PAPER – SUSTAINABILITY Veronica Tasnadi continues the design process by presenting us with another creative tool – PAPER – from the perspective of ‘Sustainability’ and how thinking green completes the creative result and helps protect the environment. Green statistics Times have changed, and the Paper Industry is no longer the target of not being sustainable. “Paper is one of the few truly sustainable products around” – it starts life as tree — a 100% renewable natural resource which is purposely grown and harvested for paper. In Europe, recycling rates for paper reached 72 per cent in 2012 — the highest ever recorded. Currently, 49 per cent of all paper in Australia and 70 per cent in New Zealand are recovered to be re-used. Environmental Advances in actual paper manufacturing industry: • Around the world planted forests now
cover 264 million hectares. Since 1950, forests in Western Europe have actually increased by 30 per cent, whilst in EU countries forests continue to grow and now cover 42 per cent of the total land area. • As of the end of 2013, extensive replanting programs in China have seen forest areas in that country grow to cover 22 per cent.
• The print industry is using mineral
…38 tonnes of carbon dioxide per hectare per year, trapping the carbon in the wood and releasing the oxygen back into our atmosphere. You can breathe easier”
Energy used at manufacturing papermaking is energy-intensive using low energy operating platforms; this includes energy collected from wind and methane farms. Yes that is poo. A mill in US Mohawk use state-of-the-art stream plants installed reducing the amount of air pollutants.
Sustainability
• The commercial print industry
position is at the lowest eco footprint of any industry thus far • Print media is still an important
based inks to vegetable or soy-based inks. The Development of Computer To Plate (CTP) technology has eliminated the need for film and its associated chemicals from the print process. Changing over to water-based systems has also greatly reduced the reliance on solvents. Remote digital proofing has also helped reducing the amount of waste.
element in our lives from magazines to family photos to packaging food. The print industry has taken huge steps to reduce the amount of waste and energy it produces. Over the last 20 years, the printing industry has reduced the carbon footprint by 97 per cent. There are very few industries which have achieved anything like this.
“Sustainability means far more than the basic notion of ‘things persisting’ or being ‘green’. Sustainability encompasses environmental stewardship, conversation, and the balance of economic, environmental and social outcomes of human activity. It seeks to meet the economic, environmental and social needs of present and future generations. Addressing sustainability is of pressing importance that requires us to rethink our approach for our media related needs”.
Designers take on the role to be informed and to educate clients on the use of using sustainable ‘paper’.
www.bjball.com.au – full range of papers
A FEW LINKS THAT MAY HELP & INSPIRE YOU!
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www.colorplanpapers.com – the new 50 shades of colour (download colour palette) www.thinkrecycled.com.au – ecoStar calculator – 100% recycled post-consumer waste FSC certified Carbon Neutral! They also distribute a range of substrates for interior design. Mactac is a brand of fabulous wall covering stock including over laminates to provide unique finishes.You can see a few of these on http://www.mactac.eu/creative-gallery-interior-decoration-13.htm
WWW.THEDESIGNERCHICKS.COM.AU
