Business Management - Sustainability

The newest Patron of the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP) is Ricoh Americas, which joined at the platinum level. SGP certifies printing facilities' sustainability best practices, including and beyond regulatory compliance. Its Patrons help support the organization and keep costs low for applicants.

The first of its kind in the North American market, the Heidelberg CO2 Calculator is an easy-to-use online tool.

Domtar Corp. is praising the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's position that carbon dioxide emissions from sustainably-managed sources of biomass should be considered "neutral" when accounting for greenhouse gas emissions. "Just because a resource is renewable does not automatically make it sustainable, and this memorandum helps make that important point," said David Struhs, Domtar's vice president, corporate communications and sustainability.

Recognized as a leader in sustainability efforts at the American Forest & Paper Association's (AF&PA) annual meeting last week, Domtar Corp. took home two awards. The Innovation in Sustainability Award was given for its BioChoice Lignin; and its Barge Unloading and Conveyor Project received a Leadership in Sustainability Award for Energy Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reductions.

Despite what many people think, harvesting trees for wood and paper production in a sustainable manner does not cause deforestation. The area occupied by forests in Canada has remained stable over the last two decades while in the United States it increased by 3 percent over the last 60 years.

The Blanket Renewal Program from Enviro Image Solutions helps make the printing of newspapers more sustainable by reducing the amount of blankets that end up in landfills. In fact, the program has been such a success at Pacific Press that the renewed blankets last almost six months on press with no compromise to print quality.

Congressman Paul Tonko presented Mohawk Fine Papers with Congressional Recognition for its longstanding environmental achievements, including a 20-year affiliation as a manufacturer of Green Seal-Certified Papers. The company was also recently recognized by Green Seal, which is celebrating its 25-Anniversary.

Most consumers want a paper option for their bills and statements. Like earlier studies carried out in the United States and the United Kingdom, a recent nationwide survey conducted for Two Sides US by the research firm Toluna showed that 64 percent of consumers say they would not choose a company that did not offer a paper bill option and 88 percent want to be able to switch between electronic and paper bills without difficulty or cost.

The latest commercial printer in North America to join the Agfa Graphics environmental recognition program, GreenWorks, is The Salem Printing Co. in Salem, VA, for its use of eco-friendly plates from Agfa Graphics. The program honors customers who demonstrate their commitment to the environment while promoting sustainable technologies, products and practices within the graphic arts industry.

With an extensive history of being an environmental steward, outdoor clothing company Patagonia has chosen to print its latest catalog on 100 percent recycled paper. The catalog was produced by Arandell Corp. on a Roland Enviro 100 Satin sheet made by Cascades.