GREEN scene
Minnesota’s SFI Builds Habitat for Humanity Home
COOK, MN—What started out in January as a well-managed tree farm owned by Minnesota Senator Tom Bakk will be a Habitat for Humanity home in Hibbing, MN, this spring. The home is being built as a unique effort by the Minnesota Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Implementation Committee, which teamed up with the local Habitat for Humanity using SFI-certified materials from Minnesota forest products companies. Industry firms, which contributed materials and/or cash donations, included Boise, Forest Capital Partners, NewPage Corp., Sappi Fine Paper North America, UPM (Blandin Paper Mill) and Verso Paper (Sartell Mill).
“SFI is proud to be a partner in this project and support the work of the Minnesota SFI Implementation Committee,” says Kathy Abusow, SFI president and CEO. “This is another example of how our 37 implementation committees across North America are making real, positive differences, not just at the forest management level, but also at the community level.”
As part of the renewable nature of the project, the harvested land will be replanted this spring, using seedlings donated by the University of Minnesota.
Pictured above is Minnesota Senator and tree farm owner Tom Bakk addressing the media during the tree harvesting.
‘Greener Than We Think’
The Graphic Arts Association (GAA) has selected the winners of its 2008 Neographics printing competition, “The Power of Print,” including one that is a special Environmental Stewardship Award, which showcases the “greenest” project.
Winners will be honored at a ceremony on May 1 in Philadelphia.
“This year’s theme, ‘Greener Than We Think,’ focuses on the positive measures that are already in place and have been practiced within the graphic arts industry for years,” notes Margaret Baumhauer, GAA president. “We are encouraged to review our environmental footprint, obtain green certifications, purchase green power, reduce harmful gases (VOCs) that are emitted during printing, purchase sustainable paper, obtain carbon neutrality and reformulate printing processes.”
For more info on the Neographics printing competition, visit www.gaa1900.com .
INDUSTRY NEWS
PIA/GATF presented Robert Birkland, president of Cirrus Consulting Group, Dallas, PA, with its 2007 William D. Schaeffer Environmental Award at the organization’s National Environmental Health and Safety Conference held March 11 in Indianapolis.
Birkland’s printing career as an engineer spans more than 25 years, including stints at Arcata Graphics and US Label, where he helped oversee numerous environmental initiatives.
Activists with the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) orchestrated a National Day of Action on January 20 to demand that OfficeMax honor its 2007 commitment to stop purchasing paper made from wood pulp from Canada’s Whiskey Jack Forest, where trees are harvested by clear-cut logging.
Hundreds of activists demonstrated at OfficeMax stores in San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Atlanta and other cities across the country.
PRINTER NEWS
David Padgett of Dallas-based Padgett Printing has been promoted to the position of Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) compliance director. He formerly served as the company’s director of strategic planning.
Quebecor World has obtained Chain-of-Custody certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). The certifications were awarded to all 54 of the printer’s U.S. and Canadian printing locations.
Annapolis, MD-based Frank Gumpert Printing has been FSC and SFI Chain-of-Custody certified.
Academy Graphic Communication (AGC), Cleveland, has earned FSC and SFI Chain-of-Custody certification.
Rockville, MD-based EU Services has received dual Chain-of-Custody certification from the FSC and SFI.
Kelmscott Press of Aurora, IL, is now FSC Chain-of-Custody certified.
SUPLIER NEWS
Several “green” announcements have been made by Sappi Fine Paper North America, including recent triple Chain-of-Custody certification from the SFI, FSC and PEFC for its mills in Skowhegan, ME; Muskegon, MI; and Cloquet, MN. Sappi has also reported that more than 78 percent of the power generated and consumed from its mills is from renewable resources such as hydro power and the burning of biomass. Additionally, Sappi has reduced water usage by 18 percent per ton of product and has reduced total energy usage by more than 22 percent per ton of product across all of its North American manufacturing sites in the past five years.
EPA Green Power Partner Pace Industries, of Reedsburg, WI, reports that it is starting 2008 with its third increase in renewable energy purchases. The extrusion manufacturer of high impact polystyrene and related products was awarded a WPPI grant for an improved air compressor system. The new compressor reduced the company’s power usage by the equivalent of 311 tons of CO2 emissions—which equates to the energy used by 200 homes annually.
Gans Ink & Supply has produced a 10-minute video titled “10 Steps to a More Eco-Friendly Pressroom,” which provides practical strategies for printers that want to appeal to an increasingly more environmentally sensitive buying public. It can be viewed at www.gansink.com . To obtain a high-resolution copy of the video, contact Gans at techsupport@gans- ink.com. PI
