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MAKING THE CASE FOR SUSTAINABILITY


Brittany Sutphin, Government and Business Information Assistant, Specialty Graphic Imaging Association SGP COMMUNITY GATHERING


Businesses in the imaging industry are endlessly seeking to improve their operation and differentiate themselves in the marketplace, and sustainability certification can often be a key to their success. As printers see the demand for sustainable services and products increase, they view the adoption of the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership’s (SGP) industry-specific criteria as an investment. As the leading certification organization for the print industry, SGP certification provides third-party validation for sustainability efforts; thus avoiding the perception of “greenwashing” or other unsubstantiated claims.


The Magazine 14 9.2015


Certification—the First Step on a Long, Lucrative Journey The achievement of SGP certification is only the beginning for the sus- tainable print facilities. The program encourages printers to take steps to ensure the production of printed materials have the smallest environmen- tal footprints. To accomplish this, SGP-certified print facilities are required to develop and implement annual continuous improvement projects that reduce their environmental footprint while increasing their social responsibility. By participating in the certification program, facilities have experienced both financial and sustainable improvements in areas such as waste, recycling, energy, water, air emissions, and much more.


Recycling = Low-Hanging Fruit For businesses taking the first step on their sustainability journey, recycling can be an easy and inexpensive area to focus on. Businesses are responsible for millions of tons of waste that ends up at the landfill each year, and over half of this could be prevented with the implementation of a recycling program.


SGP-certified printer Minuteman Press, a digital printing company and member of PIA located in Lawrence, KS, developed a continuous improvement project with a focus on recycling. The facility first instituted a recycling program in 2009 with a goal of recycling 75% of their waste. By recycling materials such as ream wrappers, cartridges, paper, aluminum, plastic, glass, and even unsolicited mail, the facility has surpassed their original goal and is now recycling approximately 90%


The reduction of the print industry’s environmental footprint is a group effort that printers, print buyers, and suppliers are all respon- sible for. The second annual SGP Community Gathering (November 3 – Atlanta, GA) will open the door for discussion on optimizing printers’ and industry vendors’ roles in sustainable procurement and developing strategic sustainable partners.


Sustainable business strategies continue to be a focus, and companies are moving forward with integrating environmentally sound choices into their supply-chain management. “There is no doubt that SGP has taken the lead to integrate sustainable business practices within the printing industry,” states Paul Lilienthal, Chair, SGP Board of Directors, “The next step is to work with others to define sustainable print supply chains. This conference represents an important step forward.”


Registration for this invitation-only event opens August 2015. For more information and details on how you can attend, contact Brittany at Brittany@sgppartnership.org.


of their waste. This has not only allowed them to significantly reduce emissions, but since becoming certified and establishing themselves as a sustainable printing company, sales have increased by more than 15% with annual profits increasing more than 8%.


Energy Efficiency—a Win-Win Proposition Another significant cost of any business is power consumption. By engaging employees, facilities have been able to save a substantial amount of money.


PIA member, Sundance Marketing Solutions of Orlando, FL, achieved SGP certification in 2008 and immediately began working on a continu- ous improvement project focused on energy reductions. Their project required employees to shutdown machines each night, on the weekends, and to set monitors to shut off after five minutes without use. These small changes that took almost no upfront investment were able to save Sundance Marketing Solutions a significant amount in electricity costs.


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