Green Is A State of Mind

The thing we have to do to be more green is to stop being wasteful by convincing ourselves that we do not have an abundant of materials we can buy from a number of stores. At least, not without harm to our environment. You can’t always see the damage being done, but it is still there. We need to think about what it would be like without these luxuries, like it is in many parts of the world. It’s as if we don’t even notice how wasteful we are, or care what happens to everything we throw in the trash.

If we can create something that advertises and works as something useful, then people will keep it around longer, and always be reminded of the company when they use it. It’s a win, win!

It’s necessary for us to adopt a greener lifestyle, because it is important to the consumers of the future and to the future of our planet.

I found this website to be informative and very well designed.

YouTheDesigner.com

They have freebies as well!

Minimal Packaging Designs

Have you ever noticed how much packaging you have to remove before you get to a product?? The most over packaged things are usually hygienic products or products being shipped through the mail. For example, women’s feminine products are already individually wrapped. I don’t need to have a sealed box that’s plastic wrapped on top of products that are already wrapped in plastic to begin with. That’s just too much.

We need simpler packaging! LESS = MORE

If we all get together and buy products that are only packaged in recyclable material, then we can motivate the industry to use more environmental-friendly materials. If their isn’t a product packaged in recycled material, then picking the least packaged item would be the next best choice.

This website has some great designs that are Eco-friendly, like this product called the Lee Paper Bag. After you finish using it to carry your things home, you can reuse it again, or break it down and have all kinds of goodies: such as a ruler, a game board, and a calender to name a few.

a reusable shopping bag made of recyclable paper

NEW ECO- FRIENDLY PACKING MATERIAL

Here’s a video about an all-natural, Styrofoam alternative called the EcoCradle. It’s made of seed husks and mushroom roots. It can be made into any shape and size, except smaller than an inch. The material can be composed or put into a garden, and will be broken down within a month or two. There are also some other alternatives to packaging materials.

The Power of Designers

“We are all custodians of the land, and we all share the responsibility of keeping her alive” Uncle Max “Duramunmun” Harrison, Yuin Elder, Educator.

As designers we have a lot of power in helping the environment. We use a lot of paper, which is bad for the environment, but we can choose to use better paper to have less of a bad impact on our world. We have the power to peruse the companies we work for to use “greener” printing and supply companies. We have the power to create designs that inform others about being green, and why we want to take care of our environment. One of the most important things to remember is to always create a well-thought out design. Be sure to ask yourself if what your making is really necessary. If the design misses the target audience, than it will be replaced more quickly and more resources will have to be wasted.

Goodies

Here is a list of Eco-friendly paper companies you must check out, from the website, Celery Design Collaborative. This list consists of how recyclable the paper is, the certifications it has, how it’s processed, and what weight it has, along with what it’s used for.

There is also a Sustainability Scorecard, which rates different types of papers, plastic, inks, and binary in three categories: Source, Energy, Destiny. Each one is rated as either Approved, Caution, or Avoid. This is very general but serves to point us in the right direction of what kinds of materials we should be considering.

On Another Note

I’m going to order this book, by Brain Dougherty called Green Graphic Design. I’ll let you all know how it is when I get done with it.

Awesome Green Design Inspiratation

I just discovered a super cool website, with GREEN design ideas from a number of designers and areas of design. The site is called Yanko Design and they are showcasing some amazing inventions that can change the world! A few of my favorites being the algae powered light bulb and the Backyard Wind Energy. There is a project making it possible for urban areas to be “ruralized” using vertical space-saving structures, so that they can grow their own resources. There are pages and pages of awesome design ideas, please go check it out and be INSPIRED.

REDUCE, REUSE, & RECYCLE

Taking the first step to reducing your effect on the environment is becoming aware of the materials you buy and the energy you use. The best paper is recyclable, locally made and FSC approved. These factors save energy, water, and many other pollutants in the production and disposal of the paper. Always use both sides of paper when you can, and use soy-based ink, which is low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Here is a website by a clothing design company, that describes the different inks. The last paragraph, “Things that make us green…”, is inspiring and has some great ideas.

Welcome to the Green Designing Blog

Hi everyone!

I created this blog for designers to become more educated on how they affect the planet and learn ways they can reduce their carbon footprint, in their personal and professional lives.

I’m currently studying for my Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design.  I became interested in a “green lifestyle” after I did an assignment on climate change, which made me aware of our pollutions and the causes and effects it’s having on our Earth. The EPA.gov is a great, trusted site to check out all the facts on climate change.

I found a website today, with tons of great information for designers on our pollution and what we can do to make the world a more Eco-friendly place.
Here’s the website’s main page or if you want to skip all the general information and go straight to the designers section, click on the Change tab at the bottom. Here’s another link for all my Full Sailors and other design students, explaining why sustainability is important to us.

I know if we all do a little, it will make a BIG difference!