22/04/2022
On EARTH DAY 2022 I find myself deeply pondering the state of our planet, the mindsets that are helping and/or hindering its preservation, and what more I can do in my personal and business life to do the right thing. While I’m far from being a “Recycling Nazi”, it has become the norm to refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle. Still, it’s not enough.
Considering that concern for the impact of air and water pollution dates to Roman times, it’s astonishing that it was only centuries later in the 1970s that the first international environmental treaty was entered. Thankfully today – and in the nick of time – several green parties have gained traction in many countries such as Germany, New Zealand and Ireland and the environmental movement has had some success in influencing the agenda of international politics. Yet, efforts are being constantly undermined by political and “Big Business” interests.
It therefore falls to individuals and business owners to be ever mindful of our impact and take the necessary steps to make a difference. It is in the spirit of the Starfish parable that I’m looking to step up Fountainhead’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of graphic design. I do believe that by being mindful, designers can dramatically reduce the size and impact of our ecological footprint.
Fountainhead has made great strides in our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint. It’s an ongoing quest in the following areas:
Office energy use: “Knock off, Power Off” is our policy. Switching to green power is desirable and noble, albeit a longer-term goal. In the meantime, we will continue to conserve energy through conscious and efficient use of our equipment, appliances, lighting, heating and cooling measures. Last person out the door switches everything off every day.
Design: Strive for innovation and originality in brand messaging rather than “bigger is better”. Thoughtful design ex*****on that considers ink and paper reduction and uses fewer yet more impactful touchpoints. A win-win.
Paper: We adopt a “Pause Before Printing” philosophy to consider whether a printout is absolutely necessary. We will continue to step up our use of chlorine-free, stone and other environmentally efficient paper. Consider whether a lower gsm would suffice without compromising on quality. We reuse printouts as scrap and recycle everything.
Ink and printing: We favour print suppliers who use VOC-free inks.
Clients: A positive unintended consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic is the reduced carbon footprint through virtual meetings. With our clients, we have become very comfortable to continue this practice, keeping in person meetings to a minimum.
None of the above is unique to Fountainhead. But if we all do it, together we can make a difference.
Happy Earth Day.
FAY KAJEE, MD Fountainhead
