27 August, 2024

As consumers become more environmentally conscious, there’s a lot brands can do to make design a force for good.

These days, we’re all far more aware of our environmental impact. For most responsible companies, the days of mass print, plastic freebies and air-heavy travel are long gone. But there’s no denying that the world of design and branding still has a footprint.

It’s been said that design shapes the world. This might be an intimidating thought, but it’s also an empowering one. It means that the collective decisions brands and agencies make really do matter.

So, what can you do to reduce the impact of your project?

Authentic verbal and visual messaging

The approach to sustainability messaging has evolved significantly, moving beyond clichéd symbols like green hills and leaf motifs. Today’s market demands that sustainability be a core aspect of brand identity, not just a buzzword. In 2022, over 90% of consumers either maintained or increased their sustainable purchases, and products marketed as sustainable grew 2.7 times faster than their non-eco-friendly counterparts. Brands like Chilly’s, Oatly, and Back Market show that compelling messaging can drive both awareness and sales.

With the rise of greenwashing awareness, consumers demand genuine efforts and transparency from brands. It’s time to ditch the overused tropes and craft narratives that truly reflect your products and values. Effective sustainability communications should captivate and resonate emotionally – because dull, uninspired messages almost always fail to engage.

Planning for success

One of the simplest steps to reducing your brand’s carbon footprint is deciding on what you really need, and what you don’t. Can you reduce the materials you’re using? Is that piece of direct mail the best way to advertise, or would a social media budget be more effective?

Having a clear strategy, with goals for each marketing output, is key. And, with a reported 80% of a product’s environmental impact determined during its design phase (according to the European Commission), the biggest decisions are made right at the start of a project.

Putting it in print

Print can be a polarising topic. We know that we should save paper (we’ve all seen emails and documents featuring the line ‘Don’t print this if you don’t need to.’). With this in mind, should we be saying that brands ought to go entirely digital?

We’d argue that print still has its place. In many contexts, a piece of print is still absolutely the right choice. For you, for your audiences, and for your end goal. But there are things that we can do to make sure it’s produced as sustainably as possible.

If you’re publishing a brochure or brand journal, page planning can make all the difference to its environmental impact. Printing in multiples of 16 (for example, 16, 32, 48 or 64 pages) is optimal, as this results in no paper wastage. Where this isn’t possible, multiples of eight are the next best bet (24, 40, 56, and so on). So, however tempting it is to add on two extra pages, it’s worth bearing in mind that it could seriously dent your carbon footprint.

As designers, we can also work with you to suggest the best paper stocks and printing methods for sustainability. Some printers offer environmentally friendly options; those accredited as a Carbon Balanced Printer will offset the full carbon footprint of any print job and only use paper that is recycled or sourced from sustainably managed forests. Print-on-demand services are another smart strategy to avoid overproduction and waste.

And of course, even during the design stage, it’s good to think about your print’s end point. When its lifespan has passed, what happens next? Can it be easily recycled or reused? Using materials that are recyclable, and clearly labelling it with this information, is an easy way to highlight the desired action.

Sustainable print practices are crucial for slashing the environmental impact of design projects. This means using eco-friendly materials like recycled paper and vegetable-based inks, and opting for printing processes that cut down on waste and energy consumption. Be mindful of the entire lifecycle of printed materials, from production to disposal, ensuring they contribute minimally to environmental degradation.

While QR codes remained a bit of a fad for many years, they do bridge the gap between having something tactile and needing content that can constantly morph and change online. Providing they’re styled nicely, they can often give print greater longevity in the marketplace.

Sustainability and spaces

Sustainable production encompasses all facets of the design and manufacturing process. This includes responsibly sourcing materials, reducing waste, and minimising energy use. We’d always suggest partnering with suppliers and collaborators who share your commitment to sustainability and can transparently disclose their environmental practices.

Innovative production methods, such as using biodegradable or recyclable materials, can further bolster your project's sustainability. As with print, consider the end-of-life of your products. Designing them for easy disassembly and recycling is a great way of producing physical spaces that are fit for purpose and gentler on the environment. Adopting this circular economy mindset ensures projects have a reduced environmental footprint throughout their lifecycle.

Online footprint

It’s easy to think of carbon emissions as coming from material things – tangible products like plastics and paper – but the internet can also have a heavy environmental impact. According to WebsiteCarbon, the average web page produces around 0.8 grams of CO2 equivalent per page view. This might not sound much, but if each visitor to your website browses (for instance) five pages, and you have 1,000 visitors a day, it soon adds up.

Luckily, there are lots of things you can do to bring this figure down. You can read about them in full in this post from our archives, but as a general rule of thumb, it’s helpful to be efficient: compress and reduce your images, reduce your loading time, favour clear and concise copy, and consider the overall user experience to make it easy for readers to find what they need. You can also choose a hosting company that offers green services – there’s a handy list on The Green Web Directory.

Working with responsible suppliers

In any creative project, it’s important to choose the right partners. We’ve already touched on options for printers and hosting, but there’s a world of other companies out there, and every decision you make has a knock-on effect. Whether you’re sourcing stickers, goodie bag items, staff uniforms, or even a PR agency to help with publicity, it’s worth doing your research first. Are their operations sustainably minded? Do they treat their team members fairly?

Granted, it’s sometimes hard to know, but you can always ask. Many companies will have supplier policies or online credentials links they’re happy to share with you. During a recent project with Emily Nixon, we sourced bespoke cut-and-sew bags, opting for suppliers that held the strongest accreditations around paying a fair living wage and being female owned and operated. This helps ensure that even if you have to source from overseas, it’s done in the fairest way possible. Being conscious of your shipping is also vital here. Choose container shipping over air freight for a lower environmental impact. It’ll take longer, but your consumers will expect this level of detail.

You can also take measures like checking for those who are B Corp certified. This isn’t an essential, but having B Corp status (or at least, working towards it, as we are) will guarantee transparency and consideration around standards of social and environmental performance. Making good choices not only benefits people and the planet – it also shows your customers that you’re a brand worth choosing in your own right.