I like to think of myself as a bit of a realist when it comes to being “green” or “sustainability’. I believe in taking a practical approach to both, and finding the balance for my clients and for the bottom line. As a former owner – I invested heavily in sustainability initiatives; from being the first tri-certified printer (FSC/SFI & PEFC) west of the Mississippi, to transitioning a traditional sheet-fed house to a state of the art Hy-Pod shop. (read more about my previous company and our green initiatives here a PDF doc will download).

As being green continues to prove to be more that just a trend, I have seen a lot of “green-washing” by competitors of all shapes and sizes – from large corporations, to the small shop on the corner. In light of this – I always advise clients to ask their vendors to see a copy of their green initiatives, or some of the green milestones they have reached. A company that has a true sustainability initiative in place should be able to provide those, and a way to track and work towards continuous improvement.

There are a lot of great printing firms, large and small, who are doing wonderful/innovative things in an effort to be “green” one in particular is the Printery in Port Townsend, WA. Mike Kenna, the Printery’s founder, is a true tree-hugger – and an innovator being the FIRST FSC certified shop on the West Coast.

On the larger scale – the company the I work for, CGX, has a robust green commitment, in my opinion, the most important and often most overlooked is the benefit our “network” can deliver in reducing emissions (see bullet #3). From CGX’s website:

Consolidated Graphics is dedicated to leveraging our strengths, talents, resources and technologies to service our communities and our customers. We are able to draw on our experience to refine the way we produce and deliver printed materials, from innovative recycling programs to our enterprise-wide Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, to groundbreaking corporate partnerships that complement our sustainability initiatives.

Below is a listing of some of the steps Consolidated Graphics is taking with regards to our environmental initiatives:

• Paper Recycling – We recycled 66,633 tons of paper in FY2008 which equates to more than 199,899 cubic yards of landfill space.
• Aluminum Recycling – We recycle more than 700 tons of aluminum per year.
• Distribute and Print – Our national footprint allows us to distribute and print products closer to the delivery points, reducing emissions resulting from product delivery.
• Inks and Solvents – Nearly all of our printing inks are soy and vegetable based and less harmful to the environment, and each of our companies utilize low VOC (volatile organic compound) solvents.
• Energy Conservation – Energy efficient lighting in our facilities reduces energy consumption.
• Enterprise-wide FSC Certification – Each of our facilities utilizes FSC paper to help support a more sustainable forestry industry.

Inspire Earth is Consolidated Graphics’ private-label paper. Superior characteristics include:

• 10% post consumer waste, triple forest certification (FSC, SFI, and PEFC) and outstanding printability that equates to less waste during production and make-ready.

(note: since this report was publised by CGX in late 2008, CGX has forged partnerships with American Forests and Rainforest Alliance and my facility in Westlake Village is SFI COC certified)

want to learn more? Drop me a note.

From an article published by Verso Paper:

…Proponents of the “digital is greener” point of view can’t deny that paper is made with a renewable resource while most electronic components are made from non-renewable resources. Another undeniable fact is that both paper and electronic communications require considerable amounts of energy to produce, and energy use is by far the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions that define the carbon footprint of both. However, for paper, most GHGs are emitted during the manufacturing process, which is powered primarily by carbon- neutral biofuels. Almost all of the energy consumed by digital communications results from creating, transmitting and storing data. Most of this energy is purchased from the electric grid which is powered by GHG-producing fossil fuels, primarily coal. And when it comes to recycling, some 57.4% of all paper in the United States is recycled while only 18% of computer products (CPUs, monitors, laptops and other peripherals) are recycled, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“There are many comparisons to be made between paper and electronic communications and regrettably, contentious debate is likely to continue,” Liska concludes. “But sustainability is about balance, not competition. Despite all the rhetoric about a paperless society, ink on paper is here to stay,” he says. “As both print and digital media continue to evolve in new and exciting directions we need to forego the good-guy bad-guy scenarios, embrace them as complementary forms of communication, and look for ways to make both more sustainable.”

You can download the entire Article Here (A PDF will Open)

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