Great Print Sustained

Growing concern about all things green among senior executives from Fortune 500 companies, major publishers and leading financial institutions tells us that climate change and sustainability are issues that the graphic arts industry must begin to take seriously. Indeed, hundreds of printers already have made the first steps to do so. But that means literally thousands more firms may be missing a critical opportunity—and putting their businesses at risk. Two examples underscore the tenor of these concerns among major print buyers. Organizers of a conference on so-called “Green Advertising,” held in New York City in June, were delighted to see that 200 individuals had pre-registered. But AdAge magazine, which planned the conference on environmental issues in the media, was stunned when another 350 showed to sign up on site—the crowd spilling out into the busy streets of Manhattan. A few days later, a similarly themed event played to a standing-room-only crowd at a panel discussion about Advertising, Publishing and Supply Chain Sustainability organized by the Institute for Sustainable Communication and hosted by Citi Smith Barney in Manhattan. Around the country, gatherings focused on sustainable print and packaging seem to be springing up every few weeks.

Why the heightened interest in green advertising? And what does it mean to printers? You might call it the “new green.”

The new green is not based on moral or ethical imperatives, or on purely emotional appeals. It is based on a conceptual framework called “sustainability” that is being used to redefine the way business is done. Increasingly it will change the nature of demand for printing services, printing equipment and supplies.

A catalyst for the popularity of these topics were the hundreds of thousands of people who have seen the documentary film, “An Inconvenient Truth.” Millions more attended or viewed “LiveEarth” last month, a global rock concert aimed at raising awareness of environmental issues. Business press coverage of green issues has also increased, in major publications like Business Week, Time, Fortune, Forbes, The New York Times, and, of course, Graphic Arts Monthly.

In combination, these efforts are transforming awareness and helping to reset priorities of business and government, in the ways in which they design, specify, produce, purchase and manage print and other communication media.

Another reason for the new focus on the sustainability of advertising, publishing, printing and packaging is that these are among the larger industrial users of energy in the world. In the U.S. they are also heavily dependent on imported petrochemicals and paper, which results in the output of vast quantities—literally tons and tons—of waste paper. And they emit tens of millions of tons of greenhouse gases annually.

Addressing the new green priorities of business will require that printing companies and their suppliers look beyond cost, productivity and print quality. It will mean moving a step beyond the menus of superficial measures, often used to “green up” the image of a graphic arts firm in a hurry. There is increasing sophistication among industrial purchasers in analyzing the environmental impact of everything they do—from their own manufacturing processes to those used by their primary and secondary suppliers.

It is in this latter category where printers fall, typically as “tier two” suppliers. In publishing, of course, printers are “tier one” sources, since they make the principal end product for their client. In both cases, printers must go well beyond “green washing” and seriously incorporate sustainable manufacturing processes into everything they do. Printers and their suppliers must now rethink what they say and what they do about being green if they want to continue to win business. To avoid being viewed as laggards, falling behind those print firms who are on the vanguard of the green revolution in print, managers must move beyond the first few laudable steps of becoming FSC-certified or using soy-based ink.

Being green used to mean complying with the law and “doing the right thing” for the planet, whether or not it was good for business. However, the “new green” is as much about doing the right things for business as it is about doing the right things for the planet.

The greatest challenges the printing industry faces is to shake off outmoded ways of thinking about environmental issues and to develop new ways to identify, analyze and act on information relevant to sustainability and the challenges presented by global warming. And they must move ahead in timely and innovative ways.

“It seems that many if not most of the printers that I talk to are unfamiliar with the concept of sustainability,” says Professor Kenneth Macro Jr. of CalPoly’s Graphic Communication program. “They seem to hope that this preoccupation with climate change and things green will blow over. This is no time to be thinking like an ostrich. Instead of putting our heads in the sand, we need to be putting our heads together to take action and ensure that our industry is sustainable and that print is seen as a responsible medium.”

While historically being “green” referred to environmental regulatory compliance, the new green goes beyond compliance. Sustainability, in print or any field, seeks to continually improve the environmental, social and economic performance of a business, a product or a service.

Green products historically have been expected to cost more and to have lackluster performance. But that is no longer the case. The promise of the new green was perhaps best described by Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott, to over 700 senior executives at a meeting of the retailer’s Sustainable Value Networks in March.

“A working family shouldn’t have to choose between a product that they can afford and a sustainable product,” Scott said. The new green being championed by companies like Wal-Mart, GE, Timberland, Bank of America, Unilever and Starbucks, among many other high-profile multinational firms, creates and delivers value for money. It is designed to actually do a better job than conventionally produced goods and services because it is produced with greater attention to detail, to supply chain and with better control. Greener printing must do the same.

According to John Grant, author of the book, Green Marketing Manifesto, this new interest in green is not likely to fade because it is seen as strongly linked to a climate change agenda founded on scientific discovery.

“Sustainability is not green marketing. It is not a social program. It is not energy saving,” writes Michael Longhurst, senior VP business development at agency powerhouse McCann-Erickson. He is also a member of the United Nations Environmental Program Advertising Advisory Committee. “It is all of these things and more. 'Sustainability’ is a collective term for everything to do with responsibility for the world in which we live. It is an economic, social and environmental issue. It is about consuming differently and consuming efficiently. It also means sharing between the rich and poor, and protecting the global environment, while not jeopardizing the needs of future generations. …Sustainability is an issue for governments, for industry, for companies and, ultimately, for consumers.”

There has been a sea change in the degree to which climate change, sustainability and corporate social responsibility are on the minds of consumers and the lips of corporate CEOs, institutional investors, politicians. Pulitzer-winning author Tom Friedman recently described conservation and energy efficiency as a national security imperative. Environmentalism, says Friedman, is one of “the most tough-minded, geo-strategic, pro-growth and patriotic things we can do.”

For printers, proactively addressing the challenges of climate change and sustainability will position your company to meet the growing demand for greener products and sustainable supply chain partners. On the other hand, failure to identify and reduce the greenhouse gas, energy and resource footprint of your business operations and supply chain may put your business at risk.

Major corporations are being driven to re-examine the standards of conduct and measures of performance that determine how they do business. Demand and action frameworks for sustainable supply chain management and procurement are arising from individual companies like Wal-Mart, from industry consortia such as the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and the Sustainable Advertising Partnership, as well as from organizations such as the Institute for Supply Management and the Supply Chain Council. As a result, the world’s largest corporations are scrutinizing the corporate social responsibility performance of their operational practices and supply chain business practices...including what they print, how they print and how print-related products and services are valued.

For companies in sectors such as pharmaceuticals and automobiles, the greening of their supply chain practices began a decade ago, with a focus on so-called “tier one” suppliers. Despite the fact that printing can represent 20% or more of every dollar spent by most corporations, it is not a “tier one” supply chain function. As a result printing has only recently come under scrutiny now that the “lean and green” sustainability initiatives directed at tier one supply chain purchases are beginning to yield diminishing returns. While there is heightened interest in familiar topics such as the use of post-consumer recycled content, two new topics are coming under scrutiny: the “carbon footprint” associated with printing and print-related logistics; and the fiber source “chain of custody” associated with paper and printing.

While debates about the relative merits of FSC and SFI certification have been making headlines in the trade press of late, climate change, corporate social responsibility and carbon disclosure are the issues of greatest significance in the business press.

Business leaders from companies like Exxon, BP, Wal-Mart, Target, General Motors, Toyota, Procter & Gamble, Kimberly Clark, The New York Times and Time Inc. are feeling growing pressure from investors, markets and regulators to address the challenges of sustainability and the impacts of climate change on business, society and the environment. For example, a coalition of 284 institutional investors with assets of more than $41 trillion, “The Carbon Disclosure Project,” has called on 2,500 of the world’s largest companies to voluntarily report on the greenhouse gasses emitted by their operational and supply chain activities.

Some may see voluntary reporting of greenhouse gas emissions as a burden or a risk. But the process of conducting greenhouse gas inventories and transforming business processes to reduce your firm’s carbon intensity can provide critical expertise and experience for what is likely to be a dramatically different regulatory environment in the next three to five years. The majority of Fortune 500 companies now publish voluntary corporate social responsibility or sustainability reports, in accordance with the guidelines established by the Global Reporting Initiative. These disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and other non-financial performance data. So far, few printing companies publish such reports for themselves, or are even aware of them.

Congress is currently considering several bills that would establish caps on greenhouse gas emissions and then allow businesses to “trade” credits to stay below those limits. In addition, the governors of five western states recently agreed that they would coordinate efforts to set caps for greenhouse gas emissions from their region this year and create a market-based, carbon-trading program within 18 months.

The potential to impact all businesses, including printers, became evident in March. That’s when a group of 50 major U.S. investors, including Merrill Lynch and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System with over $4 trillion under management, asked Congress to enact tough federal legislation to curb carbon emissions and dramatically change national energy policies. They called for the U.S. to “achieve sizable, sensible long-term reductions of greenhouse gas emissions” and recommended three policy initiatives: 1) realignment of energy policy to foster the development of clean technologies, 2) directions from the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) specifying what companies should disclose to investors on climate change in their financial reporting, and 3) a mandatory market-based solution to regulating greenhouse gas emissions, such as what has come to be known as “cap-and-trade.”

In addition to investor pressure for greenhouse gas reporting, consumer attitudes toward climate change and the environment have also changed. A recent nationwide poll conducted by Knowledge Networks found 72% of Americans know some or a great deal about the “problem of global warming or climate change due to the buildup of greenhouse gases,” up from 63% a year ago; 75% embrace the idea that global warming is a problem that requires action. Perhaps most interesting, when asked to “suppose there were a survey of scientists that found that an overwhelming majority have concluded that global warming is occurring and poses a significant threat,” the percentage saying that they would favor taking high-cost steps increased sharply, from 34% to 56%.

More evidence of this change: an estimated 63 million adults in North America are considered “LOHAS” Consumers. LOHAS, for “Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability,” describes a $226.8 billion U.S. marketplace for goods and services focused on health, the environment, social justice, personal development and sustainable living. Wal-Mart was able to identify sustainability as a “game changing” business growth strategy by the overwhelming response it has received from consumers for organic goods and concerns by its workers for Katrina victims.

As businesses wrestle with these issues, they are finding that climate change and the intensifying focus on sustainable business practices can have a significant impact on how they do business; on from whom they buy their equipment, energy and materials; on their ability to attract and retain talented and motivated employees; on markets in which they have permission to operate in and by which customers they are valued.

As the world reaches consensus on the scientific understanding of climate change and the importance of striving for sustainability in the supply chains of business, companies are increasingly looking at how to manage sustainability’s triple bottom lines and to navigate a “carbon neutral” path and position themselves for success is an increasingly complex and carbon-constrained world.

For myriad reasons a growing number of large corporations, publishers and government agencies are under pressure to manage the sustainability and climate change impacts of supply chain practices. As a result, major corporations like Wal-Mart, Nike and Bank of America are rewriting their vendor qualification scorecards, putting new environmental management and greenhouse gas emissions information requests in their RFIs and new sustainability reporting and verification provisions in their and requests for proposals.

The world depends on print to a far greater extent than is commonly understood. This is not a time for the graphic arts to rest on its laurels; rather it is a time for the graphic arts to redefine itself in terms of the new green and work together to identify, analyze and act on information relevant to sustainability and the challenges presented by global warming in timely and innovative ways. One of the most important ways to do this is to educate yourself as well as to engage with and support constructive nonprofit organizations committed to working across industry boundaries to create a sustainable future. Finally, share your questions and concerns, along with your successes as well as your failures, with your, with your peers. Sustainability and climate change are topics that transcend competition in many ways. Communicate your triumphs, reward progress, highlight areas where you have fallen short and demonstrate your commitment to continuous improvement and dialogue. As graphic arts industry legend Wallace Stettinius once said: “The challenge of the situation is obvious—somehow we must throw off shackles of the past, stop managing with 'yesterdays techniques’ and develop management skills and procedures that will sustain us as we move ahead.”

By Rachael Young Editorial Assistant

Five years ago, 80-employee Best Press initiated an effort to use natural resources responsibly. Now the Addison, TX firm is one of a handful of U.S. printers with certifications from two non-profit forestry agencies: the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forest Initiative.

“This kind of environmental award isn’t just about collecting and recycling paper,” says Michael Heischman, COO. “It is practicing sustainable forestry management so that needs of current generations are met without compromising needs of future generations.” SFI and FSC certification assures Best Press end consumers that what they receive was made with materials from a responsibly managed forest.

In 2002, Best Press replaced its front office and production areas with more energy-efficient lighting, using longer-lasting bulbs that resulted in less landfill waste and also lower electrical loads.

In 2005, the full-service commercial printer upgraded its air conditioning system—28 rooftop units—with a centralized chiller system. Best Press also recycles any metal equipment that cannot be sold, such as vending machines and metal shelving.

On average, Best Press recycles 65 to 70 tons of paper each month, saving more than 6,000 cubic feet of landfill space and over 1,000 trees. Additionally, more than eight tons of aluminum printing plates are recycled annually, saving over 101,000 kilowatt hours of electricity compared to newly smelted aluminum. The company began minimizing water used (or wasted) by installing a single processing system that supplies water to a centralized fountain solution system feeding all presses. Best Press also recycles worn press rollers by replacing the rubber, which eliminates additional waste disposal.

Founded in 1993 by Wendy Kalisher, Best Press operates two shifts, six days a week. The green company boasts numerous certifications: The State of Texas certified it as a HUB (Historically Underutilized Business); the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and the North Central Texas Regional Certification Agency certified it as a Women Owned and Operated business.

The commercial printer specializes in digital and offset printing, binding, and mailing and fulfillment. It operates three digital presses—a Xerox DocuColor 8000 and two black-and-white digital printers; a 40´´ 8-color Komori Lithrone, and 40´´ and 28´´ Mitsubishi 6-color sheetfed offset presses. The bindery includes folders, a stitcher, cutters, a diecutter and shrinkwrapping. Best Press is developing marketing collateral to promote its sustainable operations, with plans to publicize it at its Website’s “Environmental Responsibility page. www.bestpress.com

By Nancy Hitchcock Contributing Editor

Brown Printing Company didn’t just turn green. It has been actively pursuing measures to protect the environment for years. Brown aggressively recycles, manufactures its own inks, and uses virtual proofs to cut consumables. In July it received Forest Stewardship Council chain-of-custody certification at its three plants—Waseca, MN; East Greenville, PA; and Woodstock, IL.

Marking Brown’s 50th anniversary this year, European parent Gruner+Jahr launched a $38 million investment in Woodstock to include a dual-web 64-page press line, glue binder, stitching lines and building annex. Brown sees itself as a leader in web offset, printing more than 700 magazines for 400 customers and claiming title to being the fourth largest U.S. printer of business, trade and consumer titles.

With $425 million in sales and 2,600 employees, Brown sees its FSC certification, received last month, as a “fit with our environmental viewpoint,” says Duane Senst, manager, inventory control. “We’ve always purchased our paper from what we consider top-of-the-line paper mills, and they have always been environmentally conscious about where they get their fiber from and how that land is regenerated.”

Brown is also reconditioning and reusing printing blankets, using energy-efficient fluorescent fixtures and aggressively recycling paper, plastics, metals and glass. “We’ve been doing the right things all along. We had the computer systems in place—a roll-level inventory system to track each roll of paper,” says Senst. “It was more documenting those processes in the FSC-required format. Now when a job requires FSC-certified paper, we’ve proven that we have the systems and processes in place to make sure that paper is used on the correct job and it goes through each and every department with that FSC certification.”

With runs from 25,000 to more than 1.4 million copies, Brown recycles nearly every scrap it produces, last year a total of 31,740 tons. Brown also links its co-mailing and co-palletization offerings, which provides greater distribution efficiencies as part of its effort to reduce environmental impact for itself and its customers.

“I’ve worked here 30 years, and we’ve always been environmentally conscious,” says Senst, who purchases the company’s paper, supervises the paper warehouse and sells the waste to recyclers.

“We’re always striving to reduce paper waste. That’s a daily part of being a printer. Over the years, paper has become a much larger portion of the publishers’ or catalogers’ overall budget, so we’re very sensitive to the waste percentage,” he says.

To reduce consumable use in proofing, Brown installed Remote Director, a monitor proofing system from Integrated Color Solutions, in all three of its printing plants. Remote Director sits beside Sunday M3000 presses as part of a goal to eliminate hard-copy proofs in the pressroom. Dual color monitors and a Mac G5 are directly tied to each of 23 press consoles. Employees report Remote Director is stable, intuitive and easier to use than hard copy proofs.