There’s more to becoming an environmentally responsible design agency than the use of paper stock or the type of ink used – we also consider the following:

Design

• Can we use die cuts to make a message work, instead of high-end glossy finishes?
• Can we produce a piece of work using one or two colours – fewer colours makes a difference. Also, did you know that blue pigment is said to have the least environmental impact?
• Can the design keep ink coverage to a minimum, as this reduces the amount of environmentally damaging ink that will be used and also makes your product easier to recycle?
• Knowing what size of paper the printer is using and then adjusting your design to make the best use of the space available – use the whole press sheet.
• Try not to use fluorescent colours as you can’t get vegetable-oil based versions.

Stock

• Can we use a lighter gsm paper for the job? It may seem a little obvious – but 200gsm paper uses double the amount of wood fibre that goes into 100gsm paper.
• Can we design the project in a smaller format? This could save paper, ink, water, carbon emissions in distribution – and it may even save money on postage.
• Can the job be based on the ‘A format’ of paper sizes, as all materials and printing presses are based around these, therefore producing less waste?

Finishing

• Do we need an additional seal on the paper, such as a laminate which can’t be recycled and isn’t biodegradable? The production process emits high levels of VOCs; UV varnishes contain solvents, this process uses a lot of energy and causes problems in the recycling process (use an aqueous -water-based – coating instead).
• Ideally stay away from foil blocking as these are polyester film coatings and may contain toxic chemicals or heavy metals. It also doesn’t break down in the de-inking process when recycling.
• Can we use folding instead of glue? If not, the most eco-friendly binding is wire stitching, as this can be removed easily during the recycling process.

Web

• Can you get your message across online rather than in print? This will obviously bypass the print process and will be a lot more eco-friendly.
• Did you know that designing a website that is dark will save energy? 75 watts of energy is used to display an all-white web page, but as little as 59 watts is used to display a darker page. You will have to bear in mind that, from an accessibility point of view, black off white is far easier to read than white off black. So to create a balance, only have text areas off white such as we have with our own site – empty space remains dark.

Recycled & FSC paper

CuCo will always offer clients an ecologically sound print option – either through the use of recycled paper, which uses less energy and creates fewer emissions than virgin paper; or through the use of FSC “Forest Stewardship Council” sourced paper.

Types of eco paper

There are different types of papers produced to be eco-friendly.

POST-CONSUMER WASTE

When the end product has reached the consumer, been used and then recycled. You should try to choose the highest percentage possible, although any percentage of either post or pre-consumer waste is better than none.

OFF-WHITE OR NATURAL WHITE PAPER

Bleached recycled paper undergoes fewer processes than other recycled or virgin fibre, therefore uses fewer chemicals and less energy.

FSC CERTIFIED PAPER

If there is a need to stick with virgin paper aim use an FSC certified stock, which will have a chain of custody back to the forest, so you can see where the paper has come from. There are three types of FSC certification:

FSC Mixed Sources – FSC approved stock is mixed with recycled fibre; this must be at least 50 per cent FSC content
100 per cent FSC – self explanatory!
FSC Recycled – 100 per cent post-consumer recycled paper by an FSC accredited mill

All suppliers that are within the FSC chain of custody will have a certificate number – look out for this logo.

Eco-friendly printing process

As well as using friendly stock you can also choose an eco-friendly print process. One of the printers we use has recently converted to an “alcohol-free dampening system” on its presses as well as using vegetable-based printing inks.

These inks are vegetable oil based and not petroleum oil based (with the exception of fluorescents and most metallics). You will also reduce worker and environmental health hazards and avoid use of a non-renewable resource. BUT on the flip side they do use soya, which is an issue in itself.

You are now also able to get metallics in a vegetable-oil based version.