GREEN scene
Arandell Corp. Honored by DNR
MADISON, WI—Arandell Corp., of Menomonee Falls, WI, was welcomed September 27 into the state’s Green Tier program, which provides regulatory and publicity incentives to organizations that voluntarily achieve superior environmental performance. Representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and other state officials honored Arandell Corp. at a ceremony here.
Prior to joining Green Tier, the high-end catalog printer recycled more than 43 million pounds of paper, aluminum, plastic film and inks. By switching to a new lighting system, Arandell saves 1.8 million kilowatt-hours annually. Arandell also reduced its VOC emissions by 20 tons after installing new press wash systems.
As a Green Tier participant, Arandell pledges to add to its environmental performance by reducing its water and energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions, reusing or recycling 100 percent of the silver and nickel used in the printing process, and continuing its certification by the Forest Stewardship Council.
PRINTER NEWS
RPI Printing, Fall River, MA, has obtained Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain-of-Custody certification.
Signature Printing, East Providence, RI, has been awarded FSC Chain-of-Custody certification.
Trend Offset Printing has achieved FSC Chain-of-Custody certification for its three printing facilities in Los Alamitos, CA; Carrollton, TX; and Jacksonville, FL.
Also, the California plant recently received a Waste Management Reduction Program (WRAP) award for responsible waste prevention, recovery, reuse and recycling activities. And, the Florida plant was awarded an Environmental Stewardship Award for achieving 100 percent environmental compliance in industrial pretreatment for 2006.
Curtis Packaging, Sandy Hook, CT, announced that it became the first carbon neutral printing and packaging company in North America. In addition, Curtis Packaging is FSC certified, and it uses 100 percent renewable energy to power all of its operations.
Sandy Alexander, headquartered in Clifton, NJ, has released its first-ever Environmental Responsibility Report to its stakeholders, which reviews, among other things, the three key elements of the printer’s comprehensive environmental program: energy conservation and carbon footprint reduction; waste reduction and expanded recycling; and communications and education.
Sandy Alexander is certified to the ISO 14001 environmental management standard. Additionally, the printer is FSC certified, uses 100 percent wind-generated energy, and is a member of the EPA’s Green Power Partnership and EPA Green Power Leadership Club.
Cary Printing of Cary, NC, has been named as one of the finalists in the Innovative Initiatives category of the 2007 North Carolina Sustainability Awards. Cary Printing exercises environmental stewardship by using vegetable-based inks and aqueous coatings, recycling its paper waste, and educating/engaging its employees and clients about sustainability.
PIA/GATF Creates Sustainable Green Printing Partnership
PITTSBURGH—The PIA/GATF has joined forces with the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) and the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) to form one central location for information on sustainability: the Sustainable Green Printing (SGP) Partnership.
The partnership was formed after a recent PIA/GATF survey revealed that more than 90 percent of printers believe that their customers will require “green” printing in the future.
To assist the printing community in this push for sustainability, the partnership will play a prominent role in the “green” movement within the printing industry.
“We are on the cusp of a fundamental change in the way printers will be doing business in the foreseeable future,” says Gary Jones, director of environmental health and safety affairs for PIA/GATF, who’s heading the project. “This initiative will give printers the tools they need to respond to the market and demonstrate their continued commitment to protecting the environment through sustainability.”
The SGP Partnership plans to establish sustainable printing criteria and a guidance document on how to implement a program to meet the criteria.
In addition, a national registry will be created to identify companies that meet the set criteria, which will allow printing customers to find “green” printers in their area.
The national registry will be housed on the SGP Partnership Website, www.sgppartnership.org.
SUPPLIER NEWS
• Mohawk Fine Papers has updated its “Sense and Sustainability” guide, which contains practical information on sustainable paper choices, how to calculate the environmental impact of print projects and information on what the various enviromental seals of approval mean.
The booklet also includes information on carbon neutral, Mohawk’s move to 100 percent wind-generated electricity and a listing of the third-party environmental certifications for each paper grade.
To obtain a copy of “Sense and Sustainability,” visit www.mohawkpaper.com.
• Unisource Worldwide has earned FSC Chain-of-Custody certification. The paper company is already certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
• Boise Cascade has earned FSC Chain-of-Custody certification for its mills in International Falls, MN, and Jackson, AL.
• The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) recently announced that a record 53.4 percent of the paper consumed in the United States (53.5 million tons) was recovered for recycling in 2006. This is the second straight year that the paper recovery rate has increased.
Do You Have Green News to Report?
We Want To Hear About it!
Fax to (215) 238-5484 Or e-mail mmichelson@napco.com
