Green Sign Project in Virginia

Acorn Sign Graphics, Richmond, VA recently did a signage project for a building re-model which achieve LEED Gold certification. The client was the Virginia Association of Countries. Everything about this projects relates to the methodology of being green and showcases how signage can have a positive impact on LEED projects.

According to Beth Gillispie, President of Acorn Sign Graphics, " The architecture of the impressive four story structure, circa 1866, is ornate style reminiscent of Venetian Renaissance palaces. Fast forward one hundred fifty years....the new owner completes a major renovation of the building for his association headquarters and achieves LEED Gold certification.

Our Challenge: Create a cohesive system of signs using sustainable materials which might contribute to an Innovation in Design credit in the quest for LEED certification. Speak to both the old and the new, while being as "green" as possible.

Deliverable: Design, produce and install a prominent lobby installation to orient visitors to the green features of the renovation, as well as LEED educational signs throughout the building and on the roof garden to highlight sustainable practices. Also include room identification, wayfinding and historic and LEED plaques.

Something we think is cool: How green it is! Gorgeous 300 year old heart pine was reclaimed for the old beams of the building and used to create the sign faces. The lobby signage repeats the double arch shape of the original windows, with dimensional letters also made from wood. The text and design elements were printed to the substrate with UV-cured inks which emit no VOC's. Mechanical fasteners decreased the use of solvents and adhesives. The aluminum pucks and clamps add a contemporary touch - and are recyclable. Since the heart pine would not survive long in the exposed conditions of the rooftop garden, we scanned the wood and created a graphic printed on a long lasting dHPL panel. The sign looks like the interior signs, and the durability of the material (25 years) is another sustainable asset."

Green Building Services Pinpoints 10 Design Trends to Look for in 2010

Green Building Services Pinpoints 10 Design Trends to Look for in 2010

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Signs and the Environment Article

In the February issue of Sign Media Canada, Bill Dundas, technical director of ISA, was interviewed about "Signs and the Environment." The interview took place after a recent presentation ISA did called "It's Not Easy Being Green."

CLICK HERE is view the article - page 22.

The Evo Element Reincarnation Exhibit Recycling Program

Evo Exhibits is a trade show exhibit company that offers a complete line of green exhibits that are made from eco-friendly materials called Elements. They also have a program called The Evo Element Reincarnation Exhibit Recycling Program where they will take out exhibits, dismantle them and recycle the components.

The amount of waste that is produced in the trade show industry is larger than many of us image. Evo Exhibits has created a "report on the impact of the green movement on the trade show industry" called “An Inconvenient Booth.”

2010 ISA Environmnetal Subcommittee

Last week the ISA Environmental Subcommittee had it's first meeting to discuss the work ahead for 2010. Although the subcommittees budget is tight for this year (like most budgets) there is a lot of progress the committee can make.

I think it is important for the ISA to be one of the voices of the sign industry, the entire sign industry, and to be bring new ideas, programs and best practices to the industry that revolve around environmental consciousness.

As a members, I plan on sharing the subcommittees work and progress throughout the year. I would also like to ask everyone what they would like to see the subcommittee do and accomplish in 2010 and beyond - think 2020.

Remember, collaborating with your peers brings the whole philosophy of environmental consciousness into play by allowing the sharing of ideas and resources. This means all of us - manufacturers, fabricators and designers.

Recycling Quotes

I have been recently been doing some research on recycling and came across a couple of quotes that I thought I'd share. I would certainly like to hear any others that you may have come across.

"But our waste problem is not the fault only of producers. It is the fault of an economy that is wasteful from top to bottom—a symbiosis of an unlimited greed at the top and a lazy, passive, and self-indulgent consumptiveness at the bottom—and all of us are involved in it." -- Wendell Berry

"Recycling is more expensive for communities than it needs to be, partly because traditional recycling tries to force materials into more lifetimes than they are designed for - a complicated and messy conversion, and one that itself expends energy and resources. Very few objects of modern consumption were designed with recycling in mind. If the process is truly to save money and materials, products must be designed from the very beginning to be recycled or even "upcycled" - a term we use to describe the return to industrial systems of materials with improved, rather than degraded, quality." -- William McDonough and Michael Braungart

"The case for recycling is strong. The bottom line is clear. Recycling requires a trivial amount of our time. Recycling saves money and reduces pollution. Recycling creates more jobs than landfilling or incineration. And a largely ignored but very important consideration, recycling reduces our need to dump our garbage in someone else's backyard." -- David Morris of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." -- New England proverb

"Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a songbird will come." — Chinese proverb

Solar Powered Architectural Signage from PVI Solar

Last week I met a company that produces solar powered signage called PVI Solar. PVI Solar is located in Kingston, NY and offers a variety of exterior solar powered sign solutions that use highly efficient photovoltaic panels, advanced LED lights, and eco-friendly batteries to create advanced solar-power technologies.

Every sign is individually configured using using PowerLine™, a proprietary programmable integrated circuit board which provides the foundation for PVI's customized solar lighting products. PVI's website also has a great Resource section for information on solar power.

CLICK HERE to Learn More
CLICK HERE to download PVI Solar's White Paper

GreenCore™ Rigid Print Media

Digital Output highlighted a new product called GreenCore Rigid Print Media made by DPI. GreenCore is can be used for digital printing, screen printing, dye sublimation and more.

The key environmental attributes of GreenCore include raw material from managed forests, it’s biodegradable and unlike MDF, contains no formaldehyde.

CLICK HERE to learn more.

Disposing Mercury Bulbs

The disposal of Mercury filled lamps has been a hot topic for some time now. There are currently 10 states that have banned the disposal of mercury-contained lamps in landfills. LED technology is replacing the use of traditional lamps in signage but there are still many of these lamps used today.

Air Cycle Corp, Broadview, IL, has several products and services for diposing and recycling lamps and other items. They have a great website with a ton of informtion on their products and a lot of general information regarding recyling - State Regulations, Videos and more.

It is definatley worth taking a look at their site - http://www.aircycle.com/. They also have a great blog - I've added the Feed to this blog.

Rubberform Sign Base

The Featured Member section of the January newsletter from Rate It Green featured The RubberForm Sign Base - Portable Recycled Rubber Sign Post Base.

RubberForm Recylced Products is located in Western NY and manufactures products from recycled scrap tires and other recycled products for the for Traffic and Highway Safety-speed humps/bumps, sign bases, wheels stops to name a few. The Sign Base - Sign Holder is made in the USA from 100% post consumer recycled tire rubber.

CLICK HERE for more information.

Rolling Into The New Year

Friday, the end of another work week. Not just any week but the first week of the new year. It is amazing that with the holidays and all that occurs to close out a year, we start the new one off running like nothing has happened - business as usual.

So, I ask two questions; did we as companies, industries and/or individuals meet our environmental goals in 2009 and what are we planning for 2010?

From my perspective I think the green buzz slowed a bit over the last year. The economic climate we've seen is somewhat to blame as many people have focused on surviving and keeping their heads above water. I have also not seen the push on the manufacturing end which is hard to understand as most things associated with environmental consciousness revolve around conservation of resources, reductions in waste, the development of products that are wanted by an industry and so on.

I will admit that I personally did not meet 100% of the goals I set out to accomplish in 2009. This is OK though as the goals I had where high and although they were not completely accomplished, progress was made and the necessary change has been started.

In 2010 my personal focus is on introducing a new product line for Nova that will make the most commonly used photopolymer substrate more environmentally friendly - more to come.... In addition to product development, I am focusing on meeting my previously set goals of redefining the way Nova does business with clients - order consolidation to reduce the shipping footprint associated with material orders and creating a paperless environment (yes, you will have to order online by the end of the year, no more paper orders, invoices etc!).

I am interested to hear what others are doing in manufacturing, fabrication and design. Are we collectively being proactive or are we watching others and living vicariously through their actions?

New URL for The Green Resource Guide

The Green Resource Guide can now be found at http://www.thegreenresourceguide.org/. So go out and tell your friends to come join the fun!