When we started Sult, we knew we wanted to build something that wasn't hap hazard and ignorant to the difficulties facing the future of our planet, from global warming, to excessive consumption of earth resources.
Design work is not necessarily something most people would associate with destructive businesses, but the sad truth is, every company makes a certain level of impact, and as a collective, we all contribute to climate change, pollution and the waste crisis.
Every company can and should make their own journey to becoming environmentally sustainable, creating the building blocks and expected business practices for all future businesses, to ensure the standards grow alongside our impact. We cannot allow our negligence to become the problems of the next generation in pursuit of bigger profits.
We started by examining the problem areas within our business model, calculating energy usage, potential waste, and the carbon footprint of people within the company:
- The internet is one of the most carbon-polluting industries on the planet, consuming an estimated 416.2TWh of energy per year - more than the entire United Kingdom! (source: Website Carbon). It’s a fast-growing industry, but slow to change: most of this power is still generated from fossil fuel sources.
- In 2023, cars accounted for 52% of all domestic vehicle emissions. The UK's average petrol car produces 164 grams of CO2 per kilometre, equivalent (g CO2e), while a diesel car produces 170 grams of CO2/km (source: Statista)
- It takes a staggering amount of energy to create paper, something we use quite a lot both in printing for clients and for checking designs ourselves. This stands at around 25-30MJ per kilogram – which is more than steel, iron, glass and aluminium (source: 8billiontrees).
- Sourcing merchandise sustainably can make a huge difference, even something as comparing t-shirts made in India with those made in Vietnam revealing a 1.5x higher carbon footprint (source: CarbonFact).
Understanding the problem is one thing, but finding ways to solve them is even more important, so we laid out a full strategy plan prior to setting up our business.
- Using only green powered energy, as well as green web hosting, both through our own servers and through the companies we work with including Krystal, ReForestHosting and GreenGeeks
- Pushing for remote working, ensuring whenever possible we work from our own homes, supplied with all the resources we need. This cuts down on unnecessary carbon emissions and energy consumption.
- All of our printing is done through regenerative printers, working on offsetting paper usage through planting trees and using only recycled paper.
- Sourcing merchandise and clothing from your origin country and using non-synthetic materials wherever possible.
- Supporting reuse and recycle schemes, as well as supporting non-profit organisations by lending our services free of charge.
Together we can build a future that is kinder, aware of the impact we cause and actively fighting to maintain sustainability through business practises that put our planet
