GREEN scene

Brown Goes Green, Helps 'Plant a Billion Trees'

WASECA, MN--Tri-certified Brown Printing (FSC, SFI and PEFC) serves as a strong example of the role a graphic arts company can play through its commitment to the environment, its eco-sensitive customers and its local community.

The magazine and catalog printer's many environmental initiatives include virtual proofing capabilities for all of its presses and building a state-of-the-art co-mailing facility that combines shipments, resulting in fewer trips. 

Other measures include reconditioning and reusing printing blankets, refiltering and blending leftover ink into new batches, revamping plant lighting with energy-efficient fixtures and diligently analyzing landfill streams to pull out all recyclable materials.

As an extra eco-benefit, Brown recently made a donation in honor of each client to The Nature Conservancy's "Plant a Billion Trees" campaign. Additionally, as part of its commitment to the local community, the company employs various green activities--from hosting recycling weeks to street cleanups to rewarding employees for car pooling.

Pictured here after planting a tree, from the left, are Sara Heyer, Waseca Water Park; Roy Srp, mayor of Waseca; and Dennis Braunshausen, VP/GM of Brown's Waseca facility. Inset is a Brown Printing "cleanup crew" picking up roadside trash.

Mission in Motion: 'Give Back to the Planet'

CHEVERLY, MD-- As a member of the EPA's Climate Leaders program, MOSAIC has dedicated itself to developing comprehensive climate-change strategies for its printing operation. These include reducing its impact on the environment by completing a corporate-wide inventory of its greenhouse gas emissions based on a quality management system; setting aggressive reduction goals; and annually reporting its progress to the EPA.

"Environmental stewardship informs every aspect of our vision and mission at MOSAIC," says Brendan Connors, co-president. "Because we feel it is our obligation to preserve the ecosystem for future generations, we constantly look for new ways to improve our environmental footprint."  

A leader in waterless printing since 1993, MOSAIC has been FSC-certified since 2005 and, on Earth Day 2007, announced that it had achieved carbon-neutral status, based on its investment in 100 percent wind power and reforestation programs undertaken to offset the carbon emissions from its operation. 

Its carbon-neutral distinction has earned MOSAIC membership in the EPA's Green Power Leadership Club, wherein member companies are recognized for making exemplary green power choices that significantly exceed minimum requirements. The company recycles 885 tons of paper and uses 65,000 pounds of soy-based ink annually, while a solvent recovery system limits the disposal of spent pressroom chemicals.

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