How Green can you get?
I’ve been working on the Orange Environment website, and one perk is that I’ll have a table at the Earth Day event in Warwick on April 21st.
I’m a very conscientious person, so I have to scrutinize myself to justify being there. When people walk up to my table and ask me why a web designer is there at a booth on Earth Day — what can I say to defend my “position”?
- My office runs either on sunlight from a big bay window or compact fluorescent lights
- I use 100% post-consumer paper
- loosleaf for client notes
- multi-use printer/copier paper for my laserjet
- when I get mail or fliers that are only used on one side, I keep them by the phone for quick note jotting.
- when a paper is used on both sides, I recycle it (sometimes shredded first)
- I have a home office only
- the same heat for my home is heat for my office (the office room adjoins the kitchen; it’s a one-zone house, but at only 830 sqft it should be!)
- I save on auto fuel & auto wear-n-tear
- I drive a used but still energy-efficient car for business & personal use (1994 honda civic at up to 33mpg)
- I turn the printer off when not in use
- I work by sunlight whenever possible
- I leave any extra computer equipment off whenever possible so only one computer is running the majority of the time
- I use wash-n-wear clothes for the most part
- the washer is a high-efficiency front-loader rated exceptionally for water efficiency
- the dryer has a dampness sensor thus is self-regulating
- I use a scent and dye free detergent
- I don’t use a fabric softener
- I use refurbished toner cartridges
- we have a duplex printer, and I print on both sides of the page for any multi-page documents
- whenever possible I print 2-up duplex, for reference documentation, because I don’t mind reading tiny print, but I do mind wasting paper
- I save the plastic &/or cellophane windows of envelopes I receive for craft projects (they make great filling for homemade cat toys!)
There are still areas in which I’m a culprit, however. I could (always) do better. We occasionally use whiteboards in my office, and I’m not really believing the EAP certification regarding the inks. I want desperately to know if there’s such a thing as soy laser toner cartridges, or any other alternatives that won’t turn the laser printer into a hunk of waste. I could use dryer balls, and I’m considering that (if they make the dryer even a tad more efficient it’s worth a 1 time expense). I could scold my roommate for leaving the bathroom light on. I printed up letterhead I could hardly afford, it came out lousy, now I have a ton of letterhead that shouldn’t have been printed in the first place, and should have been on recycled stock — live & learn. That letterhead is now the back of any one-page fliers I produce as handouts. 
So I guess instead of feeling guilty, I could try to relax and realize that there are a bunch of things about me that cause me to stand out in a crowd of web design/programming professionals that could be considered when positioning myself in the “green” community as well: I’ve been an herbalist for about 15 years, I’m an Interfaith Minister, Reiki master, & Shaman. I guess having a booth isn’t such a bad idea after all!
For printing (Offset, lithography) consider vegatable based inks
vs normal oil based inks!
Comment by Fred Bauer — April 5, 2007 @ 1:51 pm
Hi, Fred! Fancy meeting you here
I really appreciate the comment. Since I am not doing in-house offset or lithography, it becomes a matter for me to discuss the options available with the printers in the area. What I want to know for my own in-house printing is whether, or if ever, these friendlier technologies can be used for in-office equipment.
I have looked into green printing companies, and the ones I found were not local. This brings up the question of whether it would be environmentally friendly when it comes to shipping or delivery. It also brings up whether it would violate my personal principle of attempting to keep one’s money local. If there are any in the local area, I certainly DO want to hear about it.
One problem I had also encountered when doing research with the offset soy/natural inks is that the colors are more limited, just as any natural pigments are more limited when dying cloth naturally. If the technology for natural inks has improved, I’d also be interested to hear about it.
It’s very difficult to find a compromise between the quality of life we’ve come to expect, and the environmentally responsible methods we can use to obtain it. It’s hard to compare whether it’s more harmful to the environment to ship something from out of the country that’s organic versus buying something locally produced that is not. This is the type of information I would love to see provided to the public, and is outside of my personal realm of expertise to produce or evaluate.
It is certainly my responsibility to research this information, and employ it to the best of my ability. I would love if others could help me find it, because all of our time on earth is finite, and I research and perform all kinds of things each day, so time always runs away from me. It’s not forgivable, but it is, I think, understandable.
Good luck, and I’ll see you again, in some forum or other, very soon!
Criss
Comment by Crisses — April 5, 2007 @ 2:38 pm