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Sustainability Certification Does It Make a Difference in Print Manufacturing?


By George B. Glisan, Ph.D., Reese Distinguished Professor of Graphic Arts & Imaging Technology, Appalachian State University


Too often owners and managers of printing com- panies believe that as long as they offer sustainably sourced paper choices they will be regarded as “green.” The reality is that printing is manufacturing. Offer- ing raw materials that are


“green” doesn’t, by exten- sion, make your production


The Magazine 24


WINTER 2017


process “green.” As a scientist would say, having sus- tainable inputs would be a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for being “green.”


To become a sustainably managed manufacturer of anything requires consideration of more than materials. Minimally, it requires that you lessen your environmental impact, streamline your production processes, focus on continuous improvement, and of course, you are profitable to sustain the enterprise. It is possible for a printing company that aspires to become “green” to achieve all of the foregoing; how- ever, without a roadmap it will not be easy. Further- more, assuming you achieve a sustainable production process, how do you validate the achievement to your clients, your employees, or the community where you live and work?


There is a validating solution that comes with a road- map. That solution is the Sustainable Green Printing (SGP) Partnership. SGP is a third-party nonprofit entity focused on sustainability and printing.


Increasingly, our world is tilting ever closer to the need—even demand—that the world’s various com- mercial interests are serving the planet and its pop- ulation with their best long-term interests in mind. The reason for this is summarized by one stark


WHAT TO EXPECT


In 2017 As the impact of certification becomes more widely known, especially on financial performance, inquiries to SGP will be commonplace.


For the Next Few Years The number of SGP certified printing companies will double.


For Five Years and Beyond Our industry will evolve to a point where it will be common to have chain of custody paper certifications, AND sustainable print certification as well.


reality—we’re nearing a global population of 8 billion on a planet with finite resources. Climate change will play a role in the future, but sustainability is about finding a balance between consumption and preser- vation of resources for the survival of the planet and its population without resorting to conflict.


Recently, I conducted research on printing operations in North America that obtained SGP certification. The research found certified printers were more likely to reduce VOC and HAP emissions, reduce energy and water consumption, increase the volume of recy- cled materials, and reduce the volume of landfilled materials. In addition, certified companies were more likely to report reduced costs of operations and increased profitability.


Yet, less than 1% of all North American print manu- facturing operations are SGP-certified. I attribute this low number to two factors. First, SGP is a relatively new organization. Second, these findings are not yet widely known, especially the finding that a certified company is more likely to increase profitability.


OPERATIONS


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