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In the graphics industry, the idea of making Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) is basically an alien concept. But, from printed matter through to the machinery and systems used to produce print media, EPDs are becoming increasingly important to procurement.
Our industry is seeing massive improvements in ink technologies, especially to suit new print methods and substrates. Technology advances are taking print into all sorts of new applications. One of the most attractive for all concerned is textiles, particularly those produced digitally with devices such as the Epson SureColor SC-F2000 direct-to-garment printer or the EFI Reggiani series. Textile printing brings with it a host of expectations for quality and durability, and when it comes to on demand prototyping there is less price sensitivity in this kind of print. However there are other more important concerns, with product safety at the top of the list.
Now does that sound silly or what? As if paper was not always undergoing reinvention, an Israeli technology company is claiming to have reinvented it. The premise is that paper needs to be reinvented, so that it better supports the circular economy. Having got over our initial befuddlement and confusion, we took a closer look. We found puff, but puff with purpose and a point. Sort of.
A generous handful of graphics companies are off the grid when it comes to energy. They generally rely on solar power and biomass burners for their electricity and as such are in the vanguard. However they are not alone. A report jointly authored by the World Wildlife Fund and the Corporate Eco Fund takes a closer look at corporate renewable energy procurement. The work is based on an in depth survey of 37 Corporate Eco Forum members and signatories to the Renewable Energy Buyers’ Principles, representing various industries.
The printing and publishing industries, are just like any other services sector. They are about profit and investments for the future health of individual businesses and of the industry as a whole. But when it comes to the health of the environment, sustainability is just one little fragment of most companies’ thinking. The day to day dramas associated with running the business often matter more than having concrete sustainability goals. This is especially true for small to medium sized enterprises, the companies that make up the bulk of our industry.
