Canopy: the uppermost spreading branchy layer of a forest.
var. - an organization dedicated to safeguarding forests and the environment by harnessing the power of the marketplace and changing business practices.
You may not recognize the name Canopy; perhaps you heard of it when the organization was called Markets Initiative? This spunky non-profit is not just focused on forest protection, it connects printers and publishers to sources of paper that reduce the pressure on environmentally and culturally sensitive forests.
Canopy has found that leading green printers—while implementing a wide range of operational activities and initiatives that reduce energy consumption and water use—have gone beyond simply obtaining Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or even triple certification (FSC, SFI and PEFC) to:
• Transparently report on the increased use of FSC-certified and recycled paper;
• Lend their voice to forest conservation initiatives in North America and around the world;
• Provide 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper as house sheets at a competitive price;
• Offer press time to agricultural residue paper trials; and
• Train their sales team on how to help clients source the best eco paper.
To help printers “learn from their peers,” Canopy has launched a Printer Leadership List to help them identify ways to implement paper purchasing policies that will benefit their businesses, their communities and the world’s forests, while reducing the impacts of climate change.
One of the first companies to be recognized on Canopy’s Print Leadership List is EarthColor, with 10 locations across the United States.
EarthColor has a comprehensive forest resources policy, one of the broadest among North American printers. Highlights from the company’s “2009/2010 Sustainability Report” include:
• High-integrity framing and communication of the true impact paper usage has on forests
Transparent reporting using GRI principals.
• 46 percent of the paper purchased in 2009 was FSC certified.
• 98 percent paper waste from sheetfed and web presses is recycled, totaling 14,285 tons.
• Compliance with corporate environmental and social responsibility policies is a condition of employment.
• Purchased 12,547 tons of carbon offsets in 2009 to support the Makira Forest Initiative in Madagascar.
• Developed and implemented a “Client Education Program” that helps clients understand the benefits of choosing certified and recycled materials over virgin and non-certified fiber.
To learn what your peers are doing to go beyond chain-of-custody certification to become greener companies, read more here.
Canopy (formerly Markets Initiative) safeguards forests and the environment by harnessing the power of the marketplace and changing business practices. Specifically, Canopy drives North American demand for green paper products by shifting heavy paper consuming sectors away from unsustainable sources.
The organization works primarily with the book, newspaper, magazine and print industries to phase out the use of endangered forests and toxic bleaches in paper-making, make more environmental solutions available and reduce overall paper consumption.
- Categories:
- Business Management - Sustainability
- Companies:
- EarthColor
• Define their sustainability strategies,
• Deliver a positive, sustainable image,
• Gain credibility, trust and respect, and
• Measure the results of their green initiatives and actions.
Gail is a nationally recognized speaker on a wide range of subjects and brings enthusiasm and a unique blend of experience to the podium. As an industry analyst and journalist contributing to publications in the United States, Canada, India and Brazil, she has covered a number of beats, particularly sustainability in printing and mailing, print on demand, variable data printing and direct mail.