UC-Berkeley Open House Highlights FSC Certification

To reintroduce itself to the campus and show off its FSC chain-of-custody certificate, University of California-Berkeley Printing Services held a well attended open house last month that drew 165 visitors, including some from other campuses.

Customer service representatives welcomed guests, handed out media kits and explained the in-plant’s commitment to customers.

Visitors then proceeded right to a booth where they learned about the in-plant’s commitment to sustainability. They were shown the shop’s FSC chain-of-custody certificate, which it just earned from Scientific Certification Systems, an independent analyst. Customers learned that the paper products the in-plant uses are certified to have been harvested from forests that meet stringent environmental, social and economic standards. They were also told about the in-plant’s use of soy-based inks. To illustrate the in-plant’s dedication to recycling, the bailing system used to capture all excess paper trimmings from the bindery was on display.

Haron Abrahimi, associate director, says this “Save Green-Print Green” booth was a big hit. The campus Director of Sustainability even showed up to congratulate the in-plant.

Elsewhere, the in-plant displayed samples of offset and digital printing, and explained the pros and cons of each. To make the campus aware of the in-plant’s design capabilities, a designer was on hand to show off her work and offer tips. A giveaway poster explained the proper steps in saving electronic files for output.

The in-plant also set up a gallery of client work and provided lunch. Kodak donated door prizes.

“The show was a great success,” enthuses Abrahimi. “We will soon follow up with an online ordering system where clients can place business card orders, envelopes, letterheads and flyers. Each department will have their own unique store where all templates and commonly used images and fonts will be available for online print submission.”