What do YOU do?

Cory Smith

Well-known member
A recent post at [PrintCEOblog|http://printceoblog.com/2007/09/environment-sustainability] has had me thinking this week about what I do at our shop to reduce our footprint. To be honest, not much. We recycle like most other shops but even that we don't take full advantage of. I still see a lot of paper going into the trash.

What resources are out there to help a small shop reduce their overall impact? I think the key with a small shop like ours it to start small and slowly add things into your day to day procedures.

I came across this [checklist at pneac.org|http://www.pneac.org/sheets/all/checklist.cfm] It's over 10 years old but most of it still applies to us.

So, what do YOU do to help reduce the impact your company has on the environment?
 
Re: What do YOU do?

We're looking into becoming FSC CoC (Chain of Custody) certified as a result of client demand, is that the route you undertook? Ive only briefly looked at the paperwork, and found it a bit confusing.
 
Re: What do YOU do?

yes, pretty much, and definately client driven like ISO really.
Biggest deal for prepress is getting the logo and approval, really affects turnaround... like add DAYS. And you can't just keep logos on hand apparently, so there we are.
 
Re: What do YOU do?

My company is Green Crazy right now, attempting at FSC CoC (Chain of Custody) certification.

Its a little bit rediculous actually. My office window looks out onto the press floor, within 20 feet I can see are approximately 15 bins of variety for recycling.
Theres a different one for everything, paper, corrugated, reg ink, metal ink, soy ink, unprinted paper, glass, plastic, alumnium, misc trash.

There is a sign posted every 15 feet on the walls, on each bin, over each bin, on the back of every bathroom door, including stall doors, and a massive vinyl banner hanging over one of the longest shop walls.

Signs in every room telling you to turn off the lights if you arent in the room, all computer equipment to be turned off at night, airconditioners up to 85, print both sides of junk faxes or copier missprints, or padding sheets of fax paper into homemade postit notes.

One thing I was suprised at was to find out about "hidden usage" from our consultant. Open ended devices that run "hot" even when not in use, just from being plugged in.

Such as powerstrips, cell phone chargers, ipod docks, laptop docks and chargers. Vaccuum frames. Plate processers.

I think its great in Idea, but everyday the 6 bins in the lunchroom are full of food and trash as if nobody but management gives a bleep about being "Green:.
 
Re: What do YOU do?

quote: One thing I was suprised at was to find out about "hidden usage" from
our consultant. Open ended devices that run "hot" even when not in use,
just from being plugged in.

Funny, I thought my grandma was nuts 30 years ago when she professed this! Go figure, she was right.
 
Re: What do YOU do?

> {quote:title=Miztrezzz wrote:}{quote}
> Signs in every room telling you to turn off the lights if you arent in the room, all computer equipment to be turned off at night, airconditioners up to 85, print both sides of junk faxes or copier missprints, or padding sheets of fax paper into homemade postit notes. :.

I'm always a bit suspicious when I hear consultants advise people to turn off computer equipment at night, given that [rebooting is one of the most energy-hungry processes a PC performs|http://www.techreviewer.com/viewpage.cfm/pi/29] . Turning off monitors nightly is a step in the right direction, though, and turning off peripherals makes sense.

I like the ideas behind being "green" a lot, and try to be conscious of how I operate, but I think some of its advocates can't see the forest for the trees (npi). Printing on both sides of junk faxes and copier misprints may save paper, but re-using paper this way can cause other problems (paper jams making repairs necessary, buying higher-moisture/coated papers to avoid the jams, et al.) It's like the debate about paper plates - if you use them, you're consuming paper, but if you use traditional tableware and wash them, you're using water...which is more eco-friendly in the long run?

I'm definitely going to start recycling used paper into notepads, though!
-
Jack
 
Re: What do YOU do?

I have not bought one yet, but a customer of mine makes pellet machines. used to make pellets out of any thing. In our case paper. then buy a pellet burning stove. almost free heat.
 
Re: What do YOU do?

ISO 14001, FSC, SFI and EPA Green Power Certified
Zoned and controlled high-efficiency heating and cooling system
Electricity from 100% wind generated sources
Recycle about 12 million lbs. of paper annually and about 20 tons of aluminum
Use only earth-friendly soy and other inks
UV inks eliminate VOCs into our environment
All presses are equipped with ink monitoring devices to reduce waste by 30%
50% of ink is recycled; 50% converted into energy efficient fuels
Solvents incinerated to destroy 95% of VOCs
Inks are blended in-house to minimize waste
Central location and careful logistical planning reduces carbon footprint
Monitor drainage systems to protect groundwater from solvents and other pollutants
Constantly seeking new ways to be greener



**that's what is in our Green Book.**
 
FSC certification - going green

FSC certification - going green

I am just starting to research and develop the FSC Chain of Custody for my company. Anyone have any tips or information? Would like to see a sample from another printer to use as a guideline if anyone is willing to share.

Edited by: Elaine Neiss on May 19, 2008 11:43 AM
 
Re: FSC certification - going green

Re: FSC certification - going green

Thanks for the information. Explored that site yesterday and found it quite helpful.
 
Re: What do YOU do?

I'm just starting the FSC Chain of Custody certification and found it confusing as well. How's it going for you now?
 
Re: What do YOU do?

We're going the FSC route, also. The devil seems to be in the
details, and in producing the right sized check to become certified.
 
Re: What do YOU do?

I'm at the beginning stages of writing the material. What kind of system does your print shop do as far as labeling stock and keeping it separate from non FSC papers? Space is always an issue and haven't figured out yet what will work best.
 
Re: What do YOU do?

We are devoting a very small space initially for the storage of
FSC stocks. We only have a few clients interested at this point,
and we are a 12 x 18 sheet fed store, so it's not too hard for us to
come up with the space for now. We're planning to order in for
each individual job, and to use all the paper ordered for each
job. That way we won't have to inventory and store remaining
sheets in the hopes that we'll use them down the road. While the
stock in question is in the shop we'll have specific tags for the
paper, and specific work orders for jobs that we're going to
claim certification on. We're still working on it on a corporate
and local level, but at this point this is the plan.
 
Re: What do YOU do?

I went on an FSC / PEFC seminar the other week. We already have ISO 9001 and 14001 accreditation so there isn't such a lot for us to do. the problem is that there aren't many people trained and authorised to grant the Chain of Custody at the moment and those that are, demand what we feel is a large sum for our efforts. We don't need to implement very much at all as many of the processes are in place and all they have to do is check we have the right procedure in place. For that we would have to pay around £3000 to a governing body for doing next to nothing. So far we have not had any demand from clients to prove the chain of custody or to print the FSC logo, only to print the jobs on FSC material. If anyone does ask for proof of origin we show them the chain of Custody from the mill or paper merchant. To date that has always been enough, I think there has got o be an element of trust within a business relationship and as long as he can categorically state that the material is either FSC or PEFC certified that should be enough.
 
Re: What do YOU do?

This is what I've suspected, and good info. We've been doing the
same type of thing (including printing on stock that bears the FSC
watermark) up until now. However there are clients that receive
directives from their head offices that the FSC logo be printed on
their collateral. The only way a shop can do this is to pay for the
rights to reproduce it. That you already have many of these procedures
in place already doesn't matter in the same way that paper mills who
have been practicing sustainable forestry for years and years can't
make any claim without paying for it either. This is very clever
marketing by FSC and SCS, in my opinion, but not very altruistic
(which I feel their marketing suggests that they are). An example
of this will be when we get audited, then certified, we'll be responsible
for periodic internal audits since there aren't any auditors in our
region (so we're told). This seems rather silly to me as a SOP
for maintaining control of COC by a governing body, and set up
to be taken advantage of. But whatever. We'll pay them the money
and get certified and do what we need to stay certified as long as
there is a demand from our clients. I dislike the way it's set up to work.
Maybe I have the wrong impression here, as I've only been looking into
certification for a few months...

I do think it's a great way to drum up demand for softwood that is
difficult to sell in the US because of tariffs though.
 
Re: What do YOU do?

Anyone ever follow the money on this? I'd love to know where it's all really going $$. My suspicion is that it is a self sustaining annuity for global environmental activists.

Ask your paper recycler where they sell most of their material? 75% to Asia is our recycler's best estimate. I kind of doubt they are very worried about their footprint like we seem to be in the US.

Actually, come to think of it...with the state of the paper/print industry, alternative e-media, 15 states currently with pending Do Not Mail bills in their legislatures, I'm more worried about my footprint in the unemployment line than I am about how much carbon is on it.
 
Re: What do YOU do?

We have a "green committee" of which I am the chair. I have been passionate about this topic for a while but on a corporate level it's a different ball-game. We became FSC certified. We of course, recycle tons of unused paper - as well as office paper. That was new this year - I had my department recycling but now it is integrated into the departments. We also recycle plastics from chemistry packaging and the like.

We use (as most do) soy inks and reduced VOC chemistry (I actually need to get more intimate with the pressroom on this topic though - I'm in prepress mostly).

The latest thing we are doing is a "waste audit" where the city comes in and guides us through looking through our garbage. Should be interesting (I get to dig through it too ... yay!)
 

PressWise

A 30-day Fix for Managed Chaos

As any print professional knows, printing can be managed chaos. Software that solves multiple problems and provides measurable and monetizable value has a direct impact on the bottom-line.

“We reduced order entry costs by about 40%.” Significant savings in a shop that turns about 500 jobs a month.


Learn how…….

   
Back
Top