Going Green: Questions to Ask Your Printer
Ready to dive, head first, into the waters of sustainable print production? Perhaps you’ve taken a peek at some of the sites provided in “Going Green: 45 Educational Resources” and now you’re eager to take off the arm floaties?
What about your print partners? Are they swimming in the same ocean or are they knee-deep in the cesspool? There was that postcard you received that said “we’re green printers”. That means they’re doing everything they can to provide an eco-friendly product. Right? And, they’re FSC-certified and that’s all that really matters. Right?
Time to throw in the life-preserver? How about a questionnaire, instead? Asking these questions will help you determine how well your print partners REALLY swim in the eco-friendly waters.
Inks & Chemicals
- What is being done to minimize emissions, including VOCs, in your shop?
- How much soy is used in your ink?
- Are your inks nonhazardous or nontoxic?
- Can you provide Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on your inks?
- Are the cleaning solvents used safe for human health and the environment?
- How are your employees safeguarded from toxicity?
Recycling
- What is the post consumer waste (PCW) content of your primary or house stock?
- Has your shop established a solvent recycling program?
- Describe how and where you dispose of chemicals, solvents and trash?
- Describe how your production methods reduce print overruns, waste allowances, and in-process waste.
- Do you go beyond regulatory requirements?
Internal Programs & Certifications
- Are you FSC- and/or SFI-certified?
- Is your shop ISO 14000-qualified?
- What other certification programs do you take part in?
- Does your organization have a dedicated manager for environmental health and safety?
- Describe any technologies, such as non-process printing plates, remote or soft proofing, etc. that your organization has incorporated into daily practice.
- What is being done to minimize your shops’ energy consumption?
- Does your organization purchase electricity generated from renewable resources?
- If you also manage data files (direct mail processing), what steps have you taken to ensure or assist with list management and data cleansing?
External Programs & Community Involvement
- Describe your organization’s environmental commitment.
- Does your organization’s mission statement include mention of environmental stewardship or corporate responsibility?
- Do you currently have a “green” education program for your customers?
- Describe any additional steps your shop has taken to promote the environment, including community engagement practices?
- Describe any additional eco-friendly practices not already mentioned?
Here’s an idea: Send these questions, along with any others that come to mind, to each of your print partners. Compile the (private) answers together into one spreadsheet to create an at-a-glance reference guide.
Can you think of any other important questions to ask? I’d love to hear them in the comments below.
One more thing: My next “Going Green” post will be all about meandering through the Environmental Certifications maze. If you don’t want to miss it or any others for that matter, connect to The Production Side through the RSS feed or email notifications in the right side-bar.
Photo courtesy PhotoXpress.com
