Inks and Chemicals — Environmental Challenges

"There is a greater attention to product life cycle impacts. Companies like DuPont and Dow Chemical are increasingly seeking to sell accountable services rather than selling products. For example, DuPont does not sell paint to companies like Ford; they sell advanced protective coating services. They take responsibility for the reclamation and reuse of all of the solvents and waste materials associated with the coating process. Ford pays to have cars coated on a unit or square inches coated basis rather than buying gallons of paint and coatings. We may see the same thing in printing over time—printers will not buy ink by the pound or solvent by the gallon. You're buying the service to add a coating or remove the waste products associated with the process."

Beyond Compliance

Carli stresses the benefits of 'beyond compliance' concepts. "Doing more than is required by the law or by regulations can improve top-line growth, profitability, customer satisfaction and other drivers of shareholder value," he says. "For some companies the threat of increased regulatory scrutiny is the motivation for increased social responsibility, and for others it is based on values and beliefs regarding doing what is right. However, for a growing number of companies, a strong business case can be made that beyond compliance environmental stewardship and life cycle thinking are indicative of good management and superior economic performance. The business case for 'beyond compliance' business practices is the driving force behind a growing number of voluntary initiatives encouraging increased environmental stewardship and corporate social responsibility."

If any one commercial printer embodies the 'greening of print' spirit, it is Anderson Lithograph, Commerce, CA. Its sustainability practices reach far beyond minimum/maximum requirements set forth by the federal, state (environmentally, California may be the least forgiving state in the union) and local agencies, and sets a consciousness standard that not only is a measuring stick for commercial printing, but cuts across U.S. industry. A sample of Anderson Lithograph's general environmental sustainability resume: