Since more and more people and business boards are realizing that you don't have to be a hippie in order to care about good stewardship of the earth, more and more printers have taken to calling themselves "green." But how do you know for sure that you've got a real green printing company, and not just someone who's trying to ride a trend?
This is a good business move as well as a good ethical one. When you deal with an accredited-green printing service, you can put the logos of the "Big Three" environmental associations on your printed materials. This communicates character to concerned citizens who, with all else being equal, will go with the environmentally conscious business every time.
Want to reap the benefits of a good rep with customers, while at the same time reassuring yourself that you're helping to make the world a cleaner, better place--for you, your children, and your children's children? Here are questions you can ask, so you'll know that you are employing truly green printing services.
1. Is your printer FSC, SFI, and PEFC certified?
The Forest Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification all set high standards to ensure that forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, yet economically viable way.
Including the FSC, SFI and PEFC-approved logos on your own printed material brands yourself as green for a customer base that is increasingly environmentally conscious. Branding yourself green with certifications is a smart business move for your current clients and potential new ones.
Compliant printers are audited every year to ensure they follow the most environmentally friendly processes when it comes to handling and processing certified forest paper products.
2. Does your printer use petroleum-based inks or soy-based inks?
Petroleum-based inks release large amounts of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) into the air. VOCs contribute to air pollution and even sometimes cause headaches and dizziness with print crews. While soy-based inks aren't 100% VOC-free, they produce only a fraction of the amount that petroleum-based inks do.
Soy-based inks can also allow for brighter colors than their petroleum-based counterparts. This is because the relatively clear soy oil allows the pigments to shine through much better than does murky petroleum.
3. Does your printer practice carbon offsetting?
CarbonFund.org allows companies to offset the amount of environment-changing greenhouse gasses they produce by way of supporting energy efficiency, renewable energy, and reforestation projects.
Not everyone believes in the "greenhouse effect"--but everybody believes in clean air and blue skies. The Carbon Fund helps companies provide a livable atmosphere for the present, and for generations to come. Ask your printer what they're doing to offset their own carbon footprint. If the answer is, "Nothing," you'll help yourself and generations to come by going with a green printer who has something to tell you about their green printing practices.
Are you looking for a certified green printing company that can handle all your needs from printing and mailing to graphics and signage?
Las Vegas Color Graphics is a triple certified commercial printing company with certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
Visit the Las Vegas Color Graphics' website at http://www.lasvegascolor.com or call 702.617.9000.
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