Sustainable Green Print Certifications

Lukew

Well-known member
SGP certifications seems to be all the rage here at the moment.
There seems to be a great emphasis on the following:
Reducing energy useage
Reducing landfill waste
Recycling
Waste chemisty picked up by licensed contractors.

I have a huge gripe with this SGP certification, from a chemical / ink useage standpoint.
I fail to see how a company can achieve a certification for sustainablility if and when they are useing:
Aromatic / Aliphatic petroleum distillates
Hydrocarbon based products
Toluene / Benzene based produts
Isopropanol alcohol
mineral based inks
Products that contain up to 100% VOC...
etc etc (This is just a very small list of chemicals that firms are useing even though they carry the SGP certification)

It is true that GREENWASHING is a crime and if a firm is found guilty of such an offence they can be prosocuted.

So I say to you this; Are there not certain parts of the SGP certs that look like, smell like and are Greenwashing in its purest form?

This SGP is also about full disclosure, so then when companies are touting there cert levels in their advertising, I'm near positive not one of them would list the type of chemicals they are using if they were to contain any of the above...

I would like some input from firms that have delt with this SGP or even better members that are SGP trainers / implementers..
 
Lukew you have said it perfectly.
I was on the committee that was the prelude to SGP. I brought up all of the issues that you have mentioned. I was removed from the committee because of my views. Officially I was removed because I wasn't a PIA member. They tried to remove some others from the committee using the not a PIA member excuse. It didn't work because they were members.
The politics of these practices run very deep. Organisation funding relies on being politically correct with their sponsors views.
At a South Coast Air Quality Management District meeting a PIA offical said that they must keep a fence around this so it doesn't spread.

Maybe it 's time for more action.


Lukew thank you for bringing this forward.
 
Lukew originally the SGP was going to have different levels of certification to allow for a much larger cross section of the industry to join. It was going to have 3 tiers or levels of green.
You cannot collect a significant amount of dues or fees if you limit the size of your audience. Eventually this was dropped and you have what there is today.
 
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I have emailed PIAA SGP, on numerous ocassions to get an answer regarding chemical useage and sustainablility. Still to this day they have not answered, and I'm begining to think it could be a very very touchy subject and hence I will not recieve a reply.

They currently still have 4 levels here,
Level 1* (Costs & Training Member cost $3,200**. Non member $6,400)
Based on the successful Green Stamp program set up in Western Australia and now modified by Printing Industries as an introductory and certifiable standard, Level 1 is the first stepping stone. It focuses on waste, storage and handling and recycling. It is ideal for the small company starting down the compliance path. SGP Level 1 covers record-keeping, compliance and cleaner production practices and waste management. It includes a simple environmental management system (EMS) that is your pathway to environmental sustainability.

Level 2 (Costs & Training Member cost $5,100**. Non member $10,200)
This level steps up the environmental performance of your business. It introduces additional levels of management and control including the tracking of waste streams and brings in a focus on your energy consumption and carbon footprint. SGP Level 2 provides key performance indicators for printing businesses covering waste, recycling, energy, water, incident management, storage and handling of printing chemicals, energy and air emissions.

Level 3 (Cost & Training Member cost $8,600**. Non member $17,200)
On completion of the SGP Level 3 audit, your company is prepared for ISO 14001 certification (if desired). SGP Level 3 provides you with all the necessary groundwork including documentation and Key Performance Indicators customised to your printing company's conditions. By having print-specific key performance indicators and guidelines, achieving your ISO14001 certification is simplified and your compliance costs are significantly reduced.

Level 4 ( not listed)
There will be a small number of companies wishing to go beyond ISO14001.Level 4 SGP makes this possible. Level 4 has a minimum ISO 14001 entry level (SGP Level 3). Level 4 guides printing businesses in Best Practice processes/procedures. It also requires a demonstration of continuous improvement in those companies. Please contact Printing Industries if you would like to join our pilot program for this level
Level 3 & 4 do suggest for you to reduce chemical useage, but still do not set gudelines on the type of chemicals that can be used


The business I'm working at, is aiming for level 2 at the moment and is due to be ordited soon. Management has kept me away from the Implementor/ Trainer as they know my thoughts and the questions / statements I have.

Greenprinter: I have printed out your WHEN DOES IT PAY OFF and handed it to management, I'm still not sure if the light when on in their head and they understood it..

Chemical & Ink useage plays a very big part into sustainability, There are important questions that need to be answered here and it is time PIA steps up to the plate and offers some no spin answers.

It would be facinating to see a cradle to grave study done on products that contain
Aromatic /Aliphatic hydrocarbon petrolleum distillate products
mineral based inks
nasty products such as toluene, benzene, isopropanol etc.....

PIAA - SGP are charging massive fee's for companies to achieve a certification for sustainable operations, but they are refusing to get to the heart of what will continue to hinder this industry from ever being sustainable without GREENWASHING....

All to often you here through suppliers / fellow printers, that it can't be done; My answer to this is yes it can and has been for the last 20+ years though companies that are striving to be sustainable without the greenwashing.
 
There were 11 eligible SGP applicants on the steering committee that set up SGP less than 50% have joined or registered to join and I do believe only 2 are certified. That tell's me that the others seen through the smokescreen. Could some of the steering committee confirm this.
 
All of the present certifications and procedures do not address any consumables used in your process. They only deal with a paper work trail. In the US if you meet national and local environmental regulations you may request to be certified which would be good in your locale only. The problem is getting certified in one state or county or municipality does not mean that your certification would pass the local regulations in a different venue. You could have national or international certifications according to your certifying body but not meet local regulations in other areas.
South Coast Air Quality Management District has strict rules on VOC's and a large number of toxins. If I would be certified in a different part of the country that does not have the same local regulations as South Coast I would still be certified but not meet any of the regs in South Coast. In some countries there are virtually no regulations on chemical usage yet you can still be certified because you have a paper trail and meet local rules.
What should be done to emcompass all, is find the strictest regulations in the world and have all certifyings bodies and certificate holders meet or exceed the regulations. In this way all certifications use the same playingfield and starting guidelines. Then your certification can be no worse than the stictest rules and regulations.
 
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What should be done to emcompass all, is find the strictest regulations in the world and have all certifyings bodies and certificate holders meet or exceed the regulations. In this way all certifications use the same playingfield and starting guidelines. Then your certification can be no worse than the stictest rules and regulations.

Couldn't agree more,
If they want to get to the real issues, this is the way it should be done, though as you state they're to affraid to cover any of the chemical/ink usage side of things as they are more concerned about making the most $$$ out of members etc...

Come on fellow printers, please voice your opinions on this very important subject



I ask you then do you concider the below senario as GREENWASHING ?

A prospective client gets quotes and narrows it down to two print firms.

Print firm A:
Advertises that they are SGP certified for a sustainable operation
Price is dearer then firm B
Turn around time right

Print firm B:
Price is right
Turn around time is right
(Are not SGP certified, but as any normal print shop does, they recycle / minimize land fill / waste chemical pickup / reduce energy useage. They do not advertise this as its apart of every day life )

Prospective client chooses to use Print firm A as they're lead to beleive it is a sustainable print operation. They later find out that although the company is SGP certified, they still use what ever chemicals they want as SGP doesn't have any set rules governing it.

By law this could very easily be concidered as greenwasging from firm A

(Greenwashing = Implying or making an environmental statment regarding a product or service, that is false or has no merit behind it)
 
Same thoughts as I always held on FSC. "Buy" your label and then who cares what you really do inside the plant. Certifications have always been about the $$$. Many consumers who want to be friendly to the environment do not research past that label (nor should they really need to investigate our honesty...).

I'll leave it at that. No need to get the blood pressure up this early and ruin my fair trade coffee :D
 
What Lukew has done is quite possibly presented the perfect catch 22.

He has brought forth up an extremely very major concern and the voices of the industry seem to bury their heads in disbelieve.
 
Good afternoon, I feel compelled to point out that this thread appears to be mixing two programs -- one is the program in Austrialia -- which does have levels and really seeks to help certify to the ISO 14001 standard -- the international standard for EMS development. I would have to double check, but I dont think the ISO standard even discusses the types of materials used, but provides a facility with the means to integrate environmental issues into their overall operations.

Regarding the SGP program in the states -- I am not sure how many of the original printers are certified, but I do know that the program has hit 29 facilities -- it is a rigourous program, and does include elements of responsible sourcing and management.

I would be interested in continuing this dialogue....
 
Good afternoon, I feel compelled to point out that this thread appears to be mixing two programs -- one is the program in Austrialia -- which does have levels and really seeks to help certify to the ISO 14001 standard....

No confusion this end, as previous post show, Greenprinter has listed that America only has one level of SGP certification and I have listed a breif outline of the four SGP certification levels offered in Australia.

The question that may never be answered is, why throughout the SGP certifications either in Australia or America has the full gamute of print manufacturing not been addressed ?

I have listed only a very small amount of chemicals that are still allowed to be used even though one is SGP certified. I find it very hard to grasp that SUSTAINABLE "GREEN" and these type of chemicals can go hand in hand.


Printing industries has set very clear guidelines and steps that need to be implemented, but from what I can see when it comes to the chemistry and ink useage the guidelines are very relaxed.

PIAA have failed to reply to my email, and list the set chemical /ink guidelines they are enforcing per each level of certification.

I take the lack of response means they have not set out guidelines.
IPA % What is the maximum % allowed to be used in fountain solutions ?
Roller & Blanket washes - What is the maximum VOC g/l level allowed ?
List of chemicals that are not allowed to be used ?

From what I have read from the SGP folders, they have not set any level restrictions or put together a list of chemicals that are not to be used if one is certified.
 
Marci K;160387 Regarding the SGP program in the states -- I am not sure how many of the original printers are certified said:
Responsible sourcing and management ????
You can use just about any chemical you want as long as you have permits and proper paper work.
 
Sustained Certifications/ Renato

Sustained Certifications/ Renato

Pretty good your points and very deep... I agree...

I live in Brazil(São Paulo) and in printing Industry, I´m quite sure there´s none yet completely certificated , only paper(FSC).


I got to know some serious guys in Miami- Certified Green partners, having Mr. Gus Casamayor, as the encharged man at the institution. They got take even fountain solution and IPA out of their printing process achieving a brand new technology from Japan, named LB-801It´s quite amazing this tecnology enabling printing without toxic chemicals, only plain water.
perhaps you guys want take a look at Certified Green Partners - Home
They already had FSC, for paper, and certificated inks. After the installation of this system they got the certification.
In my opinion, and I think most of those in this group, certificating a factory still using IPA and fountain solution, can not be a serious certification!







I have emailed PIAA SGP, on numerous ocassions to get an answer regarding chemical useage and sustainablility. Still to this day they have not answered, and I'm begining to think it could be a very very touchy subject and hence I will not recieve a reply.

They currently still have 4 levels here,
Level 1* (Costs & Training Member cost $3,200**. Non member $6,400)
Based on the successful Green Stamp program set up in Western Australia and now modified by Printing Industries as an introductory and certifiable standard, Level 1 is the first stepping stone. It focuses on waste, storage and handling and recycling. It is ideal for the small company starting down the compliance path. SGP Level 1 covers record-keeping, compliance and cleaner production practices and waste management. It includes a simple environmental management system (EMS) that is your pathway to environmental sustainability.

Level 2 (Costs & Training Member cost $5,100**. Non member $10,200)
This level steps up the environmental performance of your business. It introduces additional levels of management and control including the tracking of waste streams and brings in a focus on your energy consumption and carbon footprint. SGP Level 2 provides key performance indicators for printing businesses covering waste, recycling, energy, water, incident management, storage and handling of printing chemicals, energy and air emissions.

Level 3 (Cost & Training Member cost $8,600**. Non member $17,200)
On completion of the SGP Level 3 audit, your company is prepared for ISO 14001 certification (if desired). SGP Level 3 provides you with all the necessary groundwork including documentation and Key Performance Indicators customised to your printing company's conditions. By having print-specific key performance indicators and guidelines, achieving your ISO14001 certification is simplified and your compliance costs are significantly reduced.

Level 4 ( not listed)
There will be a small number of companies wishing to go beyond ISO14001.Level 4 SGP makes this possible. Level 4 has a minimum ISO 14001 entry level (SGP Level 3). Level 4 guides printing businesses in Best Practice processes/procedures. It also requires a demonstration of continuous improvement in those companies. Please contact Printing Industries if you would like to join our pilot program for this level
Level 3 & 4 do suggest for you to reduce chemical useage, but still do not set gudelines on the type of chemicals that can be used


The business I'm working at, is aiming for level 2 at the moment and is due to be ordited soon. Management has kept me away from the Implementor/ Trainer as they know my thoughts and the questions / statements I have.

Greenprinter: I have printed out your WHEN DOES IT PAY OFF and handed it to management, I'm still not sure if the light when on in their head and they understood it..

Chemical & Ink useage plays a very big part into sustainability, There are important questions that need to be answered here and it is time PIA steps up to the plate and offers some no spin answers.

It would be facinating to see a cradle to grave study done on products that contain
Aromatic /Aliphatic hydrocarbon petrolleum distillate products
mineral based inks
nasty products such as toluene, benzene, isopropanol etc.....

PIAA - SGP are charging massive fee's for companies to achieve a certification for sustainable operations, but they are refusing to get to the heart of what will continue to hinder this industry from ever being sustainable without GREENWASHING....

All to often you here through suppliers / fellow printers, that it can't be done; My answer to this is yes it can and has been for the last 20+ years though companies that are striving to be sustainable without the greenwashing.
 
Thanks for the like RenatoAnisio , I will check that out in more depth when I have time. The zero fountain solution, just water looks interesting, but not sure how practical it would be.

We are now level 2 SGP certified and aiming towards level 3.

What a joke!

There has been zero focus on the type of chemicals used, just a focus that we have the relevant MSDS for all chemicals.

I have chosen by choice to use the safest chemicals that "work" that are available at this stage in Australia. Still a fair margin away from the products available in the USA, but a move in the right direction non the less.

The other printers, still use super fast evaporating blanket washes, and other high VOC products.
One of the presses was running at 15% IPA, due to roller issues, to get work done during the audit process . The factory stunk, but still no questions were asked.

I still believe the SGP certified process & the use of it's logo is green washing
 
More informations

More informations

Hi Lukew, thanks for your reply

You´re relly well informed regarding sustainable issues.
If you wanna know a little more regarding this technology.
I´m representative for the equipment in Brazil. My intention is not
sell to you or any other else, my actuation area is really too far from you...:D
I tried atttach some informations, tell me if you go it.
Anyway I have Two installations in Brazil running on a web off-set in one of the biggest plants in brazil. Running pretty well. You get to see the results! FAntastic! Water pans pretty clean!!

Bye, and Regards!

Renato.
 
No links have come through, but alas I'm just a simple printer so have no say over management of equipment or major changes.

I have seen the couple of short video's regards this system but I have my reservations.
1) "Claiming that using this system means there will be zero petroleum chemicals used on the press."

This would mean that you also offer or have teamed up with another company (ie: Genesis/Habitat or other supplier) to offer the full gamut of press chemicals that contain zero petrochemicals.
"Blanket & roller care products - Plate care products - system cleaners & general cleaners"

2) Plate life - All fountain solutions have a range of chemicals in them to help preserve & protect the plate (Using just water how is the plate protected ?)

3) Blanket release - All fountain solutions are made to help with blanket release, some work better then others. Is the blanket release raised or decreased with just the use of water ?

4) Ok the molecular structure of the water is changed so that it reacts & spreads on the plate similar to the use of fountain solution & IPA. But do special inks need to be used ?
Currently there are 2 types of fountain solutions ( solvent based " ethylene glycols etc" / non- solvent based "surfactants etc" )
The non solvent based fountain solutions do not run with normal inks and will not clean the plate effectively if standard inks are used.

I'm intrigued to know how well does straight water clean up an ink stained plate ?
 
Some interesting points here.

In the UK most printers advertise their FSC paper certification and that they use vegetable based inks; thinking that is enough to entitle them to Environmentally Friendly status.
In the meantime they are making their way through huge quantities of IPA and high VOC washes etc.

We have been introducing products to minimise this by use of;
1) IPA free printing
2) Aromatic free washes
3) Solvent free blankets

Unfortunately, if there is no certification available that takes this into account, then the majority of printers have no real incentive, apart from common sense.
 
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