Green Options

I’ve blogged a lot about how the printing industry is far greener than people give it credit for. The presses are more efficient. Paper often has high recycled content. Marketing strategies emphasize smart use of data over volume production. There are many ways that printing is green — greener, many argue, than electronic media. But what about individual printers? To what extent are they consciously pursuing a green strategy? It can be a significant investment, after all. Are their customers making it worth their while?

Last year, the commercial printing industry information portal What They Think released a report on the status of green in the printing industry. This month, in Printing Continues to Go Green, WTT updated the report with fresh data, comparing the numbers year over year.

In the June 2009 survey, WTT researchers found the following year-over-year changes:

• Printers are far more likely to identify themselves in their marketing and promotional materials as environmentally sensitive businesses — 33%, up from 26% last year
• They are slightly more likely to justify new equipment purchases because of their more favorable environmental impact — 22%, up from 20%
• They are more likely to have special “green” certifications from independent organizations (Forest Stewardship Council, Green Seal) — 22%, up from 15%
• They are slightly more likely to say that promoting their green efforts helps their business image — 39%, up from 35%.

But it’s not all good news. Commercial printers don’t see a lot of customer gratitude for their efforts. In the June 2009 survey, they were noticeably less likely to say that it was essential to their customers and more likely to say that it was a major expense without a major business benefit. Only 2% said it was critically important to their customers.

This is a real problem. Why?

An increasing number of marketers are turning to toner- or inkjet-based printing in order to green their print marketing programs. It’s not that offset presses are inherently ungreen. On the contrary, printing as a whole is a whole lot greener than many people give it credit for. But digital printing has some compelling green benefits.

• Lower start-up waste
• Smaller, more targeted production volumes
• Presses with a higher percentage of recycled (or recyclable) parts
• Lower

[...]

Did you know that copiers consume the most energy of all types of office equipment? That they consume power even when they are sitting idle? Simply by switching to a more energy-efficient type of printer, you can take a chunk out of your carbon emissions.

In addition to their cost efficiency, this is one reason that many businesses are looking at inkjet. Increasingly, even office-style machines have terrific image quality (commercial-quality inkjet presses are now as high as 1200 dpi) and they produce little or not heat. That means low energy use.

A very funny promotional video from RISO explains it well. Grandma may like her color copies because they are “nice and toasty,” but this is because of the heat generated by the machine and, consequently, their high energy consumption. Hence the line, “You could cook a turkey in there!” (I’ll leave the animation to your imagination).

I know I’ve been a bit like a dog on a bone about the fact that print is not necessarily the enemy, but I think it’s important. Marketers are being hit like a locomotive with the idea that e-mail and other electronic media are green because they don’t use paper, but there is a lot more to environmental friendliness than cutting tree. Like . . . energy use.

This week, the print industry will gather in Chicago at Print 09 (September 11 - 16), one of its largest annual trade shows. There, the The Print Council will promote a new position paper titled, “Why Print Is Green.”

“Our industry is a leader in recycling, sustainability and pollution control,” says Ben Cooper, executive director of The Print Council. “In fact, we pioneered putting those concepts into widespread practice over the past three decades. But we did so quietly, to the extent that there is a lack of awareness regarding the environmentally responsible nature of print.

“Why Print Is Green” describes ten specific ways in which print is green, from the responsible products used, renewable energy sourced, increased recycling rates, to improved design and delivery methods. The report is intended to demonstrate why print media is the environmentally sound choice for communicating with the audiences they want to reach.

• Among the facts the white paper documents:
• In 2008, more than 57% of paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling, more than any material.

Digital textile printing now available on organic cotton from Spoonflower!

I sprang to my feet when I saw the message in my e-mail from Spoonflower this morning.  After much urging by eco icons including Betz White, Harmony Susalla and customers, they now offer digital textile printing on organic cotton!  The new 4.5 oz organic cotton sateen is certified organic by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard).  It has a 58-inch [...]

The popularity of on demand fabric printing continues to grow in the craft and design communities.  We have shared with you before a couple on demand printers like Spoonflower and Fabric On Demand.  Today I would like to introduce you to one of the newest on demand print services called Karma Kraft.  But Karma Kraft is way more than just a digital printer, they have taken the on demand service to a whole new level.

I originally discovered Karma Kraft through an ad on True Up and now they have a fabulous interview with Karma Kraft founder Susan Lu.  With a background in the textile industry and a passion for the craft and design communities, it was only natural for Susan to create Karma Kraft to advance the accessibility of on demand fabric printing.

How many mailings do you make to the same office? Have you ever thought about the environmental impact this is having?

I got a surprise this month. I was writing on “green” issues related to inkjet ink, and much of what I expected to write went out the window.

In the world of offset printing, the difference between solvent-based inks and water-based inks matters—a lot. In the world of toner-based inks (digital inks), on the other hand, there really is no difference. As I’ve written here before, this is because nearly all toner-based inks are dry toner inks, which are solvent-free. Of those inks (liquid toner) that do contain solvent, it’s such a mild form that the practical difference is negligible.

But on the issue of inkjet, the issues are completely different. Solvent vs. water inks matters very little, but for completely different reasons.

Many printers say they are “green” or “eco-friendly” because they print using soy inks, are FSC-certified, or print on recycled paper. But if you want an example of a printer who is really serious about its stewardship of the environment, take a look at Green Printer.

Using sources from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Green Printer estimates that it helped its customers save 74,645 [...]

When I was first asked to write for The Inspired Economist on the issue “greening” print marketing, I was excited about the opportunity to talk about something I’m passionate about—the ability to use today’s print technologies to make a practical difference in our stewardship of the environment.

After all, you can’t see the immediate effects of reducing your carbon footprint or reducing your use of virgin paper. When you use the Click to Continue Reading