Luckily, in amongst the world of digital photo frames and web based magazines, the paper industry is taking notice and finally stepping up to the plate. Recycled paper has been around for a while, but as with any buzzword, use of the word ‘recycled’ doesn’t necessarily mean a whole lot. It could be as little as 10% recycled material, added to the fact that the raw materials are such a small part of the whole picture.

The more clever and responsible paper companies are re-examining their manufacturing processes, from the collection of raw materials right through to the mill floor and who provides their electricity. They’re not focusing blindly on steps allowing them to use the word ‘recycled’ alone, but are taking larger scale steps to manage their overall carbon footprint and corporate contributions to (and subsequent limitation of) greenhouse gas emissions. The quantity and type of energy and chemicals used to manufacture the paper are also determining factors, and the end result is a much wider range of ecologically responsible choices for those of us in the business of designing materials for print.

But how do you know which option to choose? The Environmental Defense Fund is a good starting point. Their online paper calculator takes all of these issues into consideration, and compares the overall environmental impacts of a wide range of different papers across their full lifecycle. While they can’t possibly include all of the paper manufacturers at any one person’s disposal, they do paint a clear enough picture of the sort of questions you should be asking when in the position to choose your stock.

Carbon footprint at EDF is calculated by kg equivalent of C02/MT and broken down into four major impact factors:
• Extraction of Wood
• Transportation / Waste / Disposal
• Manufacturing Energy
• Fibre Procurement

They also provide specific paper comparisons to North American averages for both 100% recycled papers, and standard virgin papers.

You can check out the EDF Paper Calculator at www.edf.org/papercalculator

At minimum, you should be looking for paper that is 100% post-consumer fibre, processed chlorine free, and manufactured regionally using responsible energy. In Canada, look for the Environmental Choice and FSC certification badges.

In my personal life, I would be classified as what’s been somewhat unflatteringly coined SCUMY. That is, Socially Conscious Upward Mobile Youth. Though nearing 30, I’m not so sure about that Y at the end any more. I’m not an extremist, but I do what I feel I can. I’m a vegetarian, buy local produce, reduce and reuse where possible, compost or recycle the rest, work paperless and get around by bicycle, when it’s feasible. I also love hot showers and drive a pickup truck so… well, nobody’s perfect.

The little things we all do on a daily basis are significant, but at the same time, somewhat futile in the shadow of the astonishing impact made by the corporate world. More specifically, the companies who provide the things we use every day… our houses, vehicles, utilities, entertainment, clothing, and everything else down to that small package of screws you bought the other day at the hardware store. These are huge polluters, both directly through their own operations, and indirectly through the production and packaging choices they make.

As a small example of this trickle down effect, take a look at something just about all of us probably have in our refrigerators right now: the ubiquitous Heinz ketchup bottle. I’m not talking the classic glass one, but rather that big plastic tank with the ill-conceived and somewhat ironically named ‘easy squeeze’ cap. Yes, it won the Dupont Packaging Award, but I hate it. From an aesthetic standpoint, it’s just plain ugly on the table. Functionally, it gets a failing grade as well… I squeeze and squeeze and nothing comes out, until BAM. My plate is covered in an explosion of angry tomato. All this to avoid having to give your bottle a quick shake before serving.

I’m not going to pretend to know how efficiently Heinz runs their factories (or their suppliers, for that matter), but I do have one little statistic: production for just one of these lids uses 14.4g of oil, as opposed to 3.8g for a normal lid. Combine that with the fact that these bigger plastic containers are less recyclable and more damaging than the tried-and-true glass bottles, not to mention issues surrounding additives and offgassing. So even if we do choose to recycle, the choices regarding the degree of impact for that action have already largely been made for us.

As a designer who LOVES to work on product packaging, you would think I might be a bit more cavalier, favouring form over function, aesthetics over practicality. You’d be right, and wrong… because I don’t see these things as mutually exclusive.

Here’s how I see it:

• With the right design, environmentally responsible packaging can be significantly more visually appealing than its bulky nasty plastic alternatives.
• Production costs are often much lower than the popular overpackaging options.
• People who are buying Green products tend to have a higher income, and are willing to pay more for a smaller carbon footprint.
• More and more municipalities are considering shifting waste and recycling costs back to the companies that produce the materials in the first place.

These simple points taken into consideration, I would think that companies are looking at an incredibly easy decision when it comes to packaging their products.

The decisions for consumers are unfortunately not always so clear. With Green being the colour of the year, everybody’s looking to cash in on this seemingly new-found mass social conscience. Faux-friendly offerings abound, and marketing departments are spinning at full tilt. The average consumer doesn’t know the difference between degradable and biodegradable, so when major supermarkets start advertising 100% degradable packaging (hello, fossil fuels and toxic additives ), most of us are easily taken in.

But as with any free ride, this one’s coming to a close. That trusty old consumer skepticism is growing exponentially as more and more companies are making the Green claim without backing it up. The masses are getting wise. So my advice to you would be, don’t get caught in the backdraft.

Even if you forget about environmentalism and ecological responsibility for a second – the fact of the matter is, Green is more appealing, cheaper, easier, more sustainable, and more profitable. What’s not to love?

The benefits of sustainable packaging design go beyond reducing your ecological footprint as well. It is also an excellent way to differentiate your company from the competition. Looking at companies like Aveda in the USA, and French Rabbit Wine in Canada, it is easy to recognize the sweeping success gleaned from marketing to today’s more environmentally aware and responsible consumers.

Sage Media is an international corporate design firm based in Ottawa, Ontario.