Business Management - Sustainability

I was invited to participate in a panel at the State University of New York Council for University Advancement (SUNY–CUAD) conference. SUNYCUAD represents professionals employed in advancement areas at every New York State University campus.

Green this, green that, sustainability, recycle, global-warming, ice-melts, polar bears—do you ever feel that you’re just sick of hearing about all these things?

Welcome to my blog, “Keeping it Green - Sustainability in the In-Plant.” First, I thought I should introduce myself by telling you a little bit about my background.

The June PaperSpecs webinar “Understanding the New FSC Labels” could have been called “Everything You Wanted to Know about the New FSC Labels But Were Afraid to Ask” except that attendees weren’t afraid to ask anything!

Guest speaker Monika Patel, FSC Canada’s program officer served up answers to your biggest concerns about the new labeling standards and graphic formats. And while you may see some of those new labels (FSC-STD-50-001) in use today right along with the original format (FSC-STD-40-201), the updated labels are not required until January 1, 2011.

IT WAS a reunion well worth waiting for. Two years after its last conference in Florida, the Association of College and University Printers (ACUP) finally met again in April in Charlotte, N.C., bringing old friends and newcomers together for an enjoyable and enlightening event.

There's a perception — especially among some smaller printers — that sustainability programs are expensive and time consuming. Think again.

“Sustainability is more than using recycled paper and soy inks...it's a holistic approach to running a business,” says Gary Jones, director of environmental, health and safety affairs for Printing Industries of America (www.printing.org). “With this approach, many printing operations have been able to save significant costs due to waste prevention, improved product quality and reduced operating expenses.”

Does this mean that theoretically the paper you and I buy does not contain the full 30 percent FSC/SFI pulp it claims? Sorry, but yes.

THE EMPHASIS on increased sustainability in the business world has motivated many in-plants to reduce waste and become more environmentally friendly. It both improves their image and aligns them with their parent organization's goals. Yet as the recession lingers, some find their attention diverted by economic considerations.

A school located in the southeastern part of the Evergreen State might be expected to maintain a green state of mind. So, it's not surprising that the Washington State University Publishing office has established its own sustainability program, which promotes responsible usage of paper and other printing resources.

TO REDUCE the environmental impact of their operations, in-plants are reexamining the way they do things. As a result, soy-based inks, water-soluble solvents and recycled/FSC-certified paper are becoming commonplace. In-plants are switching to chemistry-free CTP, promoting duplexing and initiating recycling programs—all in the name of improving their image and doing the right thing for the environment.