Latest Blueline Printer Sustainability Ranking Published

Where is your paper coming from?

As we watched in wonder, the mother orangutan and her baby swung through the rainforest canopy meters above our heads. Their bright orange fur stood in stark contrast to the lush green of the intact jungle. Hornbills flew overhead, the ‘whoosh’ of their wings momentarily drowning out the chirping cicadas.

Canopy Executive Director Nicole Rycroft and I were deep in the heart of one of Indonesia’s last remaining undisturbed tracts of tropical rainforest, at the National Park research station in Ketambe, North Sumatra. But to get to this Leuser Ecosystem, we first had to pass mile after mile after mile of eucalyptus and palm oil plantations — plantations that are taking the place of the wild forest and obliterating the habitat of a cornucopia of incredible species.

It matters where your paper comes from.

Indonesia’s tropical forests are increasingly falling to eucalyptus plantations — a quick growing species that feeds the country’s massive pulp and paper industry. Tiger and orangutan habitat, elephant and rhinoceros forests are giving way to monoculture plantations.

Sadly, Indonesia is not alone. In Canada’s Boreal forest, caribou herds are barely hanging on as the industry encroaches on stands of intact original forest landscapes.

Russia, Brazil, the Congo — wherever we look around the globe, ancient forests are vanishing.

It doesn’t have to be that way, and increasingly print customers are looking closely at their own sustainability reputation and asking, “where is my paper coming from?” If the answer is orangutan habitat or caribou herd ranges, printers could find their customers migrating to another provider as they look for partners that are compatible with their sustainability targets.

In today’s market, sustainability matters and print customers are increasingly relying on tools like Canopy’s Blueline Ranking to find the printers that will help them meet their CSR goals.

The 2017 updated Blueline Ranking has now been published and our new, easy-to-use format makes the ranking even more customer-friendly.

Thirty-two specific criteria are used to evaluate the sustainability leadership of North American print leaders, including their sourcing policies, fiber preferences, the availability of certified and recycled paper products, CSR reporting and their level of transparency on these important indicators. Given new developments in the realm of sustainability since the 2016 Blueline Ranking was issued, additional criteria focused on forest conservation initiatives and supply chain shifts are assessed in the 2017 analysis.

Highlights from the 2017 Blueline Ranking reveal that:

• Taylor Communications improved its ranking the most, moving from 18^th to third place with strong policy updates and implementation engagement.
• EarthColor and The Printing House continue to lead the ranking with strong policies, rigorous policy implementation, and transparent reporting on progress and successes.
• 45% of the printers understand the value of communicating sustainability successes to their clients and have strong sustainability content on their sites.
• 41% of Blueline printers have policies that support ancient and endangered forest conservation. In just under two years, five of North America’s largest printers have developed new and leading policies, reflecting their clients’ growing requirements for sustainable printing services.

Now in its third year of publication, a growing number of Fortune 500 companies and leading brands have come to rely on the Blueline Ranking as a key resource in choosing their print partners. Print service giant, HH Global is one of them.

“The Blueline Ranking aligns with our own sustainability goals and is a invaluable resource for cross checking our print service providers and monitoring progress," stated Jenny Dela Cruz, director of sustainability for HH Global.

Printers at the top of the ranking are outperforming their peers in areas such as reducing their use of papers that contain ancient and endangered forest fiber, supporting the advancement conservation solutions, backing the development of new environmental papers such as those made with high recycled content or straw, and bringing a high degree of transparency to their sustainability initiatives.

Mark O’Leary, president of Taylor Communications noted “As one of the largest providers of marketing communications in North America, it’s important that our customers — both current and future — recognize our commitment to achieving a sustainable supply chain with a reduced carbon footprint. We are thrilled to move to third place in the 2017 Blueline Ranking.”

As a printer, you can contribute to a future for endangered species and the forests that shelter them. It’s what the world needs, what your customers want and you can contribute to a legacy for future generations. Contact Canopy to learn how you can help. That beautiful mother orangutan needs you to care about sourcing choices and your customers are depending on you to offer the most sustainable paper options available.