Business Management - Sustainability

Verso Paper's 2012 Sustainability Report titled "Deep Roots, New Routes," highlights the company's progress against its commitment to respect a sustainable balance among environmental, social and economic needs

The paper industry as a whole has made some strides towards sustainability, but we’ve still got a long road to travel. We should have an honest conversation about the key metrics to determine how to make and use the most environmentally responsible paper. Collaborative efforts will achieve the best results.

National Geographic demonstrated a good model for collaboration and deserves recognition for committing to a process that was

FSC-certification has become an important criterion in selecting a print provider for some environmentally-conscious companies. However, those of us who have dealt with certification could get on a stump about the actual benefit to green initiatives versus the bureaucracy and cost involved for very little real “green” benefit.

Here we go again. Obviously, Google didn't hear about all the negative reaction to Toshiba America's ill-conceived "National No-Print Day" campaign that encouraged people and companies not to print or copy anything last Oct. 23. Fortunately, in response to outrage from the printing, paper, forestry and publishing industries, Toshiba pulled the plug.

EU Services, a direct mail printer and services provider in Rockville, MD, has joined the Green-e Marketplace after purchasing enough certified renewable energy certificates to meet 100 percent of the total annual electricity needs for its printing facility and headquarters.

PrimeNet Direct Marketing Solutions' facility is now hurricane Category 3 certified and its data center within the building is in a Category 5 certified bunker. Diesel generators provide a backup in the event of a power failure. A comprehensive disaster recovery manual has also been created by PrimeNet's executive team.

The Paper Trail website offers personalized reports that measure Domtar products across five categories: water usage, the distance its fiber travels to a paper mill, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, waste send to landfills and renewable energy usage.

Resolute Forest Products and the World Wildlife Fund are pleased to announce that Resolute has become the largest manager of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests in the world. The total area of Resolute-managed FSC-certified forests in North America is now 10.3 million hectares.

SGP, a non-profit organization providing sustainability certification in the graphic communications industry, announces its newest Silver Patron—Unisource Worldwide. A number of SGP Certified printers are a part of Unisource’s respect Printers Program, which connects eco-friendly printers, designers and customers that share green commitment in the supply chain.

In a stunning display of greenwashing and ignorance, a U.S. branch of Toshiba has proclaimed Oct. 23 “National No-Print Day.” To raise awareness of “the impact printing has on our planet” and “the role of paper in the workplace,” Toshiba America Business Solutions is asking people and companies not to print or copy anything that day.

The company is promoting the campaign with a series of web videos featuring Tree, an “affable spokescharacter.”

The first video has a goof: Tree is shown marking Oct. 23 on a paper calendar. But even more serious are the questions Toshiba needs to answer, such as