Print Solutions December 2006
FEATURE ARTICLE
Appealing to Clients With a “Greener” State of Mind
Some print buyers seek printers that are environmentally friendly
By LaShell Stratton
Aveda, an all-natural cosmetics maker, requires printers to be environmentally friendly.
Some customers are concerned about more than just the price, quality or
turnaround of their print jobs. They also want to know whether the jobs will be
done in an environmentally responsible way. Many of these customers are
non-profit, environmental groups, but state organizations and large
corporations may also ask print providers if they use recycled paper, limit
volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions during the production process, and
are generally
“clean and green” with their business practices.
Aveda, a member of Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and maker of plant-based hair care, skincare, body care,
perfume and makeup products, requires manufacturers to print on uncoated
recycled paper with soy-based inks. All six of the company
’s printers are concentrated near the cosmetic maker’s plant in Minneapolis.
“It’s not as easy as you would think to print on uncoated, recycled paper,” says Kathleen Sletten, senior print buyer for Aveda. “There’s a big learning curve. It’s easy to print beautiful work on coated, glossy paper. Just try doing the same
thing on recycled. But that
’s what we require of our printers. We want superior work.”
Aveda also requires all of its manufacturers to be able to print direct-to-plate
to eliminate the use of harmful chemicals employed in the processing of film
negatives. The manufacturers must also be willing to do repeated tests with new
paper stock that Aveda deems more environmentally friendly.
“We expect them to tell us about new ways of printing that are better for the
environment,” Sletten says. “We want people who believe in our mission and are willing to support it.”
The work can be challenging but plentiful for eco-friendly printers. Mike Morin,
co-owner of Environmental Printing Alternatives, Milbury, Mass., says the
manufacturer
’s client list includes not only the Massachusetts Audubon Society but also Clark
University and several banks in the Boston area.
“Some of them ask questions about what we do to be environmentally responsible,
but others just care about the cost,” Morin says.
For those clients that do ask, Morin explains that the Environmental Printing
Alternatives manufacturing plant uses only recycled paper and soy-based inks to
produce its customers
’ 1-color to 4-color brochures, stationery, carbonless forms, booklets, product
data sheets and newsletters. In addition, the plant minimizes waste by not
using a laundered rag service to clean its industrial wipers.
“We use recycled cotton rags that we send to licensed cement kilns that use it as
fuel and then use the leftover ashes in their cement mixtures,” he says.
|
Questions an Environmentally Conscious Customer May Ask:
1) Is your printer in compliance with environmental health and safety
regulations?
2) What is your printer doing to reduce air emissions (including VOCs), chemical
use, energy use and solid and hazardous wastes?
3) Has your printer taken steps to reduce the alcohol content and/or VOC level
of fountain solutions?
4) Has the printer initiated an ink management program to reduce ink wastes?
|
Some companies have gone so far as to seek independent certification to let
customers know they are environmentally responsible. Several printers in
Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin are members of the Great Printers
Project, a national partnership created in 1993 between the Council of Great
Lakes Governors, the Printing Industries of America and the Environmental
Defense Fund. The Printing Industry of Minnesota Inc. keeps a list of Great
Printer Environmental Initiative participating companies on its web site.
“The printers used to say that, ‘We comply with OSHA law,’ and you had to take their word for it,” says Paul Gutkowski, director of Safety and Environmental Services at Print
Industry of Minnesota (PIM). But under the PIM Great Printer Environmental
Initiative, a company must sign and return a copy of a registration and
employer commitment form and complete an environmental, health and safety
compliance audit annually or once every 36 months if they have a written and
effective environmental management system in place. In addition, they must
complete projects that not only help the environment but also encourage better
safety and health for their employees.
“So they can win twofold,” Gutkowski says.
“I wonder why the companies participate in the Great Printer Project because it’s more time and money on their part,” he admits. “But some of the printers have told me that they do it because it’s just the right thing to do. Others are doing it because their customers are
requiring them to be Great Printers.”
Aveda is one of those customers. “All our printers are members of Great Printers of Minnesota,” says Sletten. “In fact, the printer who handles our packaging is completely wind powered.”
LaShell Stratton is assistant editor at Print Solutions magazine. Email comments
to lstratton@PSDA.org.
