Save the planet, get greener!

Yup, that right, Stacia Murphy believes that the planet is in peril and we have to work together to save it and not this isn’t just because she has seen “An Inconvenient Truth”. Stacia’s office (ok, home, but the office has its own room) recycles, composts, has a front loading washer, use environmentally safe cleaning products, brings its own bags when shopping, sometimes uses the clothes line, purchases 100% green energy and uses those weird energy saving light bulbs. Its not perfect but it is a start!

As for design, Stacia is excited to help make your project a little greener. In early 2008, Stacia attended a conference about “Sustainable Packaging Design” and has picked up tons of great tips and ideas for ways to keep her work from destroying the rain forest (because you know we need that). While she is not an expert, she can help you on your way to a green tomorrow.

Here is Stacia’s Top 10 ways to get a little greener, some are design related, some aren’t:

10. Compost- OK, so this isn’t for everyone, but it really isn’t that hard if you purchase something like a compost tumbler. Just add your kitchen veggie scraps, some leaves and grass clipping and in just a few weeks you get compost. This black gold is better then any chemical fertilizer you can buy.

9. Mulch- Mulch (undyed and not chemically treated) is a great way to keep down weeds without chemicals and it helps keep water from evaporating.

8. VOCs- Volatile organic chemicals are all over the place. Some of them, I admit, cannot be avoided, but others can. Think about using vegetable based inks when printing and low VOC paints when painting.

7. Concentrate- Laundry detergents, cleaning products come in concentrated forms reducing the need to lug heavy containers across the country and around the house.

6. Less stuff- Check out the storyofstuff.com and you’ll get the idea. Stacia understand that she makes a living on people buying stuff, but still, do you really need all of that.

5. Know your paper- Paper can be from virgin forests or it can be recycled or it can be certified as sustainable harvested by one of two organizations or it can be bleached leading to dioxins.

4. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver- I can’t say enough about this amazing book. Go to your library, check it out, read, return and spread the word!

3. Recycle- How many times do you have to be told? Have a second trash can for the cans and bottles.

2. Buy organic dairy/meat products- Stacia’s family strives to purchase only organic dairy and meat products. Stacia may be a vegetarian, but her husband isn’t. Thanks to the book “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” they realize that factory farmed meat is not only bad for the planet, but it is bad business too.

1. Get educated- Enough said.






			Save the planet, get greener! Yup, that right, Stacia Murphy believes that the planet is in peril and we have to work together to save it and not this isn’t just because she has seen “An Inconvenient Truth”. Stacia’s office (ok, home, but the office has its own room) recycles, composts, has a front loading washer, use environmentally safe cleaning products, brings its own bags when shopping, sometimes uses the clothes line, purchases 100% green energy and uses those weird energy saving light bulbs. Its not perfect but it is a start! As for design, Stacia is excited to help make your project a little greener. In early 2008, Stacia attended a conference about “Sustainable Packaging Design” and has picked up tons of great tips and ideas for ways to keep her work from destroying the rain forest (because you know we need that). While she is not an expert, she can help you on your way to a green tomorrow. Here is Stacia’s Top 10 ways to get a little greener, some are design related, some aren’t: 10. Compost- OK, so this isn’t for everyone, but it really isn’t that hard if you purchase something like a compost tumbler. Just add your kitchen veggie scraps, some leaves and grass clipping and in just a few weeks you get compost. This black gold is better then any chemical fertilizer you can buy. 9. Mulch- Mulch (undyed and not chemically treated) is a great way to keep down weeds without chemicals and it helps keep water from evaporating. 8. VOCs- Volatile organic chemicals are all over the place. Some of them, I admit, cannot be avoided, but others can. Think about using vegetable based inks when printing and low VOC paints when painting. 7. Concentrate- Laundry detergents, cleaning products come in concentrated forms reducing the need to lug heavy containers across the country and around the house. 6. Less stuff- Check out the storyofstuff.com and you’ll get the idea. Stacia understand that she makes a living on people buying stuff, but still, do you really need all of that. 5. Know your paper- Paper can be from virgin forests or it can be recycled or it can be certified as sustainable harvested by one of two organizations or it can be bleached leading to dioxins. 4. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver- I can’t say enough about this amazing book. Go to your library, check it out, read, return and spread the word! 3. Recycle- How many times do you have to be told? Have a second trash can for the cans and bottles. 2. Buy organic dairy/meat products- Stacia’s family strives to purchase only organic dairy and meat products. Stacia may be a vegetarian, but her husband isn’t. Thanks to the book “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” they realize that factory farmed meat is not only bad for the planet, but it is bad business too. 1. Get educated- Enough said.