The environment is under more threat today, than it ever has been, and responsibility lies with all of us for doing what we can to help. Here are three very simple steps that designers can take to help the environment.
Reduce electricity. Switch off at the mains, and don’t leave appliances on standby. How many times have you left a computer on when you’re sleeping, or when it’s not being used? Do you really need to?
Re-use printer cartridges. Refill your cartridges, or
send empty ones for recycling. Currently only about 5% of all inkjet cartridges are actually recycled – the rest end up in landfill sites. Are you contributing to that statistic?
Recycle paper. When dealing with commercial printers, aim to use a paper stock that is 100% recycled. Failing that, try for a stock that contains a certain percentage of recycled paper, then go for paper from sustainable forests. Also, use both sides of the page when writing notes.
Simple.
I could’ve gone into much more detail, but when you head over to Noisy Decent Graphics and read a great article about designers and the environment, you’ll understand why I preferred to send Ben some traffic.
In the Noisy Decent Graphics article, Ben mentions:
…designers, it’s our fault. I honestly think we have to admit that before we can move on.Ben isn’t naive. There are a lot of people involved in projects that harm the environment, but if a designer plays a part, and does nothing to stop it, that makes the designer at least partly responsible for the outcome.
What else can I do to help?
There’s so much I don’t know about what’s happening with the world I’m living in. I want to learn, and am learning, thanks to those who are writing a little about environmental issues, such as Ben, Chris, Andy, Char, Sara, Xavier and Darren.Winter scenery photo courtesy of Opus1
This post was written by David Airey
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