Many of our clients wonder what we mean when we say we are “green web designers” – it isn’t the clothes we wear or the colour of our websites (although we do love websites that are, literally, green!) – it is our approach to everything at work and beyond.
Why is it important to hire an eco and socially-conscious web designer? Well, the best reason is that we understand your approach to your own life and business. It also means that you are supporting a company that supports our global ecology and community.
More and more, going green means “thinking green” in all aspects of your life and, most importantly, in every financial transaction. Will your hard earned money go to a quince from Chile or an apple from your local farmers’ market? Will it go to a Ford SUV or a Nissan Leaf? Will you pay for a website from a company that hires underpaid workers in India or someone who believes deeply in what they do and who they work with?
Here are just a few of the ways we strive to be the “greenest” web designers on the Net.
1. Our employees cycle, walk or work remotely.
At our Victoria office we reduce our carbon output by 3,500 lbs per year (on average) by walking and cycling to work. This is great for the environment and our health, naturally, but also great for you as a customer. Studies have shown a 4% to 15% increase in productivity, and 27% fewer task errors for physically fit employees which means we can get your website done better and faster!
Thinking about encouraging this at your workplace? Studies from Europe have indicated that “cyclists have at least 15% lower absenteeism than non-cyclist workers, with the higher the frequency and longer the distance cycled, the lower the rate of absenteeism.”
2. We use eco-friendly office supplies.
That includes everything from recycled paper and file folders to biodegradable pens and sustainably harvested wood furniture. Here are a few other ways we keep it green:
- Energy efficient lights
- Fair trade, shade grown coffee
- Repurposing gently used furniture
3. We put our money where our mouth is.
Our office celebrations, luncheons and client meetings are at restaurants that serve, fresh, local food.
4. We support Green web hosting.
We encourage all of our clients to opt for green web hosting. We’re happily partnered with GreenGeeks for our web hosting. GreenGeeks provides eco-friendly hosting by replacing, with wind power, three times the amount of energy their web servers use. Wind power is, of course, a natural, clean, and abundant energy source with little or no negative impact on the environment.
5. We work with like-minded businesses, organizations and non-profit groups.
Our clients are the best! That’s not just lip service. Our clients are working every day to improve the world we live in and we love working with them. Whether they’re in Victoria, BC or Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, we work with individuals, businesses and organizations that are ethical, environmentally conscious and socially responsible and we are inspired by what they do. That inspiration flows out into the designs we create for them and, in turn, their clients are inspired to use their services and products or donate to their cause. We like to think of it as karmic web design.
6. We give back to our community and wider world in a number of ways.
- We believe in giving back to the community and supporting those who give their all to make a difference in the world so we donate 3% of proceeds from all projects priced at $1,000 or more to various organizations. This means that our work for you ripples out to the wider world and helps charities continue the valuable work they do.
- We sign petitions and get involved with campaigns dedicated to creating positive change. Our most recent “protest” involved blacking out our website for Black Out Speak Out, in response to the government’s omnibus budget bill, C-38 which replaces the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and allows the federal government to crack down on charities that advocate for better laws and policies.
- We select various non-profit groups to do pro bono work for:
- Care-A-Van: mobile healthcare unit for individuals who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness.
- Perseverance Trail Run: Vancouver Island Trail running race established to raise funds for the Cumberland Community Forest Society which is dedicated to purchasing local forests for recreational and aesthetic purposes.
- Noah’s Ride: 9 year old Noah rode from Calgary to Edmonton and raised over $25,000 for cancer research.
Thinking green is something we do automatically now and we love learning about new eco innovations and ideas. We would love to hear how you or your organization are keeping green. Drop us a line to share your story or experience.
