Design Will Save the World (but This T-Shirt Will Not)
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 07. 5.07
TreeHugger knows that changing the way we think about stuff, and working to change the way that our stuff gets made can make a big difference in the world. By updating the philosophies, materials and manufacturing practices, we can spend less time worrying about the impact we make on day-to-day basis, and more on something like getting some Live Earth bands to play TreeHugger's next party. This philosophy has been immortalized on a t-shirt by Artefacture; unfortunately, they stop short of actually doing anything about saving the world with the shirt itself -- it's made from 100% cotton, with "organic" conspicuously missing (and remember, the cotton used to make this shirt used 1/3 of a pound of pesticides -- more fun facts in TreeHugger's How to Green Your Wardrobe Guide). So, to recap: idea, good; implementation, not so good. Hit the jump to see a new, neat graphical representation of the iconic recycling symbol, but we don't recommend shelling out $28 for the real deal. ::Artefacture via ::Design Milk
"Recyclo" from Artefacture
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here's an idea, buy used
finally, a shirt I can wear with my Buckminster Fuller mask.
finally, a shirt I can wear with my Buckminster Fuller mask.
Most of my friends are designers and one of them told me, i hate design its just a way of justifying more crap in our homes. Case in point here.
Fellow Treehuggers,
Thanks for the post and interest in Artefacture's designs and manufacturing operations. We recognize the importance of sustainability and have been evaluating organic materials, but yes have not yet made the leap (and it is not just about costs) as you very well point out. A shirt that promotes recycling and design should embody our values, so while we are passing on the sustainability message, design is front and center for our brand. And when we do roll out organic-based products we dont plan on make much hoopla over it anyway as being Green is not a competitive advantage but a me-too marketing ploy these days.
Best,
Chris Jablonski
Co-founder
Artefacture
Effective design inspires and educates. That's not pointless. That's priceless.
Oh, that's funny..... we thought style was going to save us!
But seriously, there's NO excuse these days for putting out a product with a blatant environmental message that's not even eco-friendly itself.
Do these people not think about these things????? Just another bit of hyped-up tat charading as something with a conscience. Pah!
I just need to know if that text is in franklin gothic or akzidenz grotesque!
thats right: this is what most designers will think the moment they see this shirt.
and that is exactly why design will not save the world.