Posts Tagged ‘sustainability’
Posted by Eryn Willard on June 11, 2008
Call us behind the times, but we recently discovered Patagonia’s Footprint Chronicles website. There, the apparel manufacturing company tells the story of specific products’ marks on the environment. The highly interactive site is not only well designed, but truly informative.
“We believe that to avoid complacency, we must constantly examine our internal processes to improve upon the positive and mitigate the negative,” said Casey Sheahan, president and CEO of Patagonia. “The Footprint Chronicles allows us to do this publicly — sort of learning out loud.”
Site users are also able to leave comments relating to each product detail. Pretty brave on Patagonia’s part!
Not every person or company can be perfect, but we can all implement strategies to reduce our impact. Could you do this in some way with your business?
Tags: branding, ideas, sustainability
Posted in corporate citizenship, CSR, eco-friendly, environment, manufacturing, marketing, outdoor, sustainability, tips
Posted by Eryn Willard on October 30, 2007
The recent push from retailers for greener packaging has suppliers realizing a few additional benefits: smaller packaging reduces the amount of space and fuel needed for transporting the products, and reduces the amount of shelf space needed to display the products – thus getting more products on shelves at once.
Surprisingly, Wal-Mart is one of the retailers at the forefront of the packaging reduction movement. Perhaps, because its plan to reduce packaging by 5% in the next 6 years will save the company a projected $3.4 billion.
Solutions to greener packaging can include bio-based and recycled/recyclable content, to simple size reduction.
How can your company reduce the packaging on its products?
If you don’t manufacture products, how can you reduce the amount of resources you use to promote or sell your service?
Tags: branding, marketing, sustainability
Posted in corporate citizenship, CSR, eco-friendly, packaging, paper, sustainability
Posted by Eryn Willard on October 16, 2007
Using an ecological footprint calculator developed by TheGreenOffice.com, Strategic Sustainability Consulting assessed our office’s carbon footprint via employee surveys and an on-site visit.
We supplied information such as business miles traveled via air and car, electricity and gas usage, water and paper usage, among other bits of information about Studio 22′s work culture.
This report helps us realize what our footprint is, and how to go about offsetting it. If you’d like to explore a copy of our report, please email us!
Tags: news, sustainability
Posted in carbon offsetting, corporate citizenship, CSR, eco-friendly, strategic sustainability consulting, sustainability
Posted by Eryn Willard on October 9, 2007
Recent headlines have said:
“Gen Y Shoppers Drawn To Greener Marketers,”
“Retailers Push Packagers To Think ‘Green’,”
“Good workplaces bring about focused, energetic employees,”
and “Virgin Mobile to Green Up Product Packaging.”
So, the question is…how can your business cater to the growing demand for more sustainable products and services? A few ideas, just for starters:
FOR THOSE PRODUCING PRODUCTS
- Create smaller packaging using recycled (optimal) or renewable, and recyclable material.
- Audit your supply chain. (Did you know that 80% of Honda’s North American suppliers are green certified?)
- “Climate cool” your shipping. Check out the Climate Neutral Network for information.
FOR THOSE PROVIDING SERVICES
- Turn off your equipment when you leave the office each evening; and put it in a sleep or power-down mode when not in use for more than 10 minutes.
- Offset your carbon emissions for all business travel — whether road or air.
- Choose a green design firm (who will specify sustainable options for your promotional pieces) to help you market your services!
FOR BOTH
- Offer green benefits packages to employees.
- Allow time off for volunteer activities.
- Allow employees to telecommute 1 or more days per week.
Tags: ideas, sustainability
Posted in article, carbon offsetting, corporate citizenship, CSR, eco-friendly, packaging, paper, sustainability, tips
Posted by Eryn Willard on October 8, 2007
Evidence shows that social and environmental responsibility pays–in the form of improved employee loyalty, better brand recognition, stronger community relations, and fewer environmental problems. But in order to fully realize the benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), people need to know about your commitment.
That is why we’ve launched a new division of Studio 22 — SustainabilityReports.com. The new site answers the questions that many executives and business owners have about CSR. Reporting on your practices will connect your organization with its stakeholders–investors, employees, the media, the community.
We’re scheduling kick-off meetings now for the months of October through December. Let us know how we can assist your company in creating a CSR program, or how we can help you communicate what you’re already doing!
Tags: design, news, sustainability
Posted in bottom line, corporate citizenship, CSR, eco-friendly, marketing, reporting, sustainability
Posted by Eryn Willard on October 4, 2007
Studio 22 is pleased to announce that three pieces we designed during 2006 have been honored with American Graphic Design Awards.
The three decade-old competition is presented by Graphic Design USA and sponsored exclusively by Adobe Systems Incorporated. It is open to everyone in the community: advertising agencies, graphic design firms, corporate, institutional and publishing in-house departments, and more. It honors outstanding new work of all kinds: print and collateral, advertising and sales promotion, packaging and point-of-purchase, internet and interactive design, broadcast and motion graphics, corporate identity and logos.
Our winning entries include:
- A logo for Quarry Connections, a national stone supplier,
- The 2006 sustainability report for Strategic Sustainability Consulting, a consultancy helping organizations actively manage their social and environmental impacts, and
- CD packaging for public service announcements for the National Association for Music Education.
The competition receives over 10,000 entries annually, with less than 10% of entries being awarded.
Tags: branding, design, news, sustainability
Posted in awards, logo, packaging, strategic sustainability consulting, studio 22, sustainability
Posted by Eryn Willard on June 21, 2007
In a recent “Letter from the Publisher” in Graphic Design:usa magazine (Okay, not so recent—I’m behind on my reading), Gordon Kaye commented on a letter he received from Michael Hendrix of Tricycle Inc. Hendrix wrote in response to a story the magazine ran on sustainability and CSR, as it pertains to the graphic design industry.
I thought this quote from Hendrix’s letter made some great points: “I believe that designers have much more to offer than specifying a green product. It is not enough to design a nonprofit brochure on recycled paper or to specify a Cella chair, then claim environmental responsibility. It is time to rethink and redesign the life cycle of products…”
I saw this as a great supporting statement when exploring sustainable options with client projects. Rather than simply producing an end product that is easy on the environment, we as designers need to evaluate the end use, the need for, the intended target, the mode of delivery, and more for each client project. How would we be helping the environment if we recommend producing a large-format piece which the target may find too bulky to keep – even if it is printed on FSC certified paper? Applying more thought to the who, why and how – rather than just the what – will produce a more sustainable end result.
Tags: design, sustainability
Posted in eco-friendly, FSC, sustainability
Posted by Eryn Willard on December 11, 2006
When I said that “the catalog industry can get a bit overzealous in their mailings,” Victoria’s Secret was exactly the company I was thinking about. So, imagine my relief when I read this article recently.
Apparently, a few years ago ForestEthics began a dialog with Limited Brands/Victoria’s Secret regarding their paper use. Now Limited Brands uses paper with 80% post consumer waste recycled content for its clearance catalogs. A few other measures the company is taking in its future catalog production that impressed me are (as stated on GreenBiz.com & ForestEthics.org):
“A preference for FSC certification, the only credible certification for sustainable logging. Limited Brands has partnered with one of its principal suppliers to shift four of its mills to FSC.
Overall catalog paper reduction.
A commitment to continual improvement on environmental attributes of catalog paper and paper use. Progress will be audited by an independent third party and made public.
A commitment to phase out of endangered forests.
One million dollars committed to research and advocacy to protect endangered forests and ensure leadership in the catalog industry.”
Definitely a step in the right direction!
Tags: sustainability
Posted in catalog, FSC, paper, PCW
Posted by Eryn Willard on December 6, 2006
I read on GreenBiz.com last week that Williams-Sonoma is going to begin sourcing almost all of the paper for its catalogs from sources certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
This is great news to me. I know I’m not alone in feeling that the catalog industry can get a bit overzealous in their mailings, with the same products being contained in each publication, and which may arrive as often as twice per month. I think this major, well-respected company is setting a wonderful example to the rest of the industry.
Not only is this a feel-good commitment for Williams-Sonoma to make, it is a wise business decision that will most likely affect their bottom line. In my opinion, they will gain some market share due to this change and the publicity they are receiving from it.
The FSC certification for its catalogs is not the first environmentally sound practice that Williams-Sonoma has made. The company has a track record of choosing paper products with post consumer recycled content for items used throughout the organization.
Tags: sustainability
Posted in bottom line, FSC, paper
