There was once a time when the colour green was associated with all things humorous: St Patrick’s Day beers, Kermit the Frog, Leprechauns and the odd political party. But somewhere along the way the colour became a little shady, as it mixed with the laundry and churned out green wash. So it’s welcome relief to see that the tourism industry’s largest environmental certification company encourages its Members to inject a little levity back into the task of caring for the planet.
EarthCheck (once called Green Globe), is an environmental management system used by more than 1000 travel and tourism organisations around the world. The company has a reputation for its hard-nosed science-based approach to sustainable tourism and an unrelenting expectation that companies should open themselves to scrutiny before making green claims.
They recently released a range of print-ready signs that are free to download and make eco-messages a pleasure to read. Take for example the sign that suggests that we conserve water by showering with a friend, or the one that asks smokers not to dispose of cigarette butts in the water as the fish are trying to quit.
Playing to the lighter green sentiments of those in holiday mode, the signs make their point in a memorable way. They’re available in English; with Spanish, French, German and Chinese soon to be released, and are sure to go viral across the Net.
For those who prefer visual cues to words, there are also signs that feature stunning imagery. Although originally intended for hotel use back of house, front of house and in public places; don’t be surprised if you soon see these signs appearing at a location near you.
Check them out at: www.earthcheck.org/en-us/signage/index.aspx
