Earth Day is a great way to learn and educate others about environmentally friendly practices and share new ways to help keep the Earth clean and beautiful. The simple fact is higher populations and an increasingly larger carbon footprint are leading to an increase in CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. This probably isn't news to most, but these CO2 emissions are harming the environment. These gasses are being absorbed in to the oceans, making them more acidic, and causing global warming, which is melting the polar ice caps. During the 1900s alone the global sea level rose by 7 inches!
There is a public awareness of these problems and we are learning that we need to make greater efforts to save the Earth. How is this being done? Have you ever been at the grocery store and been offered a reusable bag? There are electric cars in development, LED lightbulbs, composting programs, and more to help reduce pollution and fight the effects of overpopulation. Communities are raising awareness through many different means, such as the water awareness coloring book we made with the City of Santa Rosa.
In addition to an increase in community gardens, there are also many businesses now who purchase local and organic food as part of a local food movement. One such business is Walter Hansel Wine & Bistro with their appetizing restaurant vegetable garden. We loved working with them and making their exterior wood signs with a charming antique feel. We also helped Mendocino Forest Products with professional brochures and an acrylic brochure holder for their environmentally friendly Humboldt Redwood products that help promote sustainable forestry. It felt great knowing that we were helping promote such wonderful businesses.
The print industry is big, with over 45 trillion pages being printed annually. But this enormous market isn't draining resources like you'd think. Instead, print is going green in an effort to save the environment and drive commerce. The paper industry actually plants three times more trees than it cuts. Millions of tons of paper are recycled each year, and 70 percent of ads and direct mail are printed on recycled paper. What are Wine Country Signs and AJ Printing & Graphics doing to 'go green?'
Sometimes it can be hard for a business to 'go green,' but at Wine Country Signs and AJ Printing & Graphics in Santa Rosa, we are doing everything in our power to save our planet. The motto for Earth Day this year is “It's Our Turn to Lead,” so how are we leading our community in going green?
We recently volunteered at Earth Day in Courthouse Square in our very own Santa Rosa. We also have an extensive Environmental Vision and Management Policy listing all of our efforts. All of our paper products come from tree farms, where the trees are specifically planted for this purpose. This helps protect the rainforests and other natural paper tree environments. We also recycle all of our left-over products. We use biodegradable, recyclable inks and toners, as well as almost 100 percent water soluble chemicals and solvents to help prevent toxic waste and water contamination. As they say, 'we all live downstream,' and we want to do everything in our power to keep our water supplies clean. We have also set up a digital ordering system at AJ Printing & Graphics, as well as established a process at Wine Country Signs where you can upload your ideas and get a quote. All of this is to encourage customers to save paper, gasoline, and other raw materials during the ordering, proofing, and reordering process.
In addition to these things, we have also been reducing our electrical and raw material consumption. We have made leaps and bounds towards becoming a Bay Area Green Business in the future, which is our goal! There are many environmental practices that every business can follow, and we are making every effort to be as environmentally conscious as possible when making your signs, banners, vehicle wraps, and more. We would love ideas about how we can continue to 'go green' and we would be absolutely happy to discuss our environmentally friendly practices with you. Contact us at Wine Country Signs or AJ Printing & Graphics to learn more and discuss your next project. We would love to hear from you and talk more about us and what we can do for your business.