Accreditations are no longer optional for green printers

Once held up as unique selling points by a handful of niche operators, environmental standards and accreditations are an absolute necessity for any printer hoping to thrive in today’s eco-conscious market.

The fact that there are many different shades of green, will not have escaped the notice of anyone with a modicum of interest in environmentally responsible business practice.

In print, however, things are perhaps more stable than elsewhere, as pressure from buyers and clients alike has forced almost everyone to adopt policies of the most verdant of shades – thinking environmentally is second nature, not a publicity stunt.

As if to prove the point, the majority of print buyers (77.6%) and printers (64.8%) regard an environmental accreditation as a basic requirement for a print firm, so it’s no longer a useful differentiator.

Of the standards and accreditations held, print buyers are looking primarily for FSC (71.6%) and ISO 14001 (68.2%). What may be of note to printers is that 25.9% of print buyers now want carbon neutrality as well, and according to the survey, a mere 9.9% of printers can make such a boast.

The reason for this apparent plateau of achievement is clear when you see that only 7.5% of buyers see standards as being irrelevant to placing work – a clear message that those without these qualifications will find their presses falter to a halt very quickly indeed. Or so you’d think.

For while this all paints a picture that suggests not having any eco credentials would condemn you to the print archives, oddly, this is not necessarily the case. For when buyers were asked the weighting they placed on price versus the environment when placing a job, a staggering 19.7% said price was the only consideration. A reassuring 20.2% went for a 50:50 split, but for those spending considerable sums on eco accreditations, that last stat may be an unwelcome point to ponder.

Top tips from printers

•     Switch off everything at night
•     Recycle wash-up blades by cutting down old blankets to fit
•     In striving to reduce, reuse and recycle, challenge everything you do, no matter how small
•     Buy a Power Perfector, It will pay for itself here in 18 months and will reduce electricity use
•     Never stop reviewing your activities for opportunities to reduce environmental impact
•     Request all suppliers to support recycling by taking back packaging waste as part of the contract
•     Do a waste audit you will save money and send less to landfill
•     Don’t idle. If its not being used, turn it off
•     Engage your workforce and view being environmentally conscious as a way of business
•     Measure your waste, or else it’s profit going into the bin

top tips from buyers

• Take a holistic view - it’s not just about the substrate
• Ensure strict control over wastage in terms of make ready and running waste allowance
• I would welcome my printer taking away old, obsolete printed materials for recycling
• Use only waste to run up, stop using new stock
• Offer house papers from one range and push for 50:50, 75:25 or 100 recycled options
• Advise clients to avoid over specifying paper weights
• Get involved with the Two Sides organisation
• Shred your waste stock and use it as packaging
• Broadcast your green credentials
• Green printing is not just about PR, it needs to help your bottom line