Giving success the green light - Catherine Carter drupa article

How times have changed. Once viewed as a marketing savvy way to win business and create a unique selling point, an environmentally responsible approach to print production is now an essential business tool for leaner more profitable operations of all sizes as will be widely demonstrated at drupa 2012. Catherine Carter examines sustainability’s role.

Ultimately the aim of environmental sustainability is to minimise the impact of any action on the environment while taking into account employment, income, society and local economy. For the energy intensive printing industry - which also relies on utilising wood pulp - producing pulp and paper in a way that minimizes negative environmental impact must take into account the overall production process emissions, water consumption, solid waste production, energy consumption and their related emissions and air pollution. Companies should also ensure that a comprehensive waste management chain effectively handles and disposes of any waste that cannot be reused or recycled.

Simple Steps

For printers steps towards a more positive environmental impact could be as simple as recycling paper in-house, making the right paper, ink and glue choice to aid recyclability, reviewing transportation measures and educating staff to ensure lights and computers are turned off at the end of shifts. Or they can be more complex such as attaining environmental accreditation schemes like the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), a management tool for companies and other organisations to evaluate, report and improve their environmental performance or ISO14001, that addresses various aspects of environmental management, analyzing energy consumption of pressroom and post-press equipment before purchasing or investing in ways to harvest energy from renewable sources.

Industry consultant Davide Biancorosso says entrepreneurial Italian companies have installed solar panels to generate their own electricity and in some cases generate more power than they need so the excess can be sold back to the national grid. Australian Vega Press took a different approach and scooped the Heidelberg Eco award for Sustainable Innovative Solution after coating its roof with a special reflective surface to stop the sun’s UV rays getting through. Together with highly efficient building insulation, this has reduced the cost of the air conditioning, electricity consumption and therefore harmful greenhouse gases.

Understanding the drivers

Research by Trucost, an organization that helps clients understand the true cost of business, in order to use resources more efficiently, across operations, supply chains and investment portfolios, reported the world’s top firms cause $2.2tn of environmental damage via pollution with greenhouse gas emissions one of the top contributors. GHGs along with quantities of waste (disposed to landfill, incinerated or reused and recycled) and the release of volatile organic compounds (non-methane VOC) are the printing industry’s main impacts.

The key drivers to embracing sustainable practices to address these impacts are: legislation, end-user and economic, as well as dedicated business owners. There are a myriad of international agreements, commitments and legislation that effect operations in the industry such as the Kyoto Protocol and the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), Carbon Reduction Commitment, Hazardous Waste Regulations, Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC), Local Air Pollution Prevention and Control (LAPPC), REACH and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).

But adhering to the law or international agreements is not enough when it comes to making a significant reduction in an operation's environmental impact. That is why companies look to certification processes such as IS09001, the quality management system designed to help organizations meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders, ISO14001 and EMAS for a more structured and end-user recognised approach. All require a thorough recording and review of all processes and actions undertaken as well as year-on-year commitment.

Standard Compliance

Alex Jahanbani, ME Printer Editor-in-Chief points out that customer demands to comply with international standards forces companies in the Middle East to apply for environmental certifications. He states that although Environment Management Systems are not mandatory, in the future, printers will be forced to adopt environmental policies and laws to regulate print operations and bring in sustainability to help end users improve their reportability and accountability. Davide Biancorosso highlights Italy’s adoption of directive 2008/99/EC on the protection of the environment through criminal law.

He says it should: “Encourage more companies, especially those that serve the ‘large customers’ to adopt an environmental management system, be it a ISO 14001 certification or EMAS registration.”

The next greatest influencer is the end-user. After all firms that do not meet the tendering criteria will not win the work. Paper sourced responsibility is one area that features highly on tender documents with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) grades frequently requested. In fact in Italy the number of printers certified doubled from 2009 to 2010 and this trend looks set to continue. FSC certification now covers more than 125 million hectares in over 80 countries. Over 226 million hectares have been PEFC audited in 30 countries.

Purchasing Policies

End user demands are driving companies towards adopting new purchasing policies and management states Biancorosso who adds: “Italy is full of printers who first moved towards sustainability and then validated what had been done with Life Cycle Analysis and in some cases with labelling.”

He also adds the Italian association of manufacturers of paper Assocarta been working hard, to explain to consumers how traditional print has less negative impact on the environment than people think. It has sought to reinforce the value of print and collaborate both nationally and internationally to dispel myths that saw the industry as a deforester and high polluter.

Compared to previous years, there has therefore been a strong increase in the chain of custody certification accompanied by a lesser but growing ISO 14001 and EMAS registrations. In terms of investments there has been a focus on more sustainable technologies and consumption of consumables and other chemicals with low environmental impact. The Australian printing industry has also been highly successful with research showing it has reduced its environmental impact by 97% over the last 20 years, through cost cutting exercises.

The knock-on effect of the higher-profiled FSC and PEFC grades is the increased demand for recycled options. As a result the range of choice has expanded, too, so now printers can virtually pick the amount of virgin or recycled fibre they would like to match the requirements for the job or customer.

Carbon Considerations

Interest in carbon neutral grades is increasing too, whereby manufacturers offset the carbon dioxide emissions created when making their paper. CO2 is made when burning fuels to produce the steam used to dry paper on a paper machine and generate the electricity required. It can be offset by purchasing the equivalent amount of carbon credits from projects that have saved carbon dioxide.

If a company wants to mitigate the effect of manufacturing they can subsidise renewable energy / environmental projects at other sites through the purchase of carbon offset credits creating the carbon neutral status. It should be noted though that this is a de-regulated market and it is not always clear that the offsetting will reduce the overall impact.

Also it is better to reduce emissions in the first place rather than simply paying for those created. There are many companies that sell credits while buyers and sellers can also use an exchange platform to trade, such as the Carbon Trade Exchange. The largest spot market for carbon credits is the European Climate Exchange (ECX), followed by the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) in the US.

Assessing Carbon Impact

Currently there is no international standard for printers on carbon impact reduction but the forthcoming ISO 16759 should address this. It pulls together the various carbon calculators used throughout the world in the printing industry, to provide international accountability and transparency. Many printers are ISO 14001 certified but this management standard is designed to help any business, not just those in the printing industry, reduce their environmental impact not measure the carbon footprint of individual products.

The formal framework of 16759, against which print media products can be measured and the results certified, will enable printers to confirm to their customers that the carbon footprint for the print they produce complies with an international standard. And print buyers want the assurance that a printer's calculations are transparent, clear and comparable across sectors and geographies. It is hoped that ISO 16759 will encourage media buyers and consumers to think more carefully about how they invest in and use media.

The standard is designed to provide data which will enable comparisons of the carbon footprints of different print media products. However, it is structured such that one could also use it to compare different media products, which should provide the printing industry with the basis for valid and comparable media footprint evaluations, including electronic media.

While strong incentives to encourage operations to review their carbon footprint are all well and good in Australia there are mounting concerns about a controversial proposed carbon tax. Wayne Robinson editor of Australian Printer warns: “Many in the printing industry think this will send print offshore, as effectively Australian printers will have to pay a tax on the printed products, whereas overseas printers won't, even though they are selling print into Australia. This puts local providers at a disadvantage.”

Pressing initiatives

Sustainable measures can be adopted as part of day-to-day operations such as installing an energy efficient press. The latter is where many press manufacturers are focusing research and development. KBA has developed presses that can use up to 40% less energy than its similar sized counterparts while its VariDry Blue drying technology cuts power consumption by up to 50%. For Japanese printers this issue has been brought sharply into focus by the March 2011 earthquake. Toshiyuki Namba, an Editor-in-Chief of Insatsu Joho at Printing & Publishing Institute, says large operations in Tokoyo are legally required to cut electricity consumption by 15% while small and medium size printers are trying to do so voluntarily.

Emission reduction is also a key issue and manroland’s 900 XXL 7B press has been awarded “Emissions Tested” status by BG Druck und Papier (Employers’ Liability Insurance Association of the Printing and Paper Processing Industry) while Komori’s presses have gained BG CE Emission Tested certificates by The Berufsgenossenschaft Druck und Papierverarbeitung. There is also a concerted effort to run alcohol free to reduce the need for harmful chemicals as well as investment in waterless printing. Waterless printing provides operations with a unique selling point that combines high quality, color consistent print with sustainable credentials creating an environmental proposition and enabling printers to add value.

Fogra Graphic Technology Research Association, which promotes print engineering and its future-oriented technologies in the fields of research and development, is committed to ensuring chemical products using in printing (i.e. cleaning solvents, fountain solutions) are environmentally friendly and meet health and safety standards. It says the requirements concerning chemical products for printing are increasing and as such so is interest in its own certifications. Fogra spokesperson Rainer Pietzsch says: “The system of testing and certification of sustainable products by Fogra is well known and accepted. Whenever additional requirements arise in the market, the criteria for testing and certification will be adapted.”

The Digital Effect

The sustainable argument is one that digital print is very much the centre of with its ability to produce personalised and short runs, with no extra copies required, ensuring only what is required is produced. It can also be produced close to its point of use. This is where manufacturers such as HP, Ricoh, Xerox, Ricoh, Canon and Kodak are committed to reducing raw materials used and improving recyclability and the life cycle of its components. They also have comprehensive recycling/reuse initiatives.

Litho and digital press manufacturers are looking at how software development can improve job planning to gang complimentary jobs as well. This optimises scheduling, so the most efficient speeds and performance can be achieved, reduces costly slack and ensures ink and paper use is more effective. Softproofing can also save time and transportation costs – reducing a job’s carbon footprint in the process while increasingly complex Management Information Systems can analyse every stage of production to identify way to better manage waste and energy.

Jahanbani adds energy efficiency for printers in the future will mean not only reducing their carbon footprint but also reducing their digital footprint. He states cost effectiveness and print on demand will be adopted by most printers to reduce wastage of available resources.

Emissions In the Red

With high VOC content it is unsurprising inks are placed under the sustainable spotlight. Happily now with forecasts to 2016 predicting the continued introduction of less environmentally harmful formulations and chemicals, the emphasis will be on eco-solvent and water-based versions of liquid inks replacing more active solvent systems (those responsible for VOCs). Predicted too is a significant rise in the use of radiation-cured ink systems with electron beam (EB) joining UV. There is an increasing trend for wide format printers to adopt eco-solvent printers while another major change is from traditional light sources to the more energy efficient LEDs.

Also to be considered are the presence of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), typically, commercially available in solvent based inks. To improve transparency The National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) in the US has a rating system for inks based on their renewable content, known as Bio-derived Renewable Content (BRC). The NAPIM also says bio-derived renewable materials such as oils from plants and trees can be used in place of petroleum-sourced materials.

In fact, Stehlin Hostag Ink’s Inkredible sheetfed offset inks are based on eco-friendly raw materials. Innovation in digital printing inks include HP Indigo’s ElectroInk, that has a new particle grinding process cutting energy consumption by up to 40% and Xerox’s XPIS hot melt inks that eliminate the need for further fixing or fusing treatment.

It was Kodak’s dry ink technology that helped Belgian operation Drukkerij De Bie decide to invest in a host of Kodak solutions. Its ecological approach has seen investment in solar panels and heat pumps. Director Bart De Bie comments: “For an environmentally aware organization like ours, Kodak NexPress Dry Inks presented another strong argument for choosing Kodak.”

Deinking Success

Until only recently the majority of digitally and inkjet printed stock could not be recycled because the inability of the sheets to be de-inked – a result of the paper coating ensuring printability. Deinking enables Hydrophobic (water-repellent) ink particles to be separated from hydrophilic (water-wettable) fibers.

This is fine for offset and gravure printing but water based inks, such as inkjet and undeinkable flexo inks traditionally cannot be separated this way. Solutions are being sought by organisations such as the International Association of the Deinking Industry (INGEDE) which supports research in deinking and cooperates with other players in the field of recycling, as well as printing ink and machinery manufacturers, paper finishing industry and suppliers of additives. The Digital Print De-inking Alliance (DPDA) has also revealed that in recent trials nearly all of the inkjet print it tested successfully de-inked.

Implementing the three Rs

Sustainability is a vital element in any successful business’s growth development plans because taking steps to reduce, reuse and recycle are fundamental to cutting waste, improving working practices, legal compliance, gaining accreditations, winning new business, keeping shareholders happy and even engaging and retaining staff. Plus, it is part of every business’s responsibility to its market.

The true cost of waste alone can be as much as 25 times the cost of disposal, according to The Carbon Trust, an independent not for profit company set up by the UK Government, and potentially as much as 4% of a company’s turnover.

In UAE, the municipalities already have measures in place to combat this and insist companies recycle their waste and reduce their CO2 says Jahanbani. Also companies registered in the Dubai and UAE Free Zones that provide infrastructure and incentives to benefit business have to adhere to the environmental standards set by the free zone management.

Alain Vermeire, Editor-in-Chief, Grafisch Nieuws, Belgium, says printers’ main motivation is clearly economics with the resultant green image second. He added that while printers should take account of sustainability in any investment and inform customers about sustainable practices, possibly via a sustainability report, green washing should be avoided.

“It could be counter-productive,” he comments. He also warned printers not to focus only on green issues at the expense of short-term and long-term viability: “The challenge for the printer is first to answer the needs of its customer in a profitable way, and secondly in a sustainable way. If you forget the first, the second one becomes meaningless. For example Dutch company Chevalier International may well have been the greenest printer of the Netherlands but they went bankrupt.”

With so much effort from all aspects of the print production chain focussing on addressing these issues it is clear that sustainability is extremely high on everyone’s agendas. As a result of a lot of hard work and positive action the industry has a very strong positive message to send and it is important that everyone is vocal about presenting it.