As a design agency we have lot’s of opportunities to go green and advise our customers to go green. Please take the advice below!

Advise Clients Whenever Possible

• Provide environmentally friendly options for take away packaging
• Push for recycled papers for client materials
• Don’t waste materials creating test prints
• If designing something that a client may print, don’t use full colour backgrounds
• Colour proofs use corrosive chemicals and waste hundreds of sheets of paper – Only colour proof print files

Green Tips for the Office

• Don’t use too much plastic! Don’t use too much plastic! Don’t use too much plastic! Don’t use too much plastic! Don’t use too much plastic!
• Use “real” mugs, glasses, dishes and cutlery rather than disposables. It takes just seconds to wash a mug.
• Only print documents if necessary. There’s no reason that inter-office communications can’t be done electronically. If something  has to be printed, print one copy and post or circulate it rather than printing off a separate copy for everyone.
• Get in the habit of asking customers if they want their receipts rather than just automatically printing them.
• Use screen to display meeting agendas rather than printing and distributing them.
• Get and use a battery charger; using rechargeable batteries in equipment will save money over time and help reduce the amount of toxic materials sent to landfills.
• Save paper by printing on both sides of a sheet of paper whenever possible.
• Use your printer’s eco-mode if it has one.
• Recycle your used ink and toner cartridges.
• Turn off your computer when not in use. It doesn’t hurt it. Really!
• Check computer settings for standby mode – if computers are unused for periods of time they should be set to go into standby mode within a short time.
• Keep computer equipment updated; current new computers and monitors are more energy efficient than those more than a few years old.
• Turn the lights off in rooms when they’re not in use. For instance, there’s no point in having the lights in an office staffroom or washroom on all day.
• Do not leave your office lights on overnight.
• Use light wall colors; light paint colours and higher gloss sheens reflect daylight, meaning your space will need less overhead lighting. BC Hydro has an excellent guide for making the most of natural light to light your office space.
• Heat our office to a maximum of 22°C when occupied, 16°C when unoccupied. Heating and cooling set points must be set 2 to 3°C apart so that the air conditioner does not cycle.
• Always turn off taps completely, ensuring that they don’t drip.
• Make sure all washroom cleaning products are environmentally safe.