Part one:
In this two-part blog, I will be discussing the actions and responsibilities of environmental sustainability within the graphic design industry.
Environmental sustainability within the graphic design industry
Graphic designers have a responsibility to produce responsive and influential designs to guide the public. These choices can deliver both a positive and negative impact on the
environmental and sustainability. So, to understand what the attitudes are to environmental sustainability in the graphic design industry we must first look at what those impacts are.
What is the environmental impact of a graphic designer?
Designers make choices throughout their design process, and these decisions can cause a negative impact. Extensive research on the environmental impact of printing, revealed that by not implementing environmentally sustainable design processes, graphic designers’ final products will impose on recyclability, landfill waste and water consumption. They will also have a direct contribution to pollutants, chemical waste and forestry depletion. An infograhic at milner.com shows the impact design can have on the planet.
Size, shape, colour, printing techniques and paper stock choices made by designers build the ecological footprint we leave on the planet. But by making informed decisions, designers can reduce this impact resulting in less greenhouse gas emissions and a more efficient use of natural resources.
Designing for sustainability
Actions being taken at present to maximize environmental sustainability for print design include reductions in energy, water consumption, pollution and waste in the industry as a whole. Some designers additionally use unique design techniques like reduced ink consumptions, opting for recycled paper and checklist systems.
Jacopo Prisco, a Journalist for CNN believes that designers can reduce their impact on the environment by designing logos to have a smaller surface area of ink. During an interview with Sylvain Boyer—a graphic designer, Prisco asked if it was possible to create environmentally sustainable logos by using less ink. The conclusion was that it was possible, and that it would also reduce costs as well as any subsequent impact.
Further action
Another action knowledgably taken to reduce the impact of print design includes choosing the best print options. Information provided by The Tobyonline blog on print related materials shows that there are sustainable inks available and in opting for these ink can reduce the pollution caused by the more harsher options.
Further more, using Recycled paper is the greenest option over all, it uses up waste and its products require less energy and fewer chemicals. GF. Smith, (A paper manufacturing and distribution company). Maintain their papers have a limited environmental impact.
During a seminar at held at Glasgow Clyde College, Paul Scharf, a GF Smith paper specialist, also strengthened their claim. Scharf spoke about the new manufacturing techniques the company use to make greener products. He also went into detail about one paper in particular that is produced by recycling coffee cups. The cups are delaminated, and materials separated, the pulp is used to make new recyclable paper stock and the left over plastic from the process makes Crechar fertilizer. Sharft went on to say, “it’s the first paper we really want to be able to discontinue.”
These actions are a good indication that the design and print industry as a whole are changing and sustainable options are improving.
But the question is! Are these actions actually being implemented and do graphic designers feel they have a responsibility to do so? We will look into these questions in part two of this blog: Do graphic designers have a responsibility for ecological sustainability in print design.
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