead in Going Car-Lite"
— Beth Yurich (illustrated here) explains that
consolidating rather than scattering the meetings means that
"this way we aren't driving all over for just one meeting,
but arranging the day in a logical manner." The firm,
she reports, has also eliminated most of the firm's air travel
by using conference calls through technologies like
Skype. Copenhagen it's not but, hey, that's the point.
www.yurichcreative.com
— Gordon Kaye
LETTER: MORE ON THIS BIG GREEN THING
In the December GDUSA Green Enewsletter, we
published a message from graphic designer Mary Conrey Leavitt arguing
that the greening of graphic design "has taken on a life of its
own with little thought or knowledge... We need to stop blindly
accepting what we are told." Today Jess Sand of Roughstock
Studios and re-nourish.com responds.
In response to the letter warning against "this big green thing," I'd like to respectfully encourage those designers arguing for us to "stop blindly accepting what we are told" to heed their own advice. A little research into sustainable design theory and practice reveals an underlying principle of questioning: you simply cannot achieve any level of sustainability without challenging common assumptions and design habits. The status quo is not sustainable (or, to avoid a buzzword, it's not maintainable), and any designer who is genuinely questioning anything has probably recognized this...
I definitely understand why some designers are still skeptical about "green design" — there's a lot of greenwashing (and bandwagon-jumpers) out there. But to claim there's "little thought or knowledge" behind the green design movement is absurd at best and insulting at worst. There are many hard-working designers, scientists, academics, and government agencies working to both qualify and quantify sustainable design theory and practice. It's easy to bash green design as merely the latest trend thanks to all the fluff out there, but that is mainly because the real research (based on real metrics and quantitative data) is fairly inaccessible unless you're an engineer or scientist — so the average designer isn't left with a lot of independently-vetted, understandable information. That's what inspired us to launch Re-nourish, anyway.
All industries are stratified, and the design industry's no different: there will always be simplistic practitioners who can't see beyond their own work, but there is also a growing contingent of forward-thinking designers who recognize they are an individual piece of a larger field of practice — one that is changing, for better or worse. And they know it makes sense to question our usual design habits, push for new solutions, and generally expand the industry's capabilities. That's what real green design is about, and I hope most designers can keep this in mind the next time they're inclined to dismiss an entire field of study based on some mainstream greenwash. Thanks again, GDUSA, for covering this stuff, and for providing a peek at both sides of the fence.
— Jess Sand, Roughstock Studios
Big Picture Book
Sustainable Graphic Design: Tools, Systems and Strategies for
Innovative Print Design. The book, by Wendy Jedlicka, is dubbed
a "the graphic artist's guide to sustainable design."
Its goal is to help designers view graphic design as a holistic
process. It is a big picture approach to design seen from the
viewpoints of the audience, the creative vendor, their suppliers,
and society as a whole. Chapters are written by a wide range of
sustainable design pioneers and practitioners — including
graphic designers, creative managers, marketing consultants,
environmentalists, researchers, and psychologists — providing
critical information on materials and processes. Case studies
illustrate and tie concepts together.
Packagers Choose Paper
Sustainability has been a primary consideration in the converting
and packaging industry the last several years, and its influence
continues to grow, according to a third annual study sponsored by
Packaging Digest magazine and the Sustainable Packaging
Coalition. Survey participants included consumer packaged goods
companies, converters, machinery/material makers and
retailers. Sustainability awareness reached new highs this year,
with 41 percent of 1,000+ respondents saying they are "very
familiar" with the issues of sustainability versus 21 percent
two years ago. Other findings: 68 percent say the emphasis on
sustainable packaging has increased in the last year; nearly
nine in 10 say sustainable design has become a consideration
in design decisions; and paper-based materials are rated
"most environmental friendly" packaging form with
biopolymers a distant second and glass, aluminum and metal
containers negligible.
www.Sustainablepackaging.org
Turning Green Into Platinum
Robin Horton Design has won a Platinum Award from the Creativity
Awards for its design of the blog Urban Gardens. The Platinum
Award is the highest honor. The blog itself explores innovative
and eco-friendly designs, trends, and ideas for the stylish urban
garden. Robin Horton Design has been in business for more than
25 years experience; before that Horton was VP Manager of
Design Services for the Burson-Marsteller public relations firm.
UrbanGardensWeb.com
Delivering Green
The U.S. Postal Service has unveiled a slick new version of its
green website. First launched in 2008, the upgraded designincludes
a free cyber tour of the forest, a place for children to learn how
to create green family trees, tips on making the home environment
more renewable. Visitors can also get get free 100 percent recyclable
Priority Mail and Express Mail packaging supplies delivered directly
to home or office at no charge. "Friends of the environment
will find smart tools on usps.com/green to measure their carbon
emissions and create individual conservation plans," said Sam
Pulcrano, Vice President of Sustainability. "The Skip the Trip
calculator shows how to save money, fuel and energy by using our
easy online services. It's another way the Postal Service helps
customers make greener choices about their mail."
usps.com/green
Olympic Sustainability Plan
London 2012 has published its updated Sustainability Plan —
'Towards a One Planet 2012' — outlining plans to ensure the
Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will set standards in
sustainability. The updated version contains the latest plans
across London 2012's five themes: sustainability, climate change,
waste, biodiversity, inclusion and healthy living. Two key areas
addressed are carbon management and waste management. For the first
time for a summer games, a study on the potential carbon footprint
has been undertaken, from construction to staging to
marketing. Olympic Committee Chairman Sebastian Coe
comments, "Sustainability has underpinned this project
from day one."
www.london2012.com
QUOTE: CONSUMERS WANT IT ALL
"Perhaps the most important green trend
to emerge in 2009 is consumer interest in 'value and values.' Due
largely to the state of the economy, people are paying close
attention to cost; the concept of value is top of mind for consumers
everywhere. However, they are not willing to abandon sustainability
simply to spend less money. Consumers want it all — proucts
that deliver a sustainable benefit (such as fewer harmful
chemicals), at fair prices, from companies that behave in
an environmentally responsible way."
— Russ Meyer, Chief Strategy Officer,
Landor Associates
www.landor.com/index.cfm?do=thinking.article&storyid=760
Tree Free Sushi Trays
Whole Foods Market sushi vendor, Genji Inc., has introduced
a fiber-based, tree-free compostable sushi trays. The new
compostable containers are made from bulrush (also known as
cattails), a rapidly growing common marshland plant. Harvested
by hand in southeastern China, the plant fibers are made into
rolls of paper, which are then pulped. The pulp is then molded
into sushi trays. After customers have used the trays, they
can place them into compost bins at Whole Foods Markets or into
commercial or home compost heaps, and they will compost within
approximately 90 days. The maker of Genji's new trays is Be
Green Packaging LLC, founded in 2007 and based out of Santa Barbara CA.
Starbucks At PaperCon
Attendees at PaperCon 2010 will hear first-hand about Starbucks
Coffee Company's long-term commitment to environmental stewardship
and its goal to develop a comprehensive recyclable cup
solution. Jim Hanna, Starbucks Director of Environmental Impact,
will kick off the conference in Atlanta with his keynote
address: "It Takes a Village-Starbucks Quest for the Recyclable
Cup." Hanna will provide an overview of efforts to significantly
reduce its environmental footprint through energy and water
conservation, recycling and green construction. He leads the
company's initiatives to minimize its environmental impact through
conservation, waste diversion, green building, international
procurement, and collaboration with partner corporations and NGOs.
Prior to Starbucks, he served as Director of Environmental Affairs
for Xanterra Parks & Resorts at Yellowstone National Park.
www.papercon.org
Organic Logos
The Logo Design Works blog has identified its choice of the 10 most
effective organic food logos on the market. In the first spot is
Earthbound Farm Organic Food Logo Design whose message is that this
is a normal, dependable farm with a green twist, which is exactly
what the company aims to say." See and read about the other
nine logo choices at...
www.logodesignworks.com/blog/top-10-organic-food-brand-logos
Big Pharma Reports
Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sanofi-Aventis and Abbott Laboratories
led the "big pharma" sector for publicly reporting
on environmental and social issues, a new analysis found. The
Roberts Environmental Center (REC) at Claremont McKenna College
studied the information offered on the websites of 26 of
the largest pharmaceutical companies from around the world.
Researchers found a slight connection between scores and annual
revenue. In general, social reporting in this sector tends
to be stronger than environmental reporting, the analysis
found. One possible explanation is the fact that pharmaceutical
companies are more likely to promote equity in medical care
access and medicine than other values.
Purity Says Balance
Branding agency Blue Marlin has created a new brand expression
for Balance Water, a spring water with Australian flower
essences, with new packaging that really makes it stand out
on shelf. Balance Water needed a new identity and packaging
to help it make the leap from exclusive upscale brand to
mainstream premium drink. The new design does just that, says
Blue Marlin New York managing director Jean Koeppel. She says
that "the packaging mirrors the purity of the product
and communicates its unique benefits in a clear and
uncomplicated way."
SPOTLIGHT: GRAPHICS OF THE AMERICAS
Miami Beach won't be the only hot venue
in February. Graphics of the Americas 2010 has more educational
sessions and special bonus opportunities than ever to help
graphics professionals stay ahead of the industry curve at its
35th anniversary show February 25-27. World-renowned futurist
and Principal Director of User Experience for Microsoft Surface,
August de los Reyes, keynotes the show with a session
entitled: The Future of Communication: Design and Delivery. Says
George Ryan, GOA President: "The goal of our 35th
anniversary show is to provide industry professionals an arena
to not only view the latest technology from the 200+ exhibitors
at the show this year, but also to have various opportunities
to learn about the latest trends, tips and counsel for the
decade ahead. From the Microsoft keynote address to over 70
educational sessions to sessions being offered in Spanish,
we are very pleased to be satisfying the needs and wants of
all niches in the market."
www.gdusa.com/eblasts/2010/100114-goa/msg.html
MORE THINKING GREEN
Immediate Access
Neenah Paper has introduced its second application for the Apple
iPhone and iPod Touch, the Neenah Eco-Calculator. The calculator
allows designers to instantly calculate the environmental savings
achieved by using paper made with postconsumer fiber as well from
using paper made with 100 percent renewable energy. The Eco-Calculator
can be downloaded by typing the key word "Neenah" in the
App Store "Search" function on the iPhone and iPod
Touch. Select "Eco-Calculator" and download free.
"In today's world, everyone wants to have immediate access
to information in order to make informed and smart decisions,"
says Meredith Grant, environmental marketing manager at Neenah
Paper. "By having our Eco-Calculator available on the iPhone,
customers can very quickly get answers to help meet their
specific sustainability goals."
Art Of Sustainability Reporting
"The Art of Sustainability Reporting" from Wausau Paper
provides companies with information, best practices and inspiration
for producing effective corporate sustainability reports. The
piece compiles the best data and research on sustainability reporting
from leading authorities, including the Global Reporting
Initiative, KPMG, FSC, Green Seal and the Sustainable Investment
Research Analyst Network. Jeff Fox, director of marketing for Wausau
Paper, said: "We have seen an increase in demand for our
papers for sustainability reporting and we saw an opportunity to
share some of the industry's best practices with others that are
just starting their first venture into sustainability reports. At
Wausau Paper, we believe it is our responsibility to help our
customers produce not only beautiful, but effective and
environmentally-conscious printed pieces."
www.wausaupaper.com
Boola! Boola!
In a recent event at the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library,
Mohawk Fine Papers' CEO Thomas O'Connor, Jr. presented Jeffrey
Gwork, Yale University's, Director of Yale Printing and Publishing
Services (shown here), with the Mohawk Windpower Partnership Award.
The award was given to Yale in recognition of President Richard
Levin's commitment to the environment, as well as the University's
standard of a minimum of 30% postconsumer fiber in its printed
materials. Mohawk and Yale have a long partnership on a variety of
projects dating back to the 1940s when Yale University Press helped
design an archival paper for a series of books. That paper later
became Mohawk Superfine.
The Seven Standards
Experts from 15 countries met in mid-December to begin developing
standards to cover environmental issues related to packaging such as
reuse, recycling and composting. About 70 global delegates met in
Sweden for the first gathering for the SC4 Packaging and Environment
committee. The group is part of the ISO Technical Committee 122. The
gathering focused on seven standards covering source reduction,
reuse, recycling, energy recovery, chemical recovery, composting
and biodegrading. The seventh standard will lay out requirements
for the use of the other six. The standards are expected to be
finalized and in place by mid-2012. They will likely be built off
of existing standards already in use in Europe and Asia. The
European Organization for Packaging and the Environment has already
thrown its support behind the initiative, stating that the
standards "are urgently needed" to reduce "the
environmental impact of packaging."
NOW ON GDUSA.COM
American Graphic Design Awards Gallery
gdusa.com/issue_2009/12_dec/index.php
2010 People To Watch Preview
www.gdusa.com/egdusa/pages/091229.html
POWERFUL ECO-ADVERTISING FROM AROUND THE WORLD
1. Elephant for IFAW
Netherlands, Rapp Collins
2. Ice Cream for WWF
Belgium, VVL BBDO
3. Polar Bear for Ecoeduca
Chile, Draft FCB + IDB
4. Tarzan for WWF
Denmark, Uncle Grey
5. Alligator for FOPN
Brazil, By Almap BBDO
6. Glove for Surfrider Foundation
France, Y&R Paris
7. Lobster for WWF/Adena
Spain, Contrapunto
8. Under the Sea for Greenpeace
Switzerland, Lowe Zurich
9. Deer for WWF
Romania, Ogilvy & Mather Bucharest
10. Orang Utan for EDF
France, Publicis Conseil
11. Turtle for California Coastal CleanUp
U.S., Goodby, Silverstein
Thanks To
The Daily Green
Check out the images
here