Below are the environmental criteria that this tool evaluates.
Environment
Environmental criteria applied to communication design practices.
Environmental impact reduction
Actions that lead to designs with a lower impact.
Lifecycle assessment
How a design can address the environmental impact of a product.
Product ingredients list
How products should display their list of “ingredients”, or material components.
CO2 certification
What are some certification options and how to display them in the product.
Renewable energy
Clean energy sources used in the making of a product.
Air pollution and greenhouse gases
Ways to offset the emissions of a product
Water
Ways to reduce water use and pollution
Product quantity
Reproduction and end-of-life considerations
Carbon offsets
Carbon offset credits to offset all travel, production and Web presence.
Non-renewable resources
Strategies to reduce non-renewable natural resources.
Animal welfare
Animals or an entire animal species are not put at risk.
Toxins
Reducing or eliminating toxins in a product.
Environmental policy
A publicly-accessible environmental policy
Ink
Reducing the ink-coverage area of printed materials.
Paper
Questioning the need for paper and the efficiency of paper use.
Ink, Printing and Finishes
Questioning the need for printing; or use of environment-friendly inks.
Transport
Efficiency in the product’s transportation.
Consumer energy
Does the product consume energy efficiently?
Extended life product
Is the product designed to be used for a life-span longer than the industry’s average?
Durability
Where applicable, how does the product durability become an asset?
Zero waste
Can a product result in zero waste?
Recyclability or Reusability
Can a product and its packaging be reused or recycled?
Product’s end of life
Can the product be composted, or used as fuel or food?
Environmental sustainability policy
Contents of a designer’s environmental sustainability policy.