GDUSA Green Newsletter

November 2011

OFFENSE IS THE BEST DEFENSE
 
Print has classic strengths. But, these days, print and paper people often find themselves on the defensive about two issues: sustainability and effectiveness. To help, The Print Council has launched an online Resource Center that brings together in one place studies, campaigns and data that support paper’s sustainability and print’s communicative power. The mission: to inspire media, marketing and print folks to turn such awareness into action. True, it would be better if more of material came from purely independent sources, but the Council does a laudable job of marshalling the core arguments for fans and advocates of print.

 
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EARLY EARTH DAY EXHIBITION
A poster designed and illustrated by Craig Calsbeek, president and creative director of Nexus Design + Marketing is part of the exhibition, Peace Press Graphics: Art in the Pursuit of Social Change 1967-1987. The illustration was commissioned for an early Earth Day celebration and distributed nationally by Peace Press. In conjunction with the Getty Foundation in Los Angeles, the exhibition at the University Museum at Cal State, Long Beach, runs through December 11. Over 100 posters chosen from the Press' archive and private collection exemplify an important element of cultural history: art that seeks create social and political change. Other artists include Robert Crumb, Rupert Garcia, Harry Fonseca and Sheila Levrant de Bressville.

ORGANIC INK IN FASHION
Evian has partnered up with French fashion designer Courreges to imagine a new limited edition bottle. Courreges, approaching the eve of its 50-year anniversary, is known for pioneering key trends though the decades, from having discovered stylish pants for women in 1963 to starting the mini-skirt revolution. The bottle by Courreges features the design house's elegant white and pink emblematic flower (introduced in 1967) on the backdrop of evian's iconic glass bottle silhouette. Printed with organic ink for the first time, the bottle is composed of 100% recyclable packaging.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH
 
Maggie Macnab, author of Design By Nature: Using Universal Forms and Principles In Design.

One of the most important things to walk away from Design by Nature with is the basic understanding that patterns and shapes in nature express its process as forms that all humans experience through our senses. They are common to everyone. Patterns express energy in physical ways that are understood regardless of where you come from, and universal principles drive their various processes of coming into being. We understand these shapes and patterns intuitively: Words are the language of the head, but visuals carry the intuitive language of the heart. The language of nature is universal, and it is our first and primary language.

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CLIMATE CHANGE U-N-F-O-L-D-S
The Sheila C. Johnson Design Center at Parsons The New School for Design is currently exhibiting U-n-f-o-l-d: A Cultural Response to Climate Change. It runs through December 15. The exhibition represents work by 25 artists, musicians, writers and other creatives who participated in expeditions to the High Arctic region and to the Andes. Working across multiple media, including photography, sculpture, mixed media, works on paper, video and sound, the artists explore the physical, emotional, and political dimensions of a complex and changing world. It was originally curated by David Buckland and Chris Wainwright for Cape Farewell in collaboration with the University of the Arts London. Explains Buckland: “The personal and emotively charged responses of artists invite audiences to imagine their own relationship to climate change in ways that encourage fascination, curiosity, empathy, and the aspiration for behavioral change.” Adds Wainwright: “The exhibition also reflects the continuously unfolding tensions that exist for artists between raising awareness about issues while maintaining a creative process that is speculative, intuitive, and sometimes contradictory.”Adds Radhika Subramaniam, director and chief curator of the Johnson Center: “U-n-f-o-l-d stakes a claim for the artist’s role in addressing climate change. At Parsons, where we foster young artists and designers who can respond to global challenges, it offers us a welcome opportunity to contribute to this urgent dialogue.” Shown here: Red Ice 3, Chris Wainwright.
 
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ALL IS FAIR IN SUBPLOT DESIGN
Level Ground Trading exclusively imports fair trade products. Following up on its recent compay brand redesign and coffee packaging, Subplot Design has now redesigned Level Ground’s Organic Dried Fruit and Organic Cane Sugar Packaging. The packaging platform extends the system previously created, with innovative kraft paper vapor-barrier bags with resealable zips for freshness. The Dried Fruit design uses full-color imagery, to help emphasize taste and freshness. Clear bags for Cane Sugar allow the color and texture of the sugar to shine through. Level Group officials say that the fruit is cut and dried by women living in Cazuca, Colombia, a refugee settlement on the outskirts of Bogotá, providing fair income, microcredit loans, education and health care opportunities for their families.

ECONOMICS EFFECT EXHIBITORS
Although “green” exhibiting has gained traction in the past few years, a new survey shows that an impressive 53 percent of professional exhibitors indicate “high” or “very high” interest in making their booths and materials more environmentally responsible. They are largely driven by the view that going green is ethically correct and also will enhance their brand's image. However, the survey also suggests that company support may be lagging behind the marketing exec’s enthusiasm, as just 36 percent of respondents feel their companies share their level of interest. “The economic and environmental landscapes have shifted considerably in the 48 months since our benchmark survey was released,” commentsTravis Stanton, editor of Exhibitor magazine, is running the complete results in the November issue. “Interest in going green is still high, but exhibitors are less willing to pay a premium for eco-friendly options than they were in 2007." The survey was sponsored by Lynch Exhibits Inc.
 
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DESIGNERS ROCK THE CRADLE
ElcaMedia, as self-styled “green” marketing and design agency with offices in London, Amsterdam and New York, took the platinum award from MarCom Awards USA in the category Environmental Marketing for a booklet outlining Cradle to Cradle marketing strategies and how to go green. The booklet was created to help businesses understand how to take the first steps in developing a Cradle to Cradle marketing approach. The introduction was written by Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart, co-founder of the Cradle to Cradle methodology, who personally worked with ElcaMedia to train their personnel on the concept.
 
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SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS STORIES
A new book from Printing Industries of America shares the stories of five printers who have benefitted from sustainable printing practicies – in their marketing, operations, and overall culture. Entitled Sustainability Studies in Print: Five Printers Discuss Their Journeys to SGP Certification, the book was compiled by Joe Deemer, an editor at the Association. SGP is the printing industry’s Sustainable Green Printer certification. The compilation provides real-world incentives, resources, and advice for getting started on the path to green printing. For example, readers will learn how one company saved nearly four million gallons of water by replacing their chiller, resources the printers leveraged to make the journey easier, pitfalls they faced, ways to get the entire company involved, and what life is like post-SGP certification. Says Deemer: “When I started this project, my primary goal was that printers would read these stories and take away a sense of excitement and enthusiasm. In addition to learning practical tips and procedures from five great printers who have achieved SGP certification, I hope they also come away inspired. You can get from point A to point B, and the trip is well worth it.”
 
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HOLOGRAPHIC EFFECTS HONORED
The Eco Award for the 68th annual National Paperboard Packaging Competition, sponsored by the Paperboard Packaging Council, was won by Crest Complete Toothpaste and PaperWorks Packaging Group. Holographic effects are usually achieved by laminating non-biodegradable PET to boxboard, which makes the package unrecyclable. PaperWorks, however, achieved an equivalent holographic effect by micro-embossing a common reflective coating to the boxboard. This process cost less to produce and also eliminated the need for the additional lamination step at an off-site facility, thus saving money on transportation, energy, and raw materials.