Hasbro Inc.’s In-Plant Print Shop plays a Big Part in the Company's Success

By Erik Cagle

A Sustainable Green Facility

It is only natural that a corporation which has established itself as a leader in its industry would also place an emphasis on implementing the most effective sustainability practices throughout its printing operations. For Hasbro Inc., this has become essential.

“We are committed to shrinking our corporate environmental footprint, even as we grow our business,” notes the manufacturer on its website, which boasts such accomplishments as an 11.3 percent cut in greenhouse gases between 2008 and 2010, and the recycling of 82 percent of its non-hazardous waste.

As part of those corporate sustainability goals, Hasbro’s East Longmeadow site achieved certification last summer from the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP). Hasbro has incorporated SGP’s sustainability requirements into its printing operations and its internal audit process. The East Longmeadow site’s annual improvement project, a requirement of SGP Certification, will become a manufacturing objective and be included in Hasbro’s Strategic Goal Deployment process.

To receive certification, print facilities must establish a sustainability management system; implement best practices in sustainability; and comply with local, state and federal employment laws. Certified facilities are also required to use SGP’s sustainability metrics system to report on progress annually.

The certification is a key element in Hasbro’s Corporate Social Responsibility program, which emphasizes sustainability in the environment, product safety, workplace conditions, manufacturing ethics and community relations.

SGP criteria for certification encompasses the following areas: the input materials used to produce products, the manufacturing process, and the facility in its entirety, including energy consumption, employees and supporting activities.

“Our president and CEO, Brian Goldner, has set aggressive targets for the entire corporation in respect to corporate social responsibility,” explains Gary Brennan, vice president of manufacturing for global operations, at the East Longmeadow site.

The in-plant’s challenge was to become chain-of-custody certified and have 75 percent of its paper and board packaging and game content come from recycled material or from sources that practice sustainable forest management. This, he’s proud to say, was achieved for 2011. By 2015, the goal is to obtain 90 percent of packaging and internal components from recycled or sustainable sources.

“We had an existing ISO 14001 environmental management system in place,” he adds, noting the plant is also ISO9001:2008 (QMS) and OSHA VPP Star Status certified. “The thing we like about SGP is the ability to network with other similar printers on best practices.”

Try as we might, In-plant Graphics has never been able to secure an interview with Santa Claus' print shop at the North Pole.

Fun though it would be to get an inside look at Kris Kringle's fleet of ABDick half-size presses (and what is presumed to be one of the largest mailing and fulfillment facilities on the planet), there is a shop in East Longmeadow, Mass., with one of the most impressive game and puzzle printing operations south of Santa's Workshop. It's goal is to put a face and a package to a magical world of discovery for children of all ages.

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