Sustainability
Sustainable design is smart, creative and enduring. It inspires change and is gentle on people and the planet, using minimum resources for maximum impact.
Sustainability lives in every aspect of our process, from concept ideation and choosing the medium for delivery to the colour palettes and choice of paper. Thinking about our work’s long-term impact benefits the environment and is more sustainable from an economic perspective.
Our Methods
We look at sustainability from every angle, minimising environmental impact and promoting eco-friendly design solutions.
Material selection
We choose locally made, recycled materials for printing, packaging, and promotional materials. We opt for 100% post-consumer recycled, FSC-certified paper or other eco-friendly alternatives.
Printing techniques
We push for eco-friendly printing methods, such as soy-based inks and waterless printing, to reduce harmful emissions. We also encourage print-on-demand services to eliminate excess printing and waste.
Circular lifecycles
We consider the environmental impact of a design throughout its entire lifecycle, from production to disposal. We encourage clients to invest in materials that are easily recyclable or biodegradable.
Design for longevity
We prioritise timeless design elements to ensure materials have a longer lifespan. We create designs that are adaptable and can be easily updated without a complete overhaul.
Communication Design Checklist
1.
What’s the most effective way to get your message across? Do you need a publication or printed item to reach your audience, or can you deliver it digitally?
2.
Multi-purposing is a big bonus. Can one publication or printed item serve multiple purposes?
3.
Size does matter. Does the paper printout need to be that big?
4.
Discuss minimising paper wastage with the printer. What’s the best design format for that?
5.
A lesser number of ink colours also means less resources used.
6.
It’s a simple one, but choose recycled materials where possible.
7.
Find out whether the publication or printed item can be re-used and recycled.
8.
Tell your audience about how the work was produced in an environmentally sensitive way.
Paper Checklist
1.
Does it have a high post-consumer recycled content?
2.
Does it come from sustainably managed plantation timber? Look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.
3.
Is it free of chlorine-bleached fibres? Look for Process Chlorine Free (PCF), Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) or Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) certifications.
4.
Does it come from a paper mill that has an environmental management system certification? Look for ISO 14001 or EMAS.
5.
Is it made in Australia? We like to support local industry to reduce the environmental impact of transportation.
6.
Size does matter. Does the paper printout need to be that big?
Digital Design Checklist
1.
Have you chosen simple and minimalist designs, avoiding excessive graphics and animations?
2.
Have you converted inefficient GIFs, Flash, or other animated content to MPEG-4 or WebM videos?
3.
Consider using the image formats WebP or JPEG XR for better compression.
4.
Have you implemented lazy loading for images? Lazy loading can help speed up webpage load times.
5.
Research hosting providers that are prioritising renewable energy sources, they are called Green Hosts.
6.
Have you developed a responsive design that adapts to different devices, reducing the need for separate websites or apps?
7.
Consider asking the website developer to remove any unnecessary code and compress files.
8.
Are energy-conscious practices encouraged during development and testing?
9.
Regularly monitor the website’s environmental impact using tools and analytics. Track your website’s carbon footprint here.
10.
Have you educated the development team on the environmental impact of web development?
11.
Consider investing in carbon offset programmes to counteract website-related carbon emissions.
We’re proud to be a certified B Corp
We are part of a global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. Being a B Corp means meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
We support the Sustainable Development Goals as set out by the United Nations to protect the planet and ensure peace and prosperity for all. Support is a fundamental part of why we exist.
We are proud members of 1% for the Planet, which sees us donate 1% of our annual revenue to environmental not-for-profit organisations. We also provide pro-bono support to grassroots groups that require design resources to continue to make a difference.
Based on the B Impact assessment, we earned an overall score of 94.8
To maintain our certification, we undergo yearly assessments that measure our impact across five areas: workers, customers, governance, environment and community.
Read about our B-Corp impact score here.
Resources
A curated collection of sustainable resources for creatives and businesses, delivered from our team to yours.
Sustainable Design Resources
Estimate a web page carbon footprint
Tool
2024
Sustainable practices in the packaging industry
Organisation
2023
Calculate the environmental impacts of your paper
Tool
2024
Provides resources to support designers to be climate leaders
Education
2023
Provides tools and strategies for the design industry
Resource
2023
Search an open-source database of sustainable suppliers
Database
2023
Supporting future-proof circular packaging
Resource
2023
Supporting future-proof circular packaging
Resource
2023
Directory of eco conscious resources for designers & businesses
Resource
2023
Full report on your website’s carbon rating, performance and UX
Tool
2023
Platform to educate sustainable design practices
Education
2023
Becoming a B Corp
Rohan Trollope January 2024While the mission of B Corp is simple – making business a force for good – the process of B Corp Certification is complex. Anna Carlile talks about the experience with her mentor on the journey, Alison Michalk.
