PUBLICATION CENTER

There’s lots of buzz about sustainability these days. But what does it mean? And how might it impact your business? A wealth of information is now available online from various printing associations, webinars and equipment manufacturers.

For example, in the free It’s Good to Be Green webinar sponsored HP and offered through the What They Think website for graphic-arts companies, a sustainable process was defined as an “activity that can be maintained without exhaustion or collapse.” A sustainable society is one that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

According to a survey cited the webinar, more than 75% of print-for-pay and in-house printing operations are already taking steps to become more environmentally friendly. Of the survey respondents, only 21% of print-for-pay companies and 16.9% of the in-plants said they had not yet considered moving toward a more sustainable workplace.

The survey also revealed that social responsibility is the most important factor driving printing companies to become more environmentally-friendly. The next most important factors driving print-for-pay shops were customer demand, marketing, public relations, and expected legislation.

During the webinar, executives from three leading printing companies described what steps they have taken to make their operations more sustainable. Actions included using more recycled papers, converting plants to use wind power, using ultra-low VOC inks, eliminating print obsolescence through shorter print runs and on-demand printing, and reducing, reusing, or recycling materials currently being landfilled.

Webinar panelist Jim Duffy, president of Alonzo Printing, noted that environmental issues are becoming increasingly important to corporate America and is now a criterion for doing business with some companies. He pointed out that although some sustainability measures can be costly to implement, other steps, such as reducing waste, can save money. At the What They Think website, you can download a PDF of the presentation or an audio file of the It’s Good to Be Green webinar.