Want That in a Bag? It’s Going to Cost You – WSJ.com
“In San Francisco, “we just want to reduce the amount of single-use plastic bags out there,” says Jack Macy, Commercial Zero Waste Coordinator for the San Francisco Department of the Environment. “If a 10-cent fee can serve as a disincentive to consumers who go to the store expecting to get a new set of plastic bags each time, then these rules will be doing their job.”
Restaurants are exempt from the new rules until next year, and noncompliant plastic bags will remain acceptable for certain items, such as bulk candy and deli meats. Food-stamp recipients won’t be charged the 10-cent fee, according to the ordinance.”
The quotation above couches the issue well. I know Jack and worked with him and his team on the development of the collateral for this campaign and can tell you, he’s a helluva good guy. A lot of thought went into this move, and it’s good legislation….
no more plastic bags, San Francisco
at least 10 cents for your checkout bag in SF
SF: avoid the charge, BRING YOUR BAG.
your trash talking tuesday tip, no more plastic bags! (bring your own bag)
poster for San Francisco store owners, to educate the customer about the plastic bag ban
Fact: Plastic checkout bags weren’t available when I was a kid, and that was fine. Good wrap-up of the plastic bag issue, here.
Fact: There’s a patch of garbage hundreds of miles wide swirling in the Pacific, and another one like it the Atlantic. Both are full of plastic bags.
Fact: Plastic bags damage some recycling equipment. San Jose, CA reports spending $1 million annually on repairs to equipment jammed from plastic bag contamination. Read more.
San Francisco is ready to say “good-bye” to plastic checkout bags. On October 1st, 2012, the Checkout Bag Ordinance will extend the ban on one-time use, disposable plastic bags, which currently covers large grocery store chains and pharmacies. The ban will now extend to include to all shops in the city. The ordinance will also impose a fee: the customer will have to pay at least 10 cents for any checkout bag the store provides (and those bags will now be made of paper or compostable material, only).
Where does the money go?
The 10 cents goes to the shop owner, not to the city. For more information, check out the city website.
Above all, the city wants to promote reuse, so you can avoid the charge (and minimize trash) in the following way:
Bring Your Own Bag!
Waste nothing.
Here’s another great resource on the plastic bag problem.
Governments that have already banned the plastic bag:
Coastal North Carolina
Santa Cruz, CA
West Hollywood, CA
Portland, OR
Washington, D.C.
Ireland
Mexico City, Mexico
Delhi, India
Rwanda
Bangladesh
design for a half page ad: the SF Energy Map
SF Environment had a story to tell.
They needed a half page ad for an industry publication. In it, the Renewable Energy team wanted to highlight a useful tool available to residents of San Francisco, the SF Energy Map.
The SF Energy Map is a one-stop shop for information on how to install solar and wind in San Franciso.
Use the tool to:
• See all the solar/wind installations in your neighborhood
• Calculate your unique energy potential
• Find incentives and installers
• See how much you can save!
Visit the map:
sfenergymap.org
trash talking tuesdays: use your mug
. . . do you really want to use something only once before throwing it away?
63,000,000. That’s just one estimate of the number of disposable paper coffee cups consumed every day, …and that’s just in America.
Coffee sleeve designed to encourage using a mug rather than a paper cup for your morning coffee.
We want to divert as much as possible from the landfill via recycling and composting programs. That’s always true. So if you do have your coffee in a paper cup, please do put it in the green or blue bin. Yes, either one. But better yet, avoid generating waste at all. Just bring your own mug.
My client and I created the following design to spread the word on this point, and it was printed on recycled paper coffee sleeves throughout San Francisco, in the spring of 2012. We realized everyone has a favorite mug. . . why not use it? At first we thought there’d be push-back for advertising on the sleeve of the paper coffee cup that you should not use the paper coffee cup, but we received a lot of support from local business owners who frankly, would love to spend less on packaging. They also know first-hand the sheer volume of items that are thrown away.
Have your morning coffee. But consider bringing your own mug or tumbler. Waste nothing.
Did you know paper cups are made from virgin paper content and not recycled content? Did you know that even paper coffee cups are sprayed with plastic? Here’s a Link for more information about how the paper cups are made, and why not using them will benefit the environment.
design project, We Compost
The SF Environment Zero Waste team had a story to tell.
What does a coffee filter have to do with wine? It might seem to be non sequitur at first glance but we did want to get your attention by inviting that question. Upon a closer look the story is revealed: Your food scraps and discarded paper become the compost that is used in the vineyards of the Bay Area, and wonderful wine is the product of that cycle.
San Francisco has some of the purest compost around and it’s because of our broad public participation rates. We created this campaign to remind everyone they can play a part in the city’s Zero Waste success story. Separate your unconsumed food and send it back to the earth to grow more food.
Here are some more variations on that theme, these designs were published in the San Francisco neighborhood newspaper, the Richmond Review.
We compost campaign, 2012
We compost campaign, 2012
design project: signage for CityCycle program
SF Environment had a story to tell.
The transportation team of the Department of the Environment was instrumental in starting the City Cycle program, a bicycle sharing program available to City and County of San Francisco government employees. Check it out here. They needed a logo to identify the program.
This design is a poster that will designate reserved bicycle parking areas.
and, here’s a poster that will be used to advertise the program:
City Cycle information poster
Here’s a previous iteration of the image used for the poster:
concept logo for CityCycle, a SF Environment initiative
when you see your design out in the world…
…there’s always a little thrill when you see your design out in the world. And it’s especially gratifying when you know your design has the potential to make some positive impact. Our campaign focused on a neighborhood in San Francisco, the Richmond, with the aim to remind people why composting is such a simple and yet incredible idea. Check out our website to find out more about composting, and all the benefits that derive from doing it. Use the green bin!
logo design
Logo for Commute Smart Program, an initiative of SF Environment
SF Environment had a story to tell.
Here’s a logo I designed for the Commute Smart Program sponsored by SF Environment. From public transit to pedal power, we’re all about taking cars off the roads and have some programs designed support commuters of all kinds.
work for 23andMe, retouching stills for Muhammad Ali video, “Give Me Your Hand”
I am so proud to have been part of this incredible project. Genetic research company 23andMe is taking the fight against Parkinson’s Disease to a new level, and have partnered with none other than Muhammad Ali and his wife Lonnie, to do it. You’ll find an inspirational video after the jump. For this video, I created the vintage effects on all of the still photos. My colleague and friend Elliott Kennerson wrote, filmed and directed the work. It’s a beautiful piece, and I encourage you to view it. And if you’re so moved, I encourage you to find out how you can get involved in the fight against Parkinson’s Disease, as well.
Video produced by 23andMe and Elliott Kennerson/Boze Angeles Productions. Photos courtesy of Michael Gaffney, author of The Champ: My Year with Muhammad Ali.
my graphic design work for green civil engineering firm, engutopia
Green Civil Engineer Timothy Smith had a story to tell.
Having worked as an engineer for several years, Tim decided to start his own consulting firm, one that would specialize in providing the green approach.
The name engutopia was inspired by his abiding passion, the desire to make the world a better place coupled with the staunch belief that this can be accomplished without compromising environmental concerns.
engineering + utopia = engutopia
logo by Mark Nicholas Design for green civil engineering firm, Engutopia
Building this logo I wanted to preserve the duality inherent in the business name. Hence the gray of engineering meeting the green found in utopia.
The symbol floating above not only contains a stylized leaf in the shape of a stylized “e”, it is meant to evoke the image of a planet, floating in the air. Our planet, made better through smart planning coupled with stewardship of the environment.
Here are the business cards that I created for the company.
business card design by Mark Nicholas for green civil engineering firm, engutopia
Business card design by Mark Nicholas for green civil engineering firm, engutopia
Graphic Design Project: Thirteen Palms
thirteenpalms.com logo design
Thirteen Palms had a story to tell. Having recently undergone a complete remodel by the owners, the resort had been reborn, transformed into an oasis in the desert, luxury vacation rentals in Palm Springs finished with a contemporary Mexican design flair.
This called for a new image, and they called on me for print and web collateral to spread the word. Visit their website for more information: Thirteenpalms.com
thirteen palms business card, front
thirteen palms business card, back
thirteen palms, email signature
thirteenpalms.com banner ad for the web
thirteen palms promotional card, front
thirteen palms promotional card, back
thirteen palms stationary/letterhead
thirteen palms fax cover sheet
