It was 2007 when “green” went mainstream; and in the past several years, it has captured the public consciousness. There were 2,400 trademark applications for terms and phrases with “green” in them and 900 more with “eco.” The number increased in 2008; there were 32 per cent more applications for trademarks containing “green” and 98 per cent more containing “eco.”
While many companies are touting their green credentials – in response to public pressure – some are venturing into “greenwashing” without true sustainable practices in place.
This month I interviewed Scott McDougall, president of North American environmental marketing firm TerraChoice, to find out how the print industry is stacking up environmentally and discover his tips on how consumers can avoid greenwashing.
Historically, the printing industry has not always been known for its eco-friendliness. Are you seeing that turn around these days or do we have a lot of work left ahead of us?
As the wide-format printing industry recovers this year, technological advances in print head technology, print equipment and inks will help to drive the market forward.
As Alcan’s Masters said, “Digital printing is king.” As a direct result of our current economic situation, companies have shifted away from analog to digital technologies in order to accommodate short run jobs.
Apple announced the iPad recently. It is a hybrid of an iPod Touch, Amazon Kindle and a Mac. At long last, we have our beloved Newton and a graphic tablet all rolled into one.
As a technology and information-based society, the multimedia mix surrounds us — all the touch points of technology that we interact with every day. We are all interconnected through the Internet, cellular phones, text messages, email, online chatting, blogs and forums.
Your monthly buyer’s guide to the latest print industry products This month: Eco-Friendly Printers and Recycling Solutions Eco-Friendly Printers
With dozens of different types of printers on the market today, it can be hard to determine which one suits your company best. Are you a business that shares in the growing concern for the well being of the environment? The following products might be worth taking a look at as they are some of the leaders in terms of their reduced environmental impact.
Brand owners communicate with the consumer via packaging. Rest assured – the consumer judges the product by the package. Print quality, novelty and imagery trigger latent desires of want that ultimately build brand empires. Think of Kodak, Campbell Soup, Birks and Coca-Cola, to mention just a few of the iconic brands.
There is automation software available that runs as a quiet companion alongside your offset press. This software will breathe new life into your press and actually comes with a money back guarantee for its Return on Investment (ROI) in less than six months. It also guarantees compliance with Process Standard Offset (PSO) certification requirements for the pressroom after a few days in production. This software is easy to install and will not affect the way you work; it will silently watch press production and report when it has moved from your set standards.
I often find myself trying to be more “green” in my own home. I carpool and recycle and conserve wherever I can. However, recently there has been a lot of focus put on the total impact of an action rather than one specific part of it. To give you an example, a car such as a Mini Cooper may have a lower environmental footprint through the lifetime of the car, including assembly and disposal, than a hybrid or electric. The creation and disposal of the lithium battery in these cars can be incredibly taxing on the environment. While the emissions during the lifetime of these cars are lower, the overall carbon footprint is greater than the Mini.
All medicinal products must comply with the Braille requirements in Europe by October 2010. The requirements in Europe are already migrating here. Some large pharmaceutical companies have begun to incorporate Braille on their packaged products. Although there isn’t any current North American legislation on the use of Braille in packaging, the writing is on the wall. It will either become law or pharmaceutical companies (and others) that produce and market consumer products will begin to incorporate it on their own. Given these factors, the new standards provide a foundation for printers to have available when the application presents itself.
On January 20, 2010, Xerox hosted the Digital Imaging Association at its research centre. The feature presenter was Laureen Chudzinski, director, business development strategies for InfoTrends.
I’d like to begin by shamelessly congratulating my two amazing friends on their recent engagement. Todd Cober (Cober Printing) and Magda Stolarczyk (Spicers) are GCM class of 2005 and 2006 respectively. They are both amazing individuals that this industry is lucky to have. More importantly, they are lucky to have each other. Love you both and congratulations!
As of press time we are more than half way through the Vancouver Olympics and we have already earned more medals than the total number received in Turin four years ago. We may not own the podium, but we are doing well and moving forward in the right direction. The men’s hockey team played a disappointing battle against team USA, but I wouldn’t count them out just yet. It would be great to see both the men’s and women’s Canadian hockey teams achieve a medal.
Ahhh, yes. The original recycled paper! Poo Paper manufacturing is a fantastic use of natural resources to create a practical product that’s made from… poo! Organizations from all over the world, such as The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company and Creative Paper Wales, make paper from the fibrous materials left in elephant, sheep, horse, cow, panda, reindeer, rhino and even wombat poo. Due to the digestive systems of these animals, up to 60 per cent of the food consumed (including grasses, leaves, bamboo and fruits) exits the animal undigested, leaving fibres that make great paper.