It's a growing concern for many companies today: finding the right balance between their economic aspirations and environmental issues. This is all the more essential given that consumers are increasingly sensitive to ecological issues and attach importance to corporate actions in favor of sustainable development.
That's why responsible communication plays such a key role, both in gaining the trust of your potential customers and in affirming your values and commitments.
In this article, we offer you a practical guide to eco-design in communications. We give you our advice on how to create print and digital media that are more respectful of the environment, without compromising their commercial effectiveness.
Find out how to reconcile your company's interests with environmental protection through an eco-design approach.
Eco-design: definition
Eco-design consists of designing products or services with a view to reducing their environmental impact throughout their life cycle. Applied to print and web communications, this approach aims to limit the negative environmental impact of your print and digital media, right from the start.
In this context, adopting a responsible communications strategy, which includes eco-design, is a concrete action in favor of a more sustainable future. So, first and foremost, it's an act of commitment: you're working to minimize the impact of your communications on the environment. Today, you're a forerunner; tomorrow, it may be a necessity.
What's more, opting for responsible communication is also a lever for growth. By defending the planet and your convictions, you create value and differentiate yourself from the competition. Such a strategy is a real selling point for attracting new customers. You can integrate your ecological practices, such as choosing eco-design for your communication media, into your sales pitch.
Communication media: what is their environmental impact?
Traditional" (i.e. non-eco-designed) communication media, whether printed or digital, can have a considerable environmental impact.
The problems associated with printed materials are often more obvious to companies, as they are directly confronted with the material resources used and the waste generated. For example, we all know that paper consumption contributes to deforestation and, by extension, to the loss of biodiversity. Another example is the use of ink, which contains harmful chemicals derived from petroleum, and requires energy-intensive production processes. From a sustainable development perspective, it's easy to see why this poses a problem.
Eco-design, the end of printing?
So, does eco-design mean the end of printing? Far from it! There are several reasons why going all digital would be a bad idea.
Did you know, for example, that our use of the Internet emits a billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year? Or that the digital sector is as polluting as aviation? Server management, energy consumption linked to web hosting, the size of digital files and the lifecycle of electronic devices are all factors to consider.
It's all about adopting a global, well-thought-out approach to reduce the environmental impact of your print and web communications. This starts with their creation, by opting for eco-design.
Eco-design, a global approach
Your print and web communication can be more responsible thanks to an eco-design approach. Choosing recycled paper for your media is all well and good, but it's only part of the solution. Instead, you should consider the entire life cycle of your communication materials, from creation to disposal, in order to significantly reduce their environmental impact.
In practice, this means paying attention:
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To your service providers: choose companies that share your values and convictions. A creative studio like ODG-KOM opts for eco-responsible practices in the design of your communication materials. Typography, colors, file size, printing methods...: we integrate all aspects of eco-design to combine media efficiency and sustainable development.
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The resources used to create your communication materials : opt for recycled or certified paper from sustainable resources, to combat massive deforestation and preserve biodiversity. You can also opt for vegetable-based or water-based inks rather than solvent-based ones to print your materials.
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Processes and technologies: printing on both sides of the page or opting for green web hosting are simple but effective solutions for reducing the negative environmental impact of your communications strategy. You'll also want to keep an eye on the number of e-mails you send, which also has an impact on the environment!
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The content of your print and web media: when you're thinking about your communication media, think about the possible obsolescence of the content you're integrating. For example, rather than writing "expert for 20 years", write "since 2003": the message is just as clear, but much more enduring. By reducing content, you can reduce formats.
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Your strategy itself: do your customers really need yet another tote bag, even if it's made from recycled fabric? How can you create value in a different way, with more eco-responsible communication choices?
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At the end of your communication media's life: you can reduce the negative impacts of your marketing strategy by thinking about the end of their life cycle. This means thinking upstream, right from the design and development stage, about the value of your materials: it's possible to ensure that your communications are not harmful to our environment.
Communication: an eco-design approach in practice
Favoring eco-design for your communication materials is easier than it seems. Here are a few practical ways to get started.
Opt for "green" web hosting
Today, most communication strategies revolve around a website that needs to be hosted in order to function. And yet, when choosing a web host, most companies rely on criteria such as performance, functionality and cost. Without taking into account the environmental impact of their choice of web hosting. And yet, the environmental impact is substantial.
Web hosting is very energy-intensive: it requires thousands of super-powerful computers running 24 hours a day, without interruption. What's more, to avoid overheating, they must be constantly cooled: all resources needed to ensure that the billions of websites that exist can be accessed anywhere in the world, at any time.
That's why it's a good idea to turn to eco-friendly web hosts, who generally use renewable energies and take steps to reduce their carbon footprint. When it comes to digital communication, choosing a green web host is part of an eco-design approach.
Rethinking the structure and content of your website
By optimizing the design and development of your website, you can reduce its environmental impact.
To do this, you can start by simplifying your site's structure, avoiding superfluous functionalities and favoring intuitive navigation. This will enable users to find the information they're looking for quickly, while reducing the amount of data to be loaded.
You can also take care to compress the images and files on your website. Reducing their weight optimizes page loading time, and a fortiori reduces the bandwidth and energy consumption required to display your site.
The same applies to editorial content: provide clear, concise information, avoiding redundancy and superfluous elements. This minimizes the amount of web content you need to load. Similarly, you can give priority to updating content rather than creating new web pages. This will help reduce the resources needed to maintain and update your website.
Create a visual identity consistent with your eco-responsible approach
The creation of your visual identity can also be eco-responsible. This means choosing the right typefaces, colors, texts and file formats to minimize the environmental impact of your communication media.
For example, a design studio committed to an eco-design approach might recommend a simple, thin font, as it saves ink when printing your paper materials. The choice of colors also has an impact. That's why you may be advised to limit bright, saturated colors, which require greater quantities of ink during printing.
Your graphic designer can also provide you with compressed file formats. Large files mean more data to transfer and store, and therefore more power consumption.
As well as choosing eco-responsible typography and colors, consider encouraging reuse and modularity in your visual identity. By creating graphic elements that are easily adaptable to different communication media, you reduce the need to produce new designs each time, thus limiting the use of resources.
By working with a design studio that is aware of these environmental issues, you can be sure that your visual identity is thoughtfully designed. Not only does this demonstrate your commitment, but it allows you to communicate your approach consistently and effectively. You may even inspire your audience (and your competitors!) to adopt similar practices!
Favoring media with lower environmental impact
By opting for environmentally-friendly communication media, you're helping to reduce the ecological footprint of your business.
When it comes to printed media, choose sustainable options, such as recycled paper, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper or paper from responsible sources. Avoid chemical finishes and coatings, which are harmful to the planet, and opt for vegetable-based inks, which are more environmentally friendly than traditional petroleum-based inks.
You should also consider reducing the amount of printed material you use, giving preference to digital alternatives wherever possible. Of course, you're also following an eco-design approach here, because digital is far from harmless, as we mentioned earlier. To be sure you're making the right choices for you and for the planet, enlist the help of an eco-friendly design studio like ODG-KOM.
Limit the obsolescence of communication media
When it comes to responsible communication, reusable and sustainable options are the way to go. Say goodbye to disposable promotional materials, or those that your prospects and customers will throw away as soon as they receive them!
This also means working on your communication media to maximize their lifespan. For example, when designing your brochures, flyers or business cards, you can take care to choose the right words and graphic elements so that they remain relevant for as long as possible. This will save you having to recreate new materials frequently.
If you had to create a banner to announce that your business was open on public holidays, you'd say "we're open this holiday", not "we're open on July 14th". This way, you can use your advertising medium on any occasion, all year round and for years to come!
At last, you can limit the production of seasonal communication materials, especially in the run-up to the festive season. While it's fashionable to create communication materials in the colors of Christmas in December, their lifespan is limited. As part of an eco-responsible approach, the challenge is to maximize the life cycle of all your communication media in order to reduce their impact on the environment.
Anticipate the life cycle of a communication medium
We've talked about the creation of your communication media, but what about afterwards? Remember: eco-design is a global approach. So it's essential to study the entire life cycle of your communication media, right through to their recycling, reuse or eventual destruction.
That's why we recommend that you choose high-quality, durable materials right from the design stage, capable of withstanding prolonged use. The more resistant your materials, the longer the life of your communication media. So you reduce the need to replace them frequently: no small gesture for the planet!
And what about your service provider?
Imagine the e-mail exchanges that multiply because you're not satisfied, the files that don't meet your specifications or that require constant modification. All this requires resources and has an impact on our environment. So be sure of who you entrust with the creation of your communication materials!
Choosing a competent and reliable service provider is crucial to minimizing inefficiencies and reducing the ecological footprint of your projects. Opt for experienced professionals who understand your needs and have the skills to produce quality results that meet your expectations.
By entrusting your work to qualified specialists, you'll avoid costly mistakes and frequent revisions, thus reducing the consumption of resources, including time and energy. A competent service provider will be able to deliver an accurate end product that meets your requirements right from the first try, minimizing unnecessary back-and-forth and exchanges.
What's more, by choosing a service provider that promotes sustainable, environmentally-friendly practices, you're actively helping to preserve our ecosystem.
ODG-KOM, creative studio specializing in eco-design
Committed to sustainable development, ODG-KOM helps you create eco-designed print and web communications that respect both the planet and your business requirements. You'll benefit from our comprehensive support and advice on how to adopt a more responsible approach to communication that's just as effective as ever. Don't hesitate to contact us to discuss your project!