What’s Growing in Sustainable Design

Leanne Moore, student of the Art Institute of Charlotte, interviews Rebecca St. Martin on various aspects of “green” design.

L: Do you have a direct interest in “organic” materials? If so, what started it?

R: Yes. My value in preserving our environment started it. I grew up with the activities of recycling, reusing and composting, so these values have filtered into my business.

L: Do you notice any difference between “organic” materials and regular materials? If so, what are they?

R: Cost. Organic materials can be up to twice the cost of non-organic materials. Some organic / natural products can’t easily be printed on. (Many of the handcrafted papers, etc.)

L: Do you prefer regular materials or “organic” materials?

R: In practicality, my preference usually depends upon the application. In spirit, I prefer organic. As good old Mick sings, “You can’t always get what you want.”

L: Does the final result look better on regular materials or “organic” materials?

R: I can’t tell the difference by looking at the final product.

L: How do you go about gaining “organic” materials?

R: Research, research, research. My suppliers are confidential, I’m afraid. this is a competitive advantage my business has over others offering similar solutions.

L: What are “organic” materials (ink, paper, etc…) made of?

R: Percentage or [nearly] complete use of recycled paper, post-consumer products, soy, elephant dung, wheat, corn, cotton, hemp, rice, bamboo, banana, seaweed — lots of things! I suspect that any kind of plant material can easily be made into paper. Heck — anything you can stick in a blender with a little adhesive could be made into paper. (I’d recommend drying out the material before you pulp it [for handmade paper], though.)

L: Speaking in the long-term, what can be a positive of using “organic” materials? A negative?

R: Positive: Less impact on the environment. Also, as more people use organic materials, industry prices for such materials will reduce.
Negative: It could put lumberjacks and the old, traditional mills out of business and make a lot of people unemployed. But maybe that’s not really a negative….

L: Speaking in the short-term, what can be a positive of using “organic” materials? A negative?

R: Positive: There is a growing emphasis on using organic materials. Conscientious consumers are beginning to demand it, which in turn, creates supply.
Negative: Being completely strict about using organic materials — it’s more difficult to find clients willing to pay for the extra expense. If I weren’t flexible, I could go out of business. (Keep in mind that most business people operate with conservative values.) The majority of businesses look at the bottom line. Next in line are the businesses looking for a good value (quality + cost). And finally, the business extremists, who are the ones I care deeply for because their lives are very hard, are the least in number and are the ones who live with unwavering social and environmental conscientiousness. They will save up to pay for the “right thing.”

L: What are the environmental benefits of “organic” materials?

R: Some can be composted and they won’t pollute the soil.
Less waste in landfills.
Can be recycled.
You can lick them and won’t get sick. (Just kidding).

L: What are the social benefits of “organic” materials?

R: Liberals will like you and invite you to parties.

L: What are the political benefits of “organic” materials?

R: If you use them in your campaign, you might not get elected (expense) or may get elected (values).

L: What types of customers use your services?

R: Cultural Creatives, Women, Independent business people

L: What projects would work best with “organic” materials?

R: Usually, it’s not the composition of the materials but the texture, look etc that we’re trying to achieve.

L: What percentage of the recycled paper is truly recycled?

R: Can be up to 100%. Check each package to see the amount of recycled content.

L: What’s the process of making the recycled paper and soy inks?

R: This is beyond my expertise. As a novice, however, when I make my own paper, I put the paper I’m recycling into a blender with water. Then I filter it by pouring it through a mesh screen (very similar to what’s on a screen door) . I want the pulp to lay out as thinly as possible across the screen. Then, I press it down across the screen with a sponge to juice out the excess water. (This is the most time-consuming part.) I might let it sit out and dry a little. Then, I iron it flat.

Paper made from elephant [dung] is boiled before filtering to eliminate bacteria and smell. The elephant does most of the pulping through the digestive process. Isn’t that a clever use of nature?

L: What is the biodegradable time line?

R: Depends upon the material and what kind of environment it’s in. For example, one compostable plastic I use degrades better in dry, hot, direct-sunlight vs. in the compost bin, where it’s humid and dark. My understanding is that it’s somewhere between 2 weeks to several months given the optimal conditions. So, the dependencies are:

• Moisture
• Animals / insects / microorganisms available to help break the material down
• Light exposure
• Heat exposure
• Other surrounding materials — need the right balance of brown (dead leaves, dead grass, unnourished soil — carbon rich) and green materials (leaves, fruits, kitchen scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags — nitrogen rich).
• Exposure to air