Each and every business now has to ensure that it is taking care of the environment. As it is now, different parts of the world have experienced out of the ordinary weather patterns. Winter has become extra cold while summers are extremely hot.
Business operations that have gone over a long time without a care for the environment have caused these effects. Wanton cutting down of trees for the production of paper and furniture, releasing effluents into rivers and toxic fumes into the air from factories are some of the characteristics and features of an industry.
With the weather affecting a lot of the world’s population, people are now speaking up against unsustainable business practices that are harmful to the environment. As a result, every industry is looking into making better its practices to ensure that they carry out environmentally friendly businesses.
The graphics and poster design industry has also not been left behind in the struggle to build businesses that meet their customer’s needs and are friendly to the environment. Although it may look as if poster and graphic design businesses do not affect the environment, they do.
Listed, are a few tips to help graphic designers to build sustainable design poster businesses.
1. Go digital
Going digital ensures that graphic and poster designers print less. This reduces demand for paper and as a result, reduces the number of trees cut down. This then results in a positive net effect on the environment.
Trees take a long time to mature. As it is now, once they are mature, they are cut down to produce paper. Not everyone who cuts down trees plants more. Even if they were to do it, the rate of cutting down trees would surpass the rate of growth of the trees.
Less printing is good for the environment.
2. Use alternative materials
If you have to print your posters, use alternative materials. The bamboo paper has been proposed as an alternative to virgin paper as it grows faster and its paper is easily recyclable and friendly to the environment.
Synthetic paper, other surfaces such as cups or even the materials used to create laptop skins can be considered for alternative printing materials.
3. In the office
Graphic and poster designers work from an office environment. In this environment, their different ways that they can engage themselves to ensure that their business processes are environmentally friendly.
First, they could consider switching off the lights when they work. Better building design ensures that organizations save energy as they go about their business. Modern architecture which also blends in sustainability practices ensures that buildings have large windows that bring in ample natural light to save on energy use.
4. Reduce waste
Recycling is the way forward when it comes to waste reduction. poster designers should ensure that they recycle as much as possible. They should seek out opportunities to recycle or use recycled products for example paper when it comes to printing.
Other raw materials that are part of the design process should be considered. For example, poster, creators should find a way to use less ink in printing. Printing ink is a harmful pollutant to the environment due to its heavy metal ingredients.
5. Influence their clients and suppliers
Graphic and poster designers should come out strongly to influence the whole industry value chain towards sustainability.
They can do this by ensuring that they use materials that are environmentally friendly for example recycled paper or paper alternatives. Paper suppliers will take notice and they will reduce the demand for wood pulp produced paper and therefore less tree cutting.
They can also influence their clients by influencing them to go paperless and to accept their end product as a digital product. This ensures that no paper or ink is used in the design process.
Conclusion
Every business should ensure that their processes are environmentally friendly. With these tips, poster designers will sell more and build sustainable businesses.