| Green design agency. It does exist. Private | | | | are renewable and emit less toxic Volatile Organic |
| businesses and government institutions in the UK (as | | | | Compounds (VOCs). |
| elsewhere in the world) have a number of | | | | So, less ink is better – but a good designer |
| requirements. Profit is a key driver, as are its people. | | | | can use less ink and still create maximum impact! |
| The planet is the third. The “triple bottom line: | | | | Green papers could be: 100% Post-Consumer Waste |
| as it is called (People, Profit and the Planet) underlines | | | | (PCW) |
| the need for sustainable design within the drivers of | | | | Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) |
| any business. | | | | Uncoated |
| The remit of a green design agency is creating visual | | | | Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified. |
| impact with less environmental impact, while | | | | Even a graphic design agency web design agency can |
| encouraging clients to consider the environmental | | | | contribute. In addition to their own green living they |
| impact of their production. | | | | can host websites on greener servers where energy |
| Malcolm Buttel is director of Oxygen Creative, a | | | | and CO2 is offset. |
| graphic design agency based in Tiverton Devon. | | | | Considerations for any “marketing |
| “We took control of our environmental impact | | | | product” include: |
| as a business, applying practical environmental | | | | * reducing the amount of materials required for |
| management techniques to what we do. Our | | | | production |
| environmental policy details how we use less energy | | | | * using paper and materials made with recycled, |
| at work, how we only use paper from sustainable | | | | post-consumer waste |
| sources with bio inks in our production, and how | | | | * printing with low-VOC inks |
| simple things like a car sharing scheme have helped | | | | * what production methods require the least amount |
| us save 1000 litres a year in petrol alone. | | | | of transport |
| “I am now a member of the Chartered | | | | * which vendors use renewable energy |
| Institute of Water and Environmental Management, | | | | * if the product can fulfill more than one purpose |
| and our business meets the criteria of BS8555 | | | | * if the end-product is biodegradable or recyclable |
| – the British Standard that is an equivalent to | | | | * if the end-product can be replaced by a digital, |
| ISO14001. If nothing else, our clients know that | | | | rather than printed, format |
| they’re dealing with someone who takes | | | | * just-in-time production to reduce number of units |
| being green seriously.” | | | | produced and warehoused |
| So internal practices are important, but so is the | | | | * which vendors sell products certified by third party |
| output. It’s important that an agency | | | | NGOs. |
| considers the use of recycled paper stock with a high | | | | Always as a design agency to show you its |
| Post Consumer Fibre (PCF) recycled content, | | | | environmental policy and look for their certification to |
| especially using recycled paper stock that has not | | | | BS8555 or ISO14001 which shows they have |
| been de-inked as well as unbleached or non-chlorine | | | | independent accreditation of their dedicated to |
| bleached paper stock which releases harmful toxins | | | | environmental management; an environmental graphic |
| that could affect marine life. Think about using | | | | design agency such as Oxygen Creative in Tiverton, |
| vegetable based printing inks such as soy inks which | | | | Devon serves as a benchmark. |