Ed #13 Balance

Sparked by widespread worries over climate change, governments, corporations and individuals are all looking for ways to reduce the impact their activities have on the environment. That group includes designers, printers and other graphic arts professionals. Whether specifying recycled paper with certified fiber, paying attention to the whole chain-of-custody, using different inks or purchasing carbon offsets, many in the industry are working to reduce the environmental consequences of communications.

Yet the fact remains that virtually every communications medium has an impact. For designers, the challenge is to find the right media mix for each project that maximizes sustainability. Often, that means looking beyond the obvious answers to compare the complex and related issues of sources, manufacturing, transportation, use, recycling and others.