Pioneering the brave new world of green print – magazine article

Green printing is something that many providers would like to be a part of, but examining the practice brings up issues like the costs involved and how it will it impact the bottom line. In making the transition to environmental production, management needs to examine every stage of the printing process, from prepress to chemicals to paper usage and wastage, to ensure it is properly aligned with environmental concerns.

But if the printing industry has not exactly been known for its proactive attitude towards the environment, government legislation will increasingly dictate such an agenda. Both within the industry and the wider business community, pressure is mounting on companies to give greater attention to environmental issues and watch what they are throwing into landfill.

For printers considering heading down this path, it would serve them well to take a close look at the industry pioneers that have already made the journey into the brave new world of green print. Commercial printers Finsbury Green Printing in South Australia & Victoria and Focus Press in NSW insist that while it requires an investment of both time and money from the outset, in the long run it pays off in better business practices and a cash injection to the bottom line.

Going gangbusters with green

Finsbury is a brand that has been familiar to the Australian industry for more than 30 years, operating one of the largest commercial printers in Adelaide as well as a factory in Port Melbourne, a print-management centre in Mulgrave and an office in Sydney. Finsbury embarked on its green path in 1998 when it began to closely address environmental concerns. This progressed to the formulation of a full-blown environmental agenda in 2002 and the eventual re-branding of the company as Finsbury Green Printing.

Finsbury claims care for the environment is the primary feature of its corporate culture, and its green agenda can be identified across all facets of production. It identifies itself as Australia's only carbon-neutral printer; all its printing plates are digital, 99 per cent of its ink are vegetable based, 97 per cent of production is alcohol-free and 95 per cent of waste is reused or recycled. For its efforts, Finsbury Green has picked up five environment awards since 2003.

When Finsbury Green commenced its environmental endeavour, the long-term implications were not set in concrete. Efficiency is a key concern for any manufacturer and the company initially looked into waste reduction as a means of saving money, not realising how closely aligned it would be with green production.

The big step towards establishing an environmental printing brand came in 2002, when the company crystallised its activities by combining its pursuit of the ISO14001 Environmental Management System and the ISO9001 Quality Management Systems certifications - both considered vital to running an environmentally-sound business.

Quality and green go hand-in-hand

According to Rodney Wade, technical manager at Finsbury Green Printing, it was this decision that allowed the company's plans to take shape.

“Right from the start we blended those two issues together, which was really a good indication of where our headspace was at as a company,” says Wade.
“We felt the quality certification would have an influence on the environmental certification and vice versa, and this approach allowed us to consider the impact on the environment in everything we did.”

Acquiring the certification proved to be a comprehensive process for the company, requiring a lot of time, money and education to reach the important milestones. The strict procedures in place examine issues in the company from top to bottom; how waste is disposed of, suppliers that are used, education of staff and a raft of other factors that stretch across every aspect of operation.

Attaining the certifications is not an easy process and external audits are necessary twice a year for a company to maintain the status. There are many savings to be made down the track and benefits in terms of best business practices, but significant costs are incurred in getting the ball rolling in the first place.

“It takes a certain attitude and sense of commitment from senior management, because there are costs associated with the activities,” says Wade. “But it all pays off for the business in the end.”


Controlling the waste streams

Lean and green print production is primarily about controlling the waste streams. Measuring and benchmarking the waste allows greater control over all aspects of the company, enabling owners to drill down and understand the way their company operates on a deeper level.

Focus Press operates on a smaller scale than Finsbury Green, running an offset print factory in the Sydney suburb of Strathfield, but is no less committed to environmental ideals. Prior to initiating its green agenda (which involved attaining the ISO14001 and ISO9001 certifications), the company was going through a period of expansion and landfill was growing as a result. The handling equipment it would have needed was going to cost $25,000 alone, but amazingly, within a couple of months of taking control of the waste streams the company did not need it.

“We're not only saving the on landfill, we're also saving money for the business,” says David Fuller, managing director of Focus Press. At the end of the last financial year the company had saved over $100,000 in landfill costs since 2000, achieved through education and training of staff and management making a personal check on the bins every day to measure progress. Nearly everything the company uses is now recyclable, estimated at around 98 per cent of its output.

Solvent and ink traps

In cutting down on waste, the two biggest problems were discovered to be ink and solvent-soaked rags. To combat this the company switched over to vegetable-based inks with an innovative cartridge-based delivery system that dramatically cuts down on the waste associated with tins. It also discovered only a small amount of the rags being tossed out were thoroughly impregnated with ink and solvents, so the company now launders most and reuses them.

Another difficult issue to address was the disposal of blankets from offset presses. While they are no longer suitable for printing, most of the time the material is still in perfect condition for other uses. The company looked all over the world for a solution that did not involve throwing them into landfill, and eventually found a local businessman who offered to pick them up and send them off to Asia for processing into rubber products like thongs. While Focus Press does not get paid for the disposal, every step counts and it represents yet another area that the company saves money on landfill.

Firing up the green agenda
It is no good going green unless your business can also hit the mark on price and quality, as nobody is going to buy your product if it costs more or it is substandard. Printers interested in firing up their own environmental initiatives will want to know how long it takes before the initial expenses translate to bottom line gains. According to the green pioneers of the Australian print industry, there is an investment period that also requires extensive research and the training of staff. To enjoy the financial gains of green production you have to put in the hard yards first, and the most difficult part is sticking by your guns because there are no returns to begin with.

A crucial issue that may be overlooked is getting everyone in the company to engage with the process. There is a definite learning curve and training is essential, as well as leadership on the part of the managing director to demonstrate the commitment of the company to the green process. While this may be difficult, it also provides the biggest payback. Once everybody is moving in the same direction, they are all engaged with the same objectives.


Green is good for the bottom line

Entering the brave new world of green print is like putting money in the bank and getting interest back from it. A business will be receiving dividends forever, and it goes straight to the bottom line in terms of profit. Both Finsbury Green Printing and Focus Press claim their green agenda alone has also brought them extra customers they would not have otherwise had, as market demand shifts to an increasing awareness of eco-friendly production.

Rodney Wade from Finsbury Green Printing confirms that going green has paid off for the company. “While it requires an initial investment that many printers are not willing or able to make, there are no drawbacks in the long run. Every part of converting your company to eco-friendly production helps in terms of achieving better business practices.” This is evident in how Finsbury Green has managed to consistently cut its waste and lower its energy usage over the years, and expects to continue to do so in the future.

The green path has offered similar payoffs to Focus Press, which has tripled its sales since 2000 and is currently in full-growth mode. David Fuller attributes every last extra dollar to the pursuit of his green agenda.

“There is not a single part of the green process that clashes with the bottom line, it's not so much a saving as a decrease in the cost of production. I absolutely advocate it, my experiences have been very positive and every last bit of time and research has been worthwhile,” says Fuller.

Both companies say that while they are still on the path and have a long way to go, the joy is found in the journey. It is a process that will no doubt accelerate for the industry, with many customers, shareholders and even employees demanding standards be lifted. And if printers do not clean up their act, the government will step in to legislate so they are forced to.

So jump aboard the green wagon today, otherwise you may be dragged along kicking and screaming.