Sustainability is a relatively recent worry that was previously dismissed by people who thought of it as nothing but a marketing buzzword. But as we continue to see the devastating effects of eco waste, more people are realizing the necessity of going green.
Brands also have a responsibility to opt for eco-friendly practices wherever they can and educate their audiences on the matter. And part of that comes down to sustainable graphic design.
As a company, you may be caught in an endless cycle of printing and distributing materials like leaflets, menus, and brochures. But there are more eco-friendly alternatives you can use to reduce waste and make a positive impact on the environment.
Read on to learn how.
What is Sustainable Graphic Design?
Sustainable graphic design is exactly what it sounds like: going green with everything you do around your brand’s graphic design.
This doesn’t just revolve around the type of paper or ink you use, but everything else that graphic designers might use to produce the final result, such as the printer, gas to transport materials, and even the design language that can deliver a message to your audience.
Why We Need It
Businesses contribute to some of the biggest negative impacts on the environment, and this has been common knowledge for decades. They often handle unimaginably large volumes of material that might end up as damaging waste.
And although the biggest offenders are megacorporations, small businesses also have a role in adopting sustainable practices.
Besides, small to medium-sized businesses play a significant role themselves. With graphic design, a business could be printing and distributing hundreds, if not thousands of papers to their customers on a regular basis.
Think of a brick-and-mortar shop that hands out leaflets to customers in a mall, only for them to often end up in the trash and later out in the ocean, damaging the environment.
Choosing sustainable graphic design can raise awareness around the issue and help normalize the use of green materials.
Choosing Sustainable Materials
Sustainable graphic design starts with your material and tool choices. Let’s see how you can switch to better alternatives.
Paper
Credit: Angela Roma
Obviously, most of your non-digital designs will be printed (and possibly distributed) on paper, so it’s the first material to amend.
One of the most popular alternatives is recycled paper, which can save up to 31% more energy and 53% more water while producing 39% less solid waste. And, of course, no trees are harmed during its production!
There are other, less popular alternatives that work well, too, such as paper made from hemp, bamboo, sugarcane, or straw.
Inks
One of the best sustainable inks is soy ink. Even though it’s not 100% biodegradable, mostly because of the additives, it’s still a much better and entirely practical alternative to regular ink.
Its main drawback is that it takes a bit longer to dry, but other than that, soy ink can produce a magnificent array of accurate colors, all while remaining cost-effective.
But the cutting-edge technology here is algae ink, which is more sustainable and renewable.
Energy-Efficient Hardware
Credit: Uswitch.com Images, CC-BY-2.0, via Flickr
Your hardware also plays a role in your journey towards sustainability. With sustainable graphic design, you’ll mostly need energy-efficient printers. Those will not only be more eco-friendly but also save on energy consumption costs.
Fortunately, almost all modern printers are substantially more efficient than a few decades ago. They can reduce their power consumption according to your needs, shut off automatically when not in use, and more.
You can take this a step further by choosing a sustainable ink and a printer that can support it.
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Should You Go Digital?
Credit: Chuttersnap
At some point, you should consider whether digitizing your tangible graphic design can be better for you and the environment.
We’re talking about displaying your designs on digital screens instead of relying on traditional paper and ink. One of the most prominent examples has to be restaurants, which are increasingly relying on QR codes to show their customers important details, such as their menus and social media handles.
Similarly, if your business distributes leaflets, you can switch to a large QR code that can direct your customers to a PDF with the information they need.
Digital signage is also a big help here. Instead of using traditional signs, which often go into the dumpster the moment they need to be updated, you can rely on digital signs. Not only are they more sustainable, but they’ll also save you money in the long run.
Educating Your Audience Through Design
A big part of going green as a business is that you can use your reach to deliver the right message to your audience through marketing. This is how you can truly take it a step further.
Eco-Friendly Design Languages
Credit: Canva
Your choice of design language can leave a strong impression on your audience. And making it eco-friendly can show your strong support for the mission.
You can do this by carefully selecting things such as eco-friendly colors, minimalist and welcoming font faces, and embedding relevant elements like trees or leaves.
Marketing Your Brand Correctly
Credit: Pixabay
You also need to ensure your message is heard and your audience knows well about your efforts to utilize sustainable design practices. You don’t need to overstate it, but rather mention it in passing alongside your main message.
For example, if you’ve switched to sustainable materials, you can write it as a footnote and mention the impact it has had in percentages, which are easy to comprehend. Recall how we mentioned the impact of using recycled paper above.
Also, try to play with your designs and photo choices to fit your message.
Providing Guidance on Going Green
If possible, use your platform to guide your audience on how to incorporate sustainable practices in their everyday lives, and you can customize it to revolve around your products if it’s applicable.
Make sure to do it in an easily digestible way, though. Don’t ask your audience to take dramatic steps right away, but instead mention simple things they can do to reduce their carbon footprint.
Also, follow that up with the potential benefit of the practice you suggest.
Bottom Line
Sustainable graphic design may sound like it’ll only have a negligible impact on the world, but when you consider the sheer volume of waste produced collectively by everyone in the graphic design industry, you can easily see why going green with your designs is the first step to normalizing a safer practice for the environment.
And it doesn’t have to come at such a huge cost as many people unfairly believe. Fortunately, eco-friendly alternatives are more readily available than ever and at reasonable prices.
For a start, it can be as simple as switching to recycled paper and soy ink instead of relying on their traditional counterparts. Take one small step, and see where you can go from there.
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