Environmental Labelling and Communication Design

Environmental Labelling and Communication Design

Delfino, Regina; Matos, Pedro

Artigo Completo:

The environmental issue has been in discussion since the 1970s. The problem is global and complex and involves all areas of knowledge. That is also why a broad social acceptance has been slow, considering the urgency of the changes. Some of the measures that have been implemented by governmental and nongovernmental entities are environmental standards and certifications. In the first case it is intended to enforce compliance while in the second case it is a company initiative. Designers, while thinking products and services, have responsibility and should correspond to today’s demands by considering sustainable development in their professional practice. As intermediates of the design and production processes, they are also in a privileged situation to influence other actors in the production chain to adhere to standards and certifications while, simultaneously, propose graphic solutions that underline companies’ efforts towards sustainability. Regarding these measures, aimed at an effective change in production and consumption, we intend to address environmental labelling, analyzing some of the most important European environmental labels in the area of paper. Then we focus on the one we consider to have the best social and economic potential, the EU Ecolabel. Part of the methodology is also the study of some significant cases of companies and products that have adopted this certification in the area of paper and cardboard. With this brief study we can see that these labels still cover a small scope, either regarding companies or society in general. Through this characterization and examples it is intended a contribution to a greater sensitization and awareness of communication designers, hoping that they can increasingly integrate and contribute on their professional practice, day to day, to effectively meet a sustainable development.

The environmental issue has been in discussion since the 1970s. The problem is global and complex and involves all areas of knowledge. That is also why a broad social acceptance has been slow, considering the urgency of the changes. Some of the measures that have been implemented by governmental and nongovernmental entities are environmental standards and certifications. In the first case it is intended to enforce compliance while in the second case it is a company initiative. Designers, while thinking products and services, have responsibility and should correspond to today’s demands by considering sustainable development in their professional practice. As intermediates of the design and production processes, they are also in a privileged situation to influence other actors in the production chain to adhere to standards and certifications while, simultaneously, propose graphic solutions that underline companies’ efforts towards sustainability. Regarding these measures, aimed at an effective change in production and consumption, we intend to address environmental labelling, analyzing some of the most important European environmental labels in the area of paper. Then we focus on the one we consider to have the best social and economic potential, the EU Ecolabel. Part of the methodology is also the study of some significant cases of companies and products that have adopted this certification in the area of paper and cardboard. With this brief study we can see that these labels still cover a small scope, either regarding companies or society in general. Through this characterization and examples it is intended a contribution to a greater sensitization and awareness of communication designers, hoping that they can increasingly integrate and contribute on their professional practice, day to day, to effectively meet a sustainable development.

Palavras-chave:

DOI: 10.5151/sbds-issd-2017-022

Referências bibliográficas

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Como citar:

Delfino, Regina; Matos, Pedro; "Environmental Labelling and Communication Design", p-133-139. In: Anais do Simpósio Brasileiro de Design Sustentável e International Symposium on Sustainable Design 2017. São Paulo: Blucher, 2017.
ISSN 23186968, DOI 10.5151/sbds-issd-2017-022