Signage Using Sustainable Material
Institute for Global Citizenship
Whenever possible, Visual Communications promotes usage of new, environment-friendly materials in our signage. Often, our signs incorporate innovative materials with recycled components that can be sourced locally—accounting in many cases for LEED points in sustainable facilities. We understand the footprint a signage system makes for future generations, and we strive to create a solution that will benefit both your business and our earth.
See our Gallery for some examples of our work in this area. We are especially proud of our contributions to the new, environmentally sustainable Institute for Global Citizenship (IGC) building at Macalester College. It’s one of the first buildings on a United States college or university campus to receive prestigious LEED Platinum certification, thanks in part to the eco-friendly wayfinding system designed by Visual Communications.
Projects like this one showcase Visual Communications’ expertise in assisting with sustainability certification through the use of “green” signage components such as low-voltage LED lighting and recycled construction materials that can be sourced regionally. For the design of interior and exterior signage for the IGC building, we utilized Ecostone, a locally manufactured product that is 85 percent post consumer waste—made from fibrous materials including newsprint, cardboard, magazines, telephone books, even worn-out currency retired by the government. Material is broken down, turned into pulp, made into a slurry (using hydrogen bonding that eliminates the need for formaldehyde or toxic glues) and is then pressed into sheets. The result is a material that looks like stone and stands up to the elements, with minimal environmental impact.
