m-Bossed

Two Cheers for Two Sides

They gave us fish & chips, football riots, and the Queen. Now they give us Two Sides, an initiative to promote environmentally responsible production and use of print and paper. Although geared more toward the European print and paper industries, the site provides a collection of case studies that highlight print as an ecologically sound medium. Great information can be found for printers to use in their promotional efforts on sustainability and eco-friendly print efforts. Pay the site a visit, especially the Myths & Facts section and the case studies below.

Selected Case Studies

1. Examining the sustainability of the Printing sector. A report by the Print City Alliance. link
   
2. Screening environmental life cycle assessment of printed, web based and tablet e-paper newspaper link

photo by: echiner1

Ecoprint: Have you found a new paper?

The publishing world, not associated with fast paced change, has been abuzz this past year over e-books and their readers. The true push of e-books came with the introduction by Jeff Bezos of Amazon's Kindle but the market is now seeing true competition, most notably from Barnes and Noble's Nook which has already sold out the allotment for this holiday season. Although publishers are now courting the e-book market, the lion's
share of profits still come from traditional book publishing methods -
ink on paper.

E-book readers offer many attractive features over conventional books from portability to connectivity, but most of us would still rather curl up with the tactile richness of a book over a screen. At least one publisher, Melcher Media, has not completely abandoned the thought of advancing the format of a traditional book. They have created a book using synthetic paper, specially formulated glue, and a proprietary binding technique, marketed as DURABOOKS.

Unlike both traditional and e-book platforms, the DURABOOK can go where the others cannot - specifically around water. The book is completely water proof and durable since the paper is really a plastic resin with a coating applied for printability and the glue is also waterproof. Due to the unique fact that the book is plastic, and reinforced with a special binding technique, the book is pretty indestructible as well. If any of these books do become out of fashion or fail to find a buying market, the non-toxic "paper" can be melted down for reuse in other products or books. So far the application has been limited to only six books, with the bulk of the success coming from the landmark eco design book Cradle to Cradle.

Most eco-conscious printing has thus far centered around certified papers, soy inks, and a reduction of solvents in the printing process. These books use greener methods than traditional book publishing but still adhere to the "less bad" approach of design. All paper choices carry an environmental price tag and soy based inks contain "halogenated hydrocarbons or other toxins" that increase in potency when made water soluble according to the authors. The DURABOOK up ends this traditional model by attacking the very idea of what is a book and does it need paper to be effective.

For printers interested in experimenting and finding a market for this new "paper", sheets can be purchased online from Yupo. Maybe I should get a water-proof business card!

Endnote: The plastic material used in the DURABOOK is polypropylene according to an article found on the McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC (MBDC) website, the Cradle to Cradle certification company. The book, however, does not have a #5 recycling symbol anywhere on the cover.

Related Info: This book is not a tree. Rinkevich, Joseph

How to save money with office printing the zany Dutch way.

My cover letter just got shot by a Tommy Gun! SPRANQ, a creative communications agency, remixed the classic Verdana font type with embedded, slightly rounded circles to reduce the amount of coverage and ink in your average business letter. The green hype for this type may be little more than a marketing tactic for this media company. First, visual aesthetics of the shot up font could be a detractor for many because of readability. For best results, SPRANQ recommends limiting the font size to 9 or 10 points. This keeps the holes to ink at the optimal blend - not too small or too large, but just right. Second, the cost savings from using up to 20% less ink may be hard to acheive since the font has to be manually installed and selected in the application.

If I wanted Swiss type, I would use Helvetica. - Frank Romano, National Geographic, August 2009

Frank Romano points out the gimmicky nature of the font and also to a potential problem with printing the Ecofont on inexpensive inkjet printers. If you want to give the font a try, it is available for a free download.

A Greenhorn of Regulatory Compliance

Three weeks after my move from the main office, I was the target of an unannounced environmental inspection by the state agency. Prior to my move, I had focused solely on CIM workflow integration - software. Now, being in a smaller regional office, I was also responsible for answering the inspectors questions about the waste streams from the business in an office that I barely knew. This state, although not California, is known for much more environmental regulation (laws) and stricter enforcement (fines $) than the one I had just left.

My view on the environment is selfish, but the result is still altruistic. In other words, I want to live in a healthy community so I do my part to keep it that way. In return, I expect and hope that other businesses and individuals in the community are also responsible with their choices. I try to be the best possible steward of resources. However, when hazardous waste is a necessary and inevitable by-product of the process, I want the waste disposal to have the least possible impact to the environment. My personal mantra, however, does not guarantee a clean bill of health from the state environmental inspector.

I nervously answered the inspectors questions to the best of my ability, as she asked about the hazardous chemistry for the CtP machine and its disposal. The inspector continued to ask questions about MSDS sheets, inspection logs, chain of custody, and personal safety. The visit lasted only an hour but the uncertainty about the outcome lingered for a few weeks until the follow-up report was released.

The letter arrived and confirmed that we are within environmental compliance. Since this time, a new recycling initiative has been put in place to reclaim more plastic (PETE #1) in our production waste stream. Going forward, I hope that more environmentally sound initiatives can be started, after all, it is about choice and responsibility - not compliance.

green printing, sustainability, EPA

Green Print Certifications come in more flavors than Baskin Robbins!

The printing market is awash in green print initiatives at all levels. Certification allows printers to clearly state and market their position on ecological sustainability - reduce, reuse, and recycle. According to an ECO Print Survey by Marketplace Insights, the reasons to pursue the various green certifications are a bit surprising.

1. The Brand's Image
2. My Belief System
3. Consumer Demand
4. My Boss or Client
5. Marketing Efforts
6. Competition
7. Retailer Requirement
8. Profit Margins

The top two choices for the greening of a print shop relate to integrity for the brand and personal integrity of the decision makers. Both personally and professionally, printers are feeling the external pressures to bolster their perception of "doing the right thing" as it relates to the environment. In the pursuit of trying to do the right thing, many printers have found that the path is not as well paved (with recycled tires of course) as originally thought.

One of the first questions in the pursuit of green print is simply, "How can my company become more environmentally sustainable?" The most obvious choice, because it is the biggest waste stream for any printer, is paper. Coincidentally, this is the area of focus for the most recognizable green certifications such as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and the Rainforest Alliance. Luckily for most print shops the certification process for paper handled by the paper suppliers.  For printers, it is as simple as calling your paper supplier and requesting certified paper. The recycling, like the sourcing, of paper is fairly easy as there are many local companies that offer the service. A lot of local municipalities mandate paper recycling, so many print shops have had this service in place for quite some time.

Although most of the work has already been done for the paper waste stream, the responsibility of the other waste streams largely falls on the printer. Most certification programs, like the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), require a minimum level of chain-of-custody for all quantifiable resources that go into making the finished print products. Minimally these resources include energy consumption, water usage, solid waste production, hazardous waste, air emissions, and liquid/chemical waste.

• Where are the materials sourced?
• How are the materials sourced?
• How can I measure each waste stream?
• How much am I consuming during a month of production?
• How much reduction could be gained through education, equipment purchases, etc?
• What contaminants are involved? Plate/press chemistry?
• How do I currently dispose of solid and hazardous waste? Any possibility for reduction or reuse?
• Where are my opportunities to reduce inputs while keeping the same production?

After the basics are covered and any certification process is started, it is also critical to not overly state any green initiatives or fall into the "greenwashing" trap. Greenwashing is the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.

Greenwashing is the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practicies of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.

According to terrachoice, an environmental marketing company, there are seven sins of greenwashing that are common in the marketplace of green goods and services.

Sin of Fibbing - Claims that are simply false, such as claiming a paper is FSC certified when it is not.
Sin of Lesser of Two Evils - Claims that may be true in one product, but distract the consumer from the risk of the larger product segment or group. This argument about chemistry free plates is posed in a blog post by Derek Awalt of Kodak here.
Sin of Irrelevance - A claim that may be truthful but is confusing for the consumer, such as 'CFC-free' which has been banned by law since 1996.
Sin of Worshiping False Labels - The impression or use of an endorsement that does not exist by either using a certification's logo illegally or using fictitious labels.
Sin of Vagueness - A claim that is broad or poorly defined such as 'All natural'.
Sin of No Proof - A claim that cannot be supported by easily accessible proof or reliable 3rd party certification. Printers who market being green but cannot substantiate any claims would run the risk of committing this sin.
Sin of the Hidden Trade-off - Stating a product or service is green based upon a narrow set of attributes - 'putting the blinders' on the consumer. An example could be paper that is harvested from sustainable tree farms but is then bleached using elemental chlorine.

There are many points to consider before undertaking any green initaitves but education is the first. It is imperative to learn about all of the aspects of becoming, supporting, and marketing print services as a green alternative prior to posting a few logos on a website. Choosing the right green ceritifcation is also a difficult choice as any require significant budgets and time, so the perceived return on value must be evaluated. No matter what the initial reason(s), the decision to become more environmentally responsible can be a good decision.

My E-mail Taboo?

In an open letter to the industry published on WhatTheyThink.com, Charlie Corr wrote of the industry's total lack of effective marketing on the green aspects inherent in the printing process - particularly paper. Here is an alternative perspective.

Paper Facts

Paper is indeed made from cellulose fiber that can be sourced from many different plant species including trees. Almost all virgin paper is manufactured by virgin trees found in monoculture farms to old growth forests. The Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC) endorsement of monoculture tree farms are under scrutiny by certain watch groups like the Global Forest Coalition who oppose the practice. Depletion of the water table, loss of biodiversity, destruction of natural habitat, pollution from agro-chemicals, and degradation of the soil due to a single tree species, are just a few of the findings of the coalition's field study at a tree farm in South Africa. These examples just illustrate the biological impacts of the practice but economic and cultural impacts also exist from labor safety to the exploitation of fringe workforces.

Beyond the original sourcing of the raw materials used in paper manufacturing, there are also significant amounts of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCS), incudling dioxins, released in the process. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, paper mills release 66% of their total Toxic Release Inventory into the air. Anyone who has driven within miles of a paper mill can attest to the foul smell of rotten eggs given off by sulfuric acid.

According to Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data from SIC codes 261-263, the pulp and paper industry released (to the air, water, or land) and transferred (shipped off-site) a total of approximately 263 million pounds of toxic chemicals during calendar year 2000. - EPA

As of 2006, the paper industry actually has the 5th highest TRI of all industry segments. Only metal mining, electric utilities, chemicals, and primary metals, industries have higher toxic footprints.

Since paper is the largest single source of material within printing, a responsible print industry should be applying upward pressure on all of their suppliers. Paper that is sustainably sourced from mixed growth forests, manufactured with the least amount chemicals, and documented with chain of custody procedure, would be a great starting point.

Paper is Biodegradable

Maybe. A more accurate statement would be that cellulose fiber is biodegradable. Most consumer paper products, from copier paper to wrapping paper to grocery bags, have additional processes and chemicals treatments applied during manufacturing. First, the kraft pulp has to go through a complex, multi stage bleaching process that almost always includes the chemical chlorine. Today most paper manufacturers do not use elemental chlorine because of the severe environmental impact caused to the water stream, the industry has still been slow to adopt a Total Chlorine Free (TCF) process according to research done by Austrailian Commonweath Scientific Research Organization (CSIRO).

TCF bleaching technology developed by European and American companies is used in Sweden, Finland and the US. Only 5 – 6% of the kraft pulp produced in the world is produced by TCF processes and the majority of that pulp is sold and used in Germany. By contrast, around 75% of the bleached kraft pulp produced worldwide is produced by ECF processes and is used to make the highest quality white printing and writing papers. The remaining 19 - 20% of bleached kraft pulp is made by older bleaching processes that use elemental chlorine. - CSIRO

In 2007, 32% percent of the solid waste stream (everything sent for garbage collection) in the U.S. was paper and paper products. We, as a nation, crank out 83 million tons of wasted paper and paper products in a year! Even with current recycling rates as a whole estimated at 54.5%, this still leaves 45 million tons of paper going into our landfills (EPA's Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2007). The demposing of paper along with the other discarded items in our solid waste stream produce one of the most damaging greenhouse gases - methane. Although most of the global warming media reports have centered on carbon dioxide as the most threatening of the greenhouse gases, methane actually packs more of a punch albeit for a shorter period of time. Understanding that landfills are the greatest anthropogenic (human-related) source of Methane, the EPA started an initiative to siphon off the methane releases for use as energy in industrial applications through the Landfill Methane Outreach Program. Companies from SC Johnson to BWM have found significant cost savings by utilizing methane as an energy source. Although significant progress has been made by the LFOP program, the EPA estimates that over 520 additional small scale landfills within the US can also cut methane emissions by converting the gas into an energy source.

Paper is Recyclable

It is true that paper and paperboard recycling rates have risen over the past few years to 54.5%. This still indicates that 45.5% of all paper content is not recycled - not a smashing success. The industry should take a more organized and marketed approach for recycling of all paper across all operational apsects of the print shop. Too often it is easier to start with the most obvious waste producer, the press, for paper recycling and then stop. Examine all paper waste streams including typical interoffice printing. Utilize technology, like remote color accurate soft proofing, to completely eliminate a waste stream. As typical with conservation and waste reduction, such actions often carry a financial incentive that applies to the bottom line.

Paper is Critical to the Economy

The forest products and printing industries are large cogs in the wheel of the economy. Upon further examination, however, the print industries significance to the larger economy has been in steady decline recently. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the value that printing adds to the total GDP has dropped by around 14% over the last nine years. Other factors are also transforming the general print landscape both within the industry and outside the industry. Technology represents the most disruptive external catalyst by changing the way once printed material is distributed.

Paper is Efficient

Currently there is no other medium as efficient as the printed sheet. Every printed piece, however, should have intrinsic added value for the intended audience. Does anyone really need another Chinese restuarant menu stuck in their mailbox? It should be the printer's moral and social obligation to guide their clients toward the best medium to reach the maximum audience with the best possible results. Print is not always the solution no matter how efficient the industry perceives it to be.

There is really no downside to suggesting that someone should print
only what they need, even if it means printing less. Sooner or later
they will figure it out for themselves. - Alen Rokolj, V.P. of Green Printer

A Call to Action = Personal Action

I work for a print manufacturer. I have chosen to include the tagline "Paper - The Original Recyclable. Please print responsibly!" in the signature of every e-mail. Why is this not contrary to the industry and my employer? It is a simple reminder that we all should be cognisant of our actions because every action has a reaction. As an industry and society, we must begin to evaluate what adds value through being produced versus what just ends up in our waste bins.