It all started when... It was 1999 and we were sick—sick of seeing all the waste from the millions of calendars and stationery that were produced, bought, and discarded each year. Especially the calendars... (Cue the harp music, fade to a studio in downtown Wilmington, Delaware...)
Our goal was to create a series of calendars that people would think twice before throwing away at the end of the season. We thought that if we showcased captivating images and produced them to the same exacting standards as museum or gallery prints, but offered them at wall calendar prices, it could be a no-brainer. Next, we decided to print the images on heavy, archival-quality art stock and perforate each page so the reproductions could easily be removed, and fit standard frame sizes.
Reduce, Recycle, Reuse. In 2007, we made the commitment to produce our entire calendar line using only 100% recycled paper and soy-based inks. Our calendars use this eco-friendly material from cover to cover.
The Paper Chase As of Winter 2007/2008, there are not many heavyweight, green paper choices out there; and what is available is much more expensive than the archival-quality art stock that we used previously. After some painstaking research, we were able to find suitable heavy, 100% recycled paper, similar in weight to the stock we had been using previously. As we continue on our commitment to create products that are more eco-friendly, both in materials used and through innovative design, we welcome your comments and suggestions.
Green Festival
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We have recently been a part of the Green Festivals in Washington D.C. and San Francisco. See our trade show booth images:
"The Stealth Greeniacs"
"So, what is this?", the Frowning Lady demanded as she entered our booth at the Green Festival in San Francisco recently.
"These are reproductions of the actual game programs that..." Rob, our senior editor, began to explain. The Frowning Lady rolled her eyes and marched to the other side of the exhibit, inspecting another row of our calendars. Undeterred, Rob followed, "...what you are looking at are the cover images of the football game programs that..." The Frowning Lady exhaled loudly, rolled her eyes again, and marched away.
Despite this encounter, our recent experiences at the Green Festivals in DC and SF were largely positive. The most common reaction from the people who saw our products was one of sheer delight. "That's so cool!" or, "What a great idea!"
Yet, there are a few who asked us (a little more politely than the aforementioned lady) "What do your products have to do with eco-friendliness?" In a way, we take that as a compliment, because the focus should be on the product and the images, and that's the way we like it.
