In a bio I once had to write about myself I think I described myself as a wanna-be-better environmentalist. In my mind, that’s someone who isn’t perfect but who is nonetheless committed to making eco-friendly choices whenever possible. Someone who believes that her actions have wide-reaching consequences and who tries to remember that in her daily duties and interactions with people and products. Someone who is trying to make the best choices even when it’s not always clear which choices are best. (Cloth diapers or disposable – there’s so much more to the debate than it appears, and it’s not always easy to know what’s best… but that’s another story for another website).
What all this means for you is that I’m a paper goods designer who is always trying: to find the best quality papers with the most eco-friendly features; to find companies to work with who are also committed to making ecologically-minded choices; to reduce waste.
{ PRINTABLES }
I sell printable goods because they are eco-nomical and eco- friendly. No packaging. No waste. Print just the number you need, as you need them.
{ PRINTED GOODS }
Beginning in August 2009, all paper used by Up Up Creative contains at least 80% post-consumer content. All envelopes are at least 30% PC content. In addition:
- Paper is FSC-certified & carbon-neutral, made with 100% renewable energy
- Paper is acid-free, elemental chlorine free, and archival
{ ECO POLICIES }
Other ways I strive to lessen my company’s ecological impact:
- When designing I try to be cognizant of ways in which I can maximize prints-per-paper. That means that in my own work and in custom orders, I send three-per-page whenever I can instead of setting up my files to print one to a page with more waste.
- What paper waste I do have gets reused. Whole sheets get used later for test printing. Partial pieces get used for notes, gift tags, and other projects I do with my kiddo.
- I do not have print minimums on custom orders. Some wedding invitation designers, for example, require a minimum order and/or that you order in increments of 25. I don’t do that. If you need 72, you can have 72. No need to waste 3 or 8 or 28 more.
- I try to reduce my own packaging. All the cardboard I use to ship calendars I get from boxes that make their way into my house. I never buy cardboard or chipboard for shipping preferring always to reuse what’s around. This may not look as clean and fancy as some shipping supplies, but I believe my customers are more concerned with how the product looks, not the shipping stuff.
- I try to source my supplies from companies that themselves are working to be eco-friendly. The company I buy my paper from, for example, offsets its electrical usage with renewable, Green-e certified wind power and maintains its FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and SFI (Sustainable Forest Initiative) certifications. In addition, the mill offsets 100% of the carbon produced by its outbound shipments.