SUSTAINABILITY
We consider the planet, people, and profit.

“The future belongs to those who understand that doing more with less is compassionate, prosperous, and enduring, and thus more intelligent, even competitive.” - Paul Hawkin

PLACEHOLDER

We value sustainability, ethical sourcing, education, and transparency about the life cycle and footprint of various materials and methods of production. We have invested heavily into making products and packaging more environmentally friendly while always reducing waste whenever possible. Greener products are an important step in shaping the future we would like to see in consumerism.

SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS

SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS

As an early pioneer in sustainability, we have extensive experience in helping a brand prioritize impact with the best designs, materials, and methods to meet sustainability goals.

As a conscious company, Design & Source began the journey with sustainability in the late 1990’s. We have invested in searching out and testing new materials and design options that do less harm to our environment. For us education is key. We want to educate ourselves, our customers, and also the end consumers. We see the proliferation of green products on the market which is exciting, but we also understand there is a lot of confusion out there on the terminology used.

Below a few categories of sustainable materials - Recycled, Recyclable, Rapidly Renewable Resources, and Terraskin. We highly recommend reaching out to us for information to explore all the possibilities for your brand or company.

PLACEHOLDER
Recycled
Recycled products use resources that have been recovered or diverted from the waste steam during the manufacturing process (post industrial ) or after consumer use (post-consumer) By using a material that has been recycled, you may be reducing the impact of raw material usage.

Recyclable
According to the FTC Green Guidelines, items can only be labeled “recyclable “ if recycling facilities for that material are easily accessible to at least 60 percent of the consumers or communities where a product is sold. Even if a material is recyclable, many times consumers are confused about how to recycle.

Rapidly Renewable Resources
These materials are usually plant based as opposed to petroleum based. The plants can be regrown usually at the same rate or faster than we use the item. Because many of these renewable materials consume large amounts of other resources like land and water, the items made from them should have use for as long as possible.

Terraskin
TERRASKIN® the original stone paper. TerraSkin® is a paper made from stone, as sustainability innovators, we invested over a million US dollars into the development, testing and marketing of stone paper, branded under TerraSkin®. TerraSkin® is about preservation of resources, essentially water and trees and where sustainability goes beyond the material per se. It is all about circular economy which led us to be one of the first to invest in the Cradle to Cradle Certification. As a new material, special training and techniques are required to produce the best printing results. For products such as shopping bags, notebooks, or other goods made of TerraSkin®, please contact us - we have a team of expert printers and converters for high quality results.

ETHICAL SOURCING

ETHICAL SOURCING

We take pride in our standards and our reputation as an ethical supplier. We have a formal assessment done on each of our factories to ensure that they comply with local laws and regulations, and that the conditions of the workers are fair, safe and non-discriminatory. Our extensive management of production reduces most of your risks and professionally handles any potential issues.

PLACEHOLDER

Our staff in China is professionally trained as a supplier auditor. Visiting all facilities often, we rely on more than just a report to make sure our vendors are doing the right thing.

ECO-FOOTPRINT

ECO-FOOTPRINT

There’s so much more than looking for the hot words like “organic,” “biodegradable,” “recycled,” etc. To really make a difference, we must consider the entire lifecycle and eco footprint of any manufactured product.

Every product depletes resources and can leave behind toxins in the environment. A life cycle assessment takes into account all the inputs and outputs of an item.

There are five stages to every products life:

  • Raw Materials (what it takes to extract and ship these materials)
  • Manufacturing (includes processing, dyeing, and assembly)
  • Distribution (includes all the steps to get it to the customer, including shipping, trucking, storage, and store display)
  • Use (what resources does it need for you to operate in and maintain it, and how long it lasts)
  • End of life (what happens to the product when you no longer need it)

PLACEHOLDER

If an item or activity is going to have an Eco-Footprint, then it should have a long and useful life or be used often by many people in order to have the smallest impact and cost to the environment. We have experience navigating the complexity of each of these five stages so you can be confident that you are making the best sustainable choice for your brand.



PLACEHOLDER
Meet LC McEarth, an important part of our commitment to educate consumers about sustainable products.

Animation Short Coming Soon!

CONTACT US

CONTACT US

Let's get in touch!