Sustainability Advertising and Environmental Design

The 2006 Design and Art Directors Annual has been released and one of the most striking pieces is the packaging design for Daylesford Organic Milk. In an attempt to minimize the environmental impact, the designers have made use of Lean Pack by EcoLean. Lean Pack is a material that breaks down into water, carbon dioxide and chalk and is one of the most environmentally advanced packaging materials.

The winning of a Yellow Pencil by Teresa Roviras and Lisa Lanfranchi helps not only bring this incredible product to the public’s attention, but will also sell more Daylesford products in the process. This is sustainability advertising at its best. Because of this award and the buzz it will create, other designers, agencies, and in turn companies, will be interested in using sustainable packaging for their products.

The Lean Pack is less bulky and weighs less than traditional packaging, and takes less energy to manufacture and distribute. The whole process produces as little waste as possible. Even the printing was taken into consideration, as the heart-shaped sticker was kept at a universal size and shape to reduce cost and waste.

With the help of an Inconvenient Truth, there is enormous momentum on a political and corporate level to change the face of the consumer landscape. However, it is individuals that comprise any organization, and it is individuals that have the sway to make these changes. By bringing something to the forefront as commonsense as packaging that deteriorates into harmless chalk and water is an excellent start.