IN THIS ISSUE
Publisher's Note: Earth Week, Climate Change 
Letter To The Editor: Sustainability As Strategy 
Thinking Green: Apple, Macy's, Exhibits, Coffins 
Special Announcement: Agfa GreenWorks Launched 
Green People: Al Gore 
More Thinking: Wal-Mart, Michael Recycle 
Company Developments: My1Stop, Univenture, FiberMark 
Special Promotion: Sustainable Package Design Webinar CD 
Housekeeping

PUBLISHER'S NOTES:

Christmas In April

With Earth Week just behind us, I admit ambivalence. On
the one hand, Earth Day can legitimately be credited as 
the first step in the great awakening that is the modern
environmental movement and it still serves as a 
once-a-year public reminder of our obligations to the 
planet. On the other hand, it's beginning to look alot 
like Christmas, or rather the commercial aspect of 
Christmas, as it morphs into a day of candy coated 
sentiment, shopping, gifting and special promotions often
tangentially related to the environment. As a result of my
ambivalence, I have really struggled to find the right 
tone for this piece and, along the way, devoured a large,
salty bag of pretzels out of anxiety. A big bag. 
Thankfully, just in time to save me from greatly 
expanding my carbon footprint, Sheri Koetting of MSLK
in New York emailed an Earth Day message which possesses
the innocence and simplicity I wish I could have captured
on my own. Titled "Thoughts on celebrating Earth Day" she
writes: "Wondering what you can do to honor Mother Earth?
1. Buy local, not global. Let's join a food co-op and enjoy
locally grown produce year 'round. 2. Healthy you, healthy
planet. Let's fix up our bikes. I want to get in shape and
ride my bike to work. 3. Follow the sun. Let's reduce our
electricity by going to bed earlier and waking up with the
sun. 4. One less plastic bottle. Let's get a pitcher and
glasses for our office instead of using dozens of water
bottles at meetings. 5. Give the gift of time. Let's stop
buying material gifts and focus on spending more quality
time together. 6. Enjoy the taste, remove the waste. Let's
cook dinner tonight instead of ordering food that comes
with lots of disposable packaging." Thanks, Sheri, for
hitting just the right positive and unpretentious tone, as
well as for saving me from the bag of chips I was about to
attack.
www.mslk.com

Weather Or Not

Something strange is happening in the debate over
environmental problems. Americans increasingly see
protecting the environment and solving the energy crisis as
priorities of the first order. But climate change, not so
much. The results of a recent Pew Research Center poll,
nicely graphed by designer Charles M. Blow in The New York
Times (April 19, 2008), display lagging interest. A new
Nielsen Oline Buzzmetrics study shows decreasing buzz about
global warming in the blogosphere. The bold new "We Can
Solve It" advertising campaign by The Martin Agency for Al
Gore et. al. is, in fact, a frank admission that
indifference to the global warming issue remains
widespread. I have done my own informal poll and this is
what I hear: parks and trees, clean air and water, recycled
and recyclable products, organic and local produce,
affordable and alternative energy are all tangible,
personal and promise relatively immediate benefits. Climate
change feels a bit diffuse, intangible, distant in time and
space. And while the planet is clearly getting warmer, many
people still are not convinced by the expert explanations
-- and not just flat earth types as Mr. Gore alleges.
Looking at the big picture, the environmental movement has
much reason to be pleased and proud. We are all
environmentalists now. Conservation and cleanliness have
become identified with responsibility to oneself, to
society and, for those so inclined, to a higher power. But
like it or not, it is not yet clear whether the public will
raise climate change to a similarly high status.
-- Gordon Kaye, editorial@gdusa.com
 
LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
SUSTAINABILITY AS STRATEGY

Doing something good for the environment is a wonderful
thing, but it shouldn't be the only impetus for a company
seeking out green design. Businesses are in business to
stay in business, and should look at sustainability as a
powerful business strategy. Sustainability drives
innovation, differentiation, and so much more. The missing
step for most companies is how green design positively
affects them. If businesses realize that sustainability is
a way for them to save money, create a better product, and
connect with customers who care about the environment, many
more would be embracing the idea. It's only when companies
look at sustainable design as a business strategy that
we'll truly see more profitable companies, happier
consumers, and a better environment.
Pamela Long, Little Big Brands, Nyack NY
 
THINKING GREEN

An Apple A Day

Officials in New York City have launched a campaign to
encourage residents to save energy and be more
environmentally conscious. The logo: a green, stylized
version of an apple. In response, Apple -- yes, that Apple!
-- is challenging the Big Apple -- yes, that Big Apple! --
over the right to use the fruit as its logo, saying it is
too similar to its own and will confuse people. Needless to
say, Apple's logo is white, with its signature bite mark.
New York City's proposed trademark is a green, figure-eight
outline evoking an infinity sign, and the word "greenNYC"
under it. Among other things, the company cites its
Manhattan flagship store, the giant glass cube on 5th
Avenue, as a tourist attraction, and claimed people walking
around carrying bags or accessories emblazoned with GreeNYC
apples would "'likely cause dilution of the distinctiveness
of [the Apple brand], resulting in damage and injury to the
company.'"

SFI Printer Milestone

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative program has reached a
significant milestone in its mission to promote responsible
forest management, awarding its 100th chain-of-custody
certification for printers to Standard Register at its
plant in Salisbury MD. "We are proud to welcome Standard
Register to the SFI program and are especially pleased that
we begin our relationship by sharing in this milestone,"
said SFI Inc. President and CEO Kathy Abusow. "At a time
when just 10 percent of the world's forests are
independently certified, Standard Register has taken a
leadership role by supporting global efforts to improve
forest practices."Said Tom Furey, vice president and
general manager for Standard Register. "SFI certification
confirms that our customers are making an educated,
environmental choice about the products they buy." A
complete list of paper and print participants is online.
http://www.sfiprogram.org/paperprinting.cfm

Macy's At The Park

In honor of Earth Week, Macy's partnered with the National
Parks Foundation to raise funds for parks around the
country. Called "Turn Over A New Leaf," the Macy's campaign
invited customers to make $5 donations to the National Park
Foundation at Macy's stores or online, and receive a
shopping pass good for discounts off many items at the
store. The focus was on environmentally-friendly clothing,
unusual for retail stores, since very little mass-produced
clothing is made with organic or renewable materials, and
few clothing stores have staked out the eco-friendly space.
"The National Park Foundation is proud to be chosen as the
first charity in Macy's history to be the sole beneficiary
of the national charity shopping event," said Vin Cipolla,
president/CEO of the Foundation.
www.nationalparks.org

Screws Not Glues

Green Design Wiki, a study project conducted by UC Davis
Design student Alan Wells and UC Davis Professor Tim
McNeil, aggregates information about sustainable materials
and methods for exhibition design. The project was begun
done in connection with a series of exhibitions at the UC
Davis Museum on the topic of the environment; in the wiki
spirit it remains open for additions and revisions. Here
are McNeil and Wells' top ten list: 1. Improve the energy
efficiency of exhibition lighting by installing timers and
sensors. 2. Adjust exhibition climate control settings
where possible. 3. Design modular exhibition
components/furniture for recycling or reuse. 4. Practice
the 4R's: reduce, reuse, recycle, reinvest. 5. Use low VOC
paints. 6. Avoid vinyl-based sign products. 7. Print on
100% postconsumer paper using non-petroleum-based inks. 8.
Use agri-fiber products rather than wood-based particle
boards. 9. Use screws instead of glues. 10. Inform staff,
vendors, and especially visitors about the efforts.
www.greendesignwiki.com

Means To An End

Inspired by the vision of an English graphic designer,
Gemma Nesbit, basket maker Tony Carter is making coffins of
year-old willow withies from the Somerset Levels in south
Norfolk, England. The willows cropped each year are a
renewable resource and can be woven into a surprisingly
suitable coffin -- the ultimate sustainable,
environmentally friendly, means to the End. Not entirely
unheard of in the history of human death, willow weave is
said to be having a resurrection due to the efforts of
Nesbitt, who saw coffin-shaped fruit and vegetable baskets
in the street markets of West Bengal. Back in England, she
sketched an adaptation and then scoured the basket making
fraternity in search of an able and willing craftsman to
execute it. Carter stepped forward. The coffin is called
the chrysalis and the explanation can be found in the
literature of the Natural Death Centre, a charity which
advises on alternatives to the mainstream services offered
by the undertaking industry.
www.newwayswiki.org/blog/2008/04/eco-coffins
 
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
AGFA GREENWORKS LAUNCHED

Agfa Graphics has launched a new program called
GreenWorks(TM), part of the company's environmental
recognition and support efforts. The GreenWorks program
honors those customers that are proactively involved in
environmental responsibility, and is assisting GreenWorks
companies in building awareness about their
accomplishments. Agfa has been an early proponent of the
need for greener technologies, policies and procedures. To
become part of Agfa's GreenWorks program, printing
companies must be users of Agfa's ThermoFuse(TM)
platemaking technology. This includes the chemistry-free
:Azura plate and the low-chemistry :Amigo plate, both of
which significantly reduce the impact on the environment as
compared to conventional digital or analog plates. In
addition, GreenWorks printers must demonstrate that they
are active in other environmental initiatives, as well as
being involved in efforts such as recycling, reducing
waste, or using alternative energy sources in their plants.
"For the graphic communications industry, being green means
developing new technologies, adopting smarter policies for
daily business operations, and promoting environmental
responsibility as broadly as possible so that others become
involved," says Susan Wittner, marketing director, Agfa
Graphics, North America. "With the GreenWorks program, we
identify those print companies who have successfully
adopted greener policies and should therefore be seen as
leaders of true environmental responsibility. In addition,
we want to connect print buyers seeking environmentally
sensitive printers with Agfa GreenWorks printers."
On Earth Day, Agfa announced GreenWorks recognition for
several printers: AMPA Printing (Markham, Ontario), Astro
Printing (Cornwall, Ontario), Bassette Company
(Springfield, Massachusetts), Berman Printing Company
(Cincinnati, Ohio), C&D Printing (St. Petersburg, Florida),
CCPRESS.NET (Baltimore, Maryland), Chinese Computer
Typesetting (Scarborough, Ontario), Designers Press
(Orlando, Florida), Heritage Printing and Graphics
(Leonardstown, Maryland), HIMS Desktop Publishing
(Scarborough, Ontario), Lightning Graphics (Scarborough,
Ontario), Litho Impressions (Temple Hills, Maryland), Litho
Mille Iles (Terrebonne, Quebec), Printcom (Toronto,
Ontario), PXPOHIO (Reynoldsburg, Ohio), Spectrum Printing
(Rockville, Maryland), and Thermo Trade and Litho (Toronto,
Ontario). Companies that have already received
environmental recognition awards from Agfa also
automatically become part of the program.
www.gdusa.com/agfa
 
GREEN PEOPLE

Al Gore

Love him or hate him, informed by him or annoyed by him, Al
Gore makes his presence felt. His latest effort to make his
point about climate change is a three-year, $300 million
campaign aimed at mobilizing Americans to push for
aggressive reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions, a move
that ranks as one of the most ambitious and costly
public-advocacy campaigns in U.S. history. The Alliance for
Climate Protection's "we" campaign employs print, online
and television, ahd highlights the extent to which
Americans' growing awareness of global warming has yet to
translate into policy changes. He said the campaign, to
which he is contributing an estimated three million dollars
of book and prize money, is intended to create a sense of
urgency that will ultimately cause the government to act.
"The simple algorithm is this: It's important to change the
light bulbs, but it's much more important to change the
laws," he said. "The options available to civilization
worldwide to avert this terribly destructive pattern are
beginning to slip away from us. The path for recovery runs
right through Washington, D.C." The Martin Agency of
Richmond VA has developed the website, print, radio and
television ads, the first of which uses historic footage to
link this cause to other challenges in American history,
such as D-Day, civil rights, and the moon mission, and the
second of which pairs unlikely supporters of the the
message such as the Rev. Pat Robertson with the Rev. Al
Sharpton and Nancy Pelosi with Newt Gingrich. Designer
Brian Collins is responsible for the logo, which is
featured in the upcoming May edition of Graphic Design USA.
www.wecansolveit.org
 
MORE THINKING GREEN

1-800-Recycle

The company, 1-800-Recycling, has launched. A division of
Electronic Recyclers International, the firm aims to be the
top resource for responsible recycling across the country.
John Shegerian originally bought the failing Computer
Recyclers of America in 2002 and changed the name to
Electronic Recyclers International. For the past 12 months
he has pursued the 1-800-Recycling name. The phone number
and URL were owned privately and a deal was finally
completed. (1-800-Recycle and 1-800-Recycles are owned by
the government.) Over the past six years, the company has
emerged as the leading electronics waste recycling brand.
Shegerian says he is looking to expand by partnering with
all types of recycling agencies throughout the country. "We
want to be the No. 1 recycling brand in America," he says.
"Look at what Al Gore has done and what the media has done
to raise consciousness in America. We need to make it part
of the American DNA . . . It's great to make a difference
and a profit."

Not Just A Baby Step

It seems as though we have a Wal-Mart story every month,
but these people continue to take the offensive on
sustainability and their sheer size makes action important.
The company has opened its latest generation of
energy-efficient test stores this week with a Las Vegas
Supercenter that uses new cooling technology to cut overall
energy use by up to 45 percent. The previous pilot stores
in the Midwest cut energy use up to 25 percent compared to
a typical Supercenter built in 2005, the year Wal-Mart
launched a broad environmental program to reduce energy use
and packaging waste and to sell more sustainable products.
The company is reportedly the biggest private user of
electricity in the world and has huge potential to cut back
on greenhouse gases from fossil fuels burned to create
electricity. "This is not just a baby step. This is a big
step," said Terry Townsend, past president of the American
Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers.

Michael Recycle

Environmental superhero "Michael Recycle" is flying out of
bookstores. The hardback children's picture book comes from
Worthwhile Publishing, a division of San Diego-based IDW
Publishing, which specializes in comic books. The plot
involves a green-caped crusader descending on a grimy,
trash-ridden town. Written by Ellie Bethel, and illustrated
by Alexandra Colombo, the book is the first to be published
by IDW Publishing's new imprint, Worthwhile Books. Aside
from comics, IDW publishes graphic novels. Despite his
outfit, Michael tells the people they must recycle -- all
in rhyme, of course ("You've got to recycle! You've got to
act soon! Before all your trash reaches up to the moon") --
and they listen to his advice. The book ends with several
simple green tips for children to implement.

Jumping To Sustainability

Adam Richardson and Sara Todd, executives at Frog Design,
have developed a seminar addressing the fundamental issues
of sustainable design. Drawing from a wide range of sources
and case studies -- as well as frog's own experience -- the
program will address key issues framing sustainable design,
how it can be evangelized and initiated in an organization,
and how it impacts on choices of product planning,
production partners, brand and marketing. Richardson and
Todd are two leaders of Frog Design's sustainable design
initiative, which involves making Frog itself a greener
company, as well as assisting frog's clients develop
products in more sustainable ways. The current schedule
calls for May 15-16 in San Francisco and October 16-17 in
Denver.
www.dmi.org

Far Above Cayuga's Waters

A team from Cornell's Office of Publications and Marketing
won prizes in this year's Green T Reuse Design Contest, an
Ithaca-based project of SewGreen, a nonprofit organization
encouraging sustainability in fabric, fiber and fashion.
The ensemble, dubbed "The Realitee for Humanitee:
Sustainabilitee," was created entirely out of more than 100
recycled t-shirts and consists of a reversible cape, a hat
that converts into a drawstring purse, a coordinated belt
and a couture coat with a designer leash. Graphic designer
Wendy Kenigsberg -- a member of the team that also included
Lorraine Heasley, Dennis Kulis, Linda Mikula, Deena
Rambaum, Leigh Ann Sullivan, Donna Vantine and Sally Dutko
-- explains, "This was designed for the wearer and the dog
to do the Waterfront Trail together." The contest called
for using recycled cotton clothing and fabrics; the dog is
designer Deena Rambaum's.
 
COMPANY DEVELOPMENTS

Officially Greenified

My1Stop.com has become officially Greenified. With the
guidance of Green Business Alliance, My1Stop.com has
successfully implemented specific practices intended to
benefit the environment and its employees while also
boosting its level of corporate social and environmental
responsibility. Says Amy Silvers, Business Development
Analyst of My1Stop.com "We are pleased that Green Business
Alliance has enabled us to meet our company's environmental
goals. We believe that Greenifying our company will help
the environment and will provide an impressive
differentiator for prospective customers who are
considering purchasing from My1Stop.com. It can also be a
meaningful tool for retaining our customers." The company,
led by President Michael Del Chiaro, has made changes to
its daily business practices as they relate to copying,
printing, recycling, energy use and more. It is also in the
process of adding several product categories ofeco-friendly
products to the website. Hilary Kusel, Executive Director
of Green Business Alliance states: "The business community
has an unprecedented opportunity to lead employees and
subsequently our citizenry to a Greener future.
My1Stop.com's efforts demonstrate how a printing company
can make a positive impact in the community and on our
environment."
www.my1stop.com and www.greenbusinessalliance.com

Univenture

For Univenture, inventor and manufacturer of a wide variety
of eco-friendly packaging, document storage and marketing
mailers, Earth Day 2008 had a special meaning. This year
marks the twentieth anniversary for a company founded with
the single purpose of providing alternative products better
for the environment than traditional items. Founded at the
start of the CD revolution with the concept of reducing the
plastic in the jewel box, the boot-strapped startup has
gone on to be listed five times in Inc. 500's fastest
growing privately held companies. The newest brand is
EcoEndure: a culmination of all Univenture's patented and
proprietary technologies. Ross Youngs, the CEO and Founder
stated, "Univenture invests heavily to remain aware of
evolving opportunities within the field of green' materials
relating to products and packaging. Our goal is to take
advantage of all commercially viable technologies at early
stages in order to benefit our customers." Interestingly,
Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" recently
landed on retail shelves enclosed in a distinctive EnvyPak
sleeve made by Univenture with EarthFirst(REG) PLA film
from Plastic Suppliers made with Ingeo(TM) polymer. "The
typical plastic DVD case was shunned by producers and Mr.
Gore in favor of minimal packaging," noted David Coho,
Univenture Vice President of Sales at the recent Green
Media Summit.
www.univenture.com and www.unikeep.com

Sunny Connecticut

The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund honors Curtis Packaging
with a Connecticut Clean Energy Communities Award. The
company's commitment to renewable energy has resulted in
the City of Newtown qualifying for a free solar energy
system from the Fund. As part of this commitment, Curtis
Packaging has purchased enough clean, renewable energy to
account for 100 percent of their electricity needs, ranking
them among the leaders in the printing and packaging
Industry. Comments Don Droppo, Jr., senior vice president
of sales and marketing. "It is exciting to be part of an
effort that delivers the benefits of clean energy to
community where we live and work." Curtis Packaging is 100
percent carbon neutral, uses 100 percent renewable energy
and is FSC certified.
www.curtispackaging.com

Veggie Power

FiberMark, a leading producer of specialty papers and
fiber-based materials, has converted the manufacturing
operations at its Vermont headquarters to be able to run up
to 100 percent used vegetable oil. With this conversion,
FiberMark becomes first manufacturer in the state of
Vermont to generate part of its process energy from waste
biofuel. The "green steam" produced by the vegetable oil
not only powers FiberMark's Brattleboro paper machine
turbine and dries its papers, but also provides heat for
the plant. "FiberMark is committed to executing
environmentally sustainable practices wherever possible,"
said Steve Pfistner, vice president of safety and
environmental management. "Our manufacturing processes, our
products, and our company culture are all designed to
promote environmental responsibility."
www.fibermark.com
 
SPECIAL OFFER: CD OF WEBINAR ON
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGE DESIGN

Designing for Sustainable Packaging was an extraordinary
two-hour Webinar broadcast this winter, with sponsors
including the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and Package
Design Magazine. This special webinar features
up-to-the-minute insights into the market forces affecting
package design and sustainability. The program probes the
real meaning of sustainability as it applies to package
design professionals -- from the state of the industry,
consumer perspectives, marketing strategies, regulatory
issues, and spotlighted success stories. For more
information and information on ordering, visit...
www.packagedesignmag.com/eblasts/html/080220/msg2.html
 
HOUSEKEEPING 
Entry forms for the surpassingly popular American Graphic
Design Awards presented by Graphic Design USA can now be
downloaded at...
www.gdusa.com/contests/agda.php

TOP 5 SUSTAINABILITY BLOGS FOR 2007

By Number of Sustainability Messages
(Source: Nielsen Online, BuzzMetrics)

TreeHugger
treehugger.com

Worldchanging
worldchanging.com

Biopact
biopact.com

The Oil Drum
theoildrum.com

The Alternative Consumer
alternativeconsumer.com