Business Management - Sustainability

Printing Impressions' Green scene Sustainability news in the commercial printing industry or August 2009.

Is the paper you purchased for your next direct mail or catalog campaign imported? How about the fiber used to make the paper? Did you perform due diligence to determine if all parties in the supply chain legally sourced and imported the paper that you bought? If not, YOU could be in violation of the Lacey Act.

The Lacey Act, a 100-year-old statute originally passed to stop wildlife crimes, was amended in May 2008 by the U.S. Congress to also now ban the commerce of illegally sourced plants, timber and wood and paper products. Companies that import or domestically source such environmentally harmful products may face seizure of goods, fines and jail time.

To stay on the right side of the law, protect your company's reputation and be a good corporate citizen of the world, you need to understand the requirements of this legislation and how they affect your role in paper sourcing NOW.

Fujifilm today announced that its primary US manufacturing complex, located in Greenwood, S.C., has begun using methane gas from a local community landfill to power approximately 40 percent of its operations. Company officials joined local government leaders and guests to celebrate the project’s completion at the Greenwood County Landfill. This is one of many steps Fujifilm Corp. is taking to reduce greenhouse emissions at its facilities worldwide. In the U.S., the company aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by 2012.

KENNESAW, GA—Heidelberg USA has launched a new web portal (www.us.heidelberg.com/www/html/en/content/overview1/solutions/green/green_printing_overview) dedicated to exploring sustainable solutions for the printing industry.

Lisa Wellman, CEO of SustainCommWorld announced today that Robert C. Tapella, Public Printer of the United States, will keynote their event, The Green Media Conference, June 9 in Washington, DC at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. Tapella will be discussing the role of the Government Printing Office (GPO) in greening the communications of the federal government, both print and digital. The keynote speaker for the June 23 Chicago conference will be announced shortly.

Print media market leader Heidelberg USA has launched a new web portal dedicated to exploring sustainable solutions for the printing industry. Given its longstanding commitment to environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing, Heidelberg is uniquely positioned to provide this comprehensive resource for printers and print buyers who want to learn more about sustainable printing and the positive impact it can have on their businesses — minus the greenwashing and marketing hype.

Part of the All About: Sustainability Webinar Series!

Selecting the right paper for your direct mail campaigns has always been a balancing act, juggling cost with performance. And now, marketers increasingly are adding environment-friendly to their lists of considerations.

But "environment-friendly" is a big concept, encompassing a whole host of options ranging from virgin fiber that is responsibly harvested to post-consumer recycled fiber, mixed fiber sources and even alternatives to wood fiber. In addition, some companies extend their research and selection criteria to include the environmental impact of the processes used to manufacture the paper.

To help you suss out the differences in the paper products on the market, Target Marketing and Printing Impressions have assembled a panel of production experts who will take you through the various factors related to the environment and paper.

You'll come away with an understanding of:
- the substrates that are considered environment-friendly
- the environmental issues surrounding the manufacturing process
- what factors to weigh when selecting eco-friendly papers

Click here to view this webinar today!

California printers go low-VOC on blankets and rollers

Printing Impressions' Sustainability in Commercial Printing News for April 2009

BEING LOCATED in Southern California isn’t exactly one of the more business-friendly regions for a $120+ million commercial printing establishment to call home. With a state facing huge budget deficits, printers here deal with escalating business taxes, high labor and healthcare costs, severe traffic congestion and very strict environmental regulations. One ray of good news, though, is the area’s year-round moderate climate that results in an abundance of sunshine.