Our Commitment to Sustainability

We believe strongly that sustainability and business success are not mutually exclusive endeavors. To prove this point, Roughstock does everything we can to operate our business in an ethically and environmentally sound manner. This includes addressing our social, economic and environmental impact on our local and global communities.

Environmental Ethics
Roughstock is a certified San Francisco Green Business. This means we take active steps towards reducing our energy and water consumption, minimizing our waste, and implementing environmentally preferable purchasing policies.

When designing projects, we try to reduce material use (and, ultimately, waste) by designing for a low-impact result. We specify vegetable-based inks, recycled papers and green printers whenever possible. These methods are often imperceptible to clients and audiences, but can make a vast difference in environmental impact.

[Download our full environmental statement.]

Community Ethics
Roughstock believes that business can and should serve as a change agent; we succeed only as long as our community succeeds. We donate a portion of our profits to a variety of nonprofit organizations, and we contribute our services pro bono to organizations working towards social change.

We also work with local printers and suppliers as much as possible to reduce the freight impact of shipping goods and to help support our local economy.

Social Ethics
As comedian Bill Hicks was fond of saying, marketers are "the ruiners of all things good." So although we welcome clients of all shapes and sizes, in honor of Bill there are certain things we won't do. We won't sell cigarettes, guns, or prescription drugs, for example. We also don't believe in shutting anyone out of the conversation; each project is accepted on a case-by-case basis and carefully evaluated for its social impact. See our client list for examples of who we do work with.

Client Ethics
Roughstock is, above all, a straight-shooting company. We let you know what you can expect from the get-go, we work within client limitations as best we can, and we aim to please. Our business relationships often last for years, and are based on mutual respect and integrity.

We encourage our clients to integrate sustainable choices into their projects, but we aren't preachers. We're happy to lead the way, provide insight and advice, and help our clients make the most appropriate decisions for each project.

In addition to the above, Jess was recently certified in sustainable business management, and is the author of The Sustainable Studio, a monthly column about sustainable design, for the Business of Design Online. She also writes a blog about practical sustainability for daily living called Small Failures: Sustainability for the Rest of Us.