Green Team     NEW YORK NY

Green Team is a New York-based, advertising and communications agency which has operated with a social and environmental conscience since its beginnings in 1993. The team has been immersed in its space for more than 15 years, and has worked with more than 30 NGO's in the environmental and social arenas, giving it a deep understanding of, and commitment to sustainability issues.

Green Team has identified and labeled an entire consumer segment — the Awakening Consumer segment — some 49 million Americans who are awakening to the power they wield in the marketplace. Awakening Consumers do their homework, and support brands whose values are in line with their own. Green Team says it's the Awakening Consumer segment that's helping drive growth in the green movement.

When and why did your firm become interested in environmentally friendly graphic design? Since Day One. Our founder and president Hugh Hough loved advertising and the environment, and in 1993, he merged his two passions to form Green Team.

Are the thrust of your efforts internal — i.e., changing your own office practices and policies — or external — i.e., developing 'green' design solutions for client projects? Internally, we do everything we can to minimize our footprint. Our offices feature reclaimed wood floors, and custom-designed work stations made from bamboo, wheatboard and materials recycled from our previous office space. Our office has large windows, which allow us to operate without lights and heat/air conditioning when weather conditions allow. We removed the trash cans from individual offices and work spaces, and have just one central trash can, so everyone here thinks a little before just throwing something out. We print on both sides of the paper, and recycle paper, glass, plastic and aluminum. We did away with our delivery of 5-gallon bottles of "water cooler" water, and now fill two Brita pitchers that we keep in the refrigerator. Of course, we use CFL's and non-toxic cleaning materials.

Externally, we do everything we can to reduce the impact of our work. Our designers think about sustainability issues at every step of the job. All our print jobs are done with either recycled, FSC-certified or hybrid paper, using vegetable-based inks. We try to estimate quantities as accurately as possible to avoid unnecessary overprinting.

Can you tell us in a little more detail about the internal or external changes? In particular, can you give us an example of a 'green' project you have done for a client? We did a mailing for Thebault, an environmentally responsible printer, that outlined the steps of sustainable design by example. The piece did not use an envelope, but rather folded up the content area. Inside was a "whiteboard" made from recycled and recyclable materials, giving a dual-purpose to the piece. It was produced in one-color, using only recycled paper and vegetable-based inks.

Can being 'green' help you in your marketing and sales to gain new projects or clients? Absolutely. It is our only reason for being, and clients come to us for our experience and expertise in the field.

As a practical matter, does the economic slowdown effect make it harder to be 'green.'? In all honesty, we are seeing some budget cutting for green initiatives, but we think this is only temporary. The problems affecting the environment are not going to go away because the economy is in the tank, nor are the people who are concerned about environmental issues. Companies that continue their sustainability initiatives during hard economic times will be miles ahead of those who have cut their budgets when we emerge from this economic downturn.