‘Green is Good’ in Texas

Customers and staff of The University of Texas at Austin Printing Services gathered recently to hear a powerful and entertaining presentation on sustainable business practices given by Derek Smith, president of Derek Smith and Associates. Smith’s firm specializes in highlighting the business opportunities presented by the sustainable environmental market, stressing that “green is good for business.”

Approximately 25 university print buyers attended the event, co-hosted with Clampitt Paper Co. Smith challenged them to consider the entire eco chain rather than just recycled paper content when producing their documents.

UT staff suggested the idea of a sustainability event after hearing the topic discussed during two recent conferences: the National Government Publishing Association (NGPA) and the Texas Association of College and University Printers (TACUP).

“This was a perfect opportunity for our staff and customers to learn more about the impact of environmental practices,” says Richard Beto, director of University Services. “Many of our customers want to know more about sustainability. They want to do more than recycle, and frankly many of them want to know what we are doing in this arena. It was a great opportunity to present them with sustainability options and let them know about our own ‘green’ efforts.”