Task 8 (Sustainable Design)

Earth, a beautiful planet has so much to offer. It has always been providing us with the resources we utilize for production. However, How much longer can we keep taking? Is it right to take without compensating? What about depletion? What about landfills?

Landfills are such a problem, the bigger problem is the fact that not everyone is aware of the plight.

take a look at this list of materials, and how long it takes them to decompose in a  landfill....

How Long does it take to Decompose 
Paper Towel - 2-4 weeks
Banana Peel - 3-4 weeks
Paper Bag - 1 month
Newspaper - 1.5 months
Apple Core - 2 months
Cardboard - 2 months
Cotton Glove - 3 months
Orange peels - 6 months
Plywood - 1-3 years
Wool Sock - 1-5 years
Milk Cartons - 5 years
Cigarette Butts - 10-12 years
Leather shoes - 25-40 years
Tinned Steel Can - 50 years
Foamed Plastic Cups - 50 years
Rubber-Boot Sole - 50-80 years
Plastic containers - 50-80 years
Aluminum Can - 200-500 years
Plastic Bottles - 450 years
Disposable Diapers - 550 years
Monofilament Fishing Line - 600 years
Plastic Bags - 200-1000 years

This list has been taken from here.

So do I believe that we are responsible citizens of the world? 

Yes I do, of course. 

A designer's job is slightly different than what it used to be. Today, a designer must not merely come up with original and creative signs that serve the purpose, but must also think of ways to design without further depleting the natural resources, or destroying Earth with landfills and toxics.

Ethics in Graphic Design is an interesting simple website where you can read about sustainability and other topics regarding ethics.

Tom Dixon, in this short amazing video talks about ways to do so. He talks about various interesting elements, but these two are simple and useful for our planet. 

• We can collect usable materials instead of constantly constructing new ones.
• We can utilize bamboo more often, as it quickly grows and is a very strong material.

I personally wish to start using recycled paper just to support these companies more, and encourage actions that can be beneficial for the world.

I found this website, where you can purchase various types of printing paper, some of which are 100% recycled. The company is Premier Paper Group. There is also The Green Stationery Company. I am hoping to find a company that sells various interestedly textured papers rather than the original colored ones. I would love to use them for my business for design project.