[PrintOwners] "Green" rant

[Ted Gelletly]

"as an industry need to push for lower compliance costs(maybe in the
form of some kind of group purchasing program?)"

Our local PIA chapter is working on that. I'm also thinking that offering a PII "Green" Logo might be enough to counter some FSC requests (good idea Gerry). Most jobs that "require" FSC printer certification will probably go to larger printers anyway. I just want to hold on to the clients that need only the fuzzy feeling of being green.

Ted Gelletly
Champion Printing
5401 New Expansion Drive
Eldersburg MD 21784
410-795-6464 ext.4 Fax 410-795-6488
ted at championprintingonline.com


----- Original Message ----
From: Kelly Crom at Applied Graphics <kellycrom at gmail.com>
To: Discussion List for Printing Business Owners Only <printowners at printweb.org>
Sent: Friday, February 15, 2008 10:33:45 AM
Subject: RE: [PrintOwners] "Green" rant

***** This is a PrintOwners List Message *****

There's been a lot more talk of FSC, and I really don't think we can ignore
it. We already have some corporate clients who are urging more of their
suppliers to get certified. I think a lot of it comes from those who have
international ties, as it seems that more of the requests we get are from
companies who have global offices. I agree that the cost to get "certified"
seems like a scam. From what I can tell, it's about a $2500 fee(not
including any inside costs to meet the qualifications), and then an annual
fee of about $2400(not exactly sure about that one). The biggest thing is
that if your customers want you to print ANY FSC related information(even
just to say that it is an FSC paper) on their products, YOU must be
certified, although, I don't know how they would monitor or enforce that. 

Currently, PIA/GATF, along with SGIA is starting up a Sustainable Green
Printer program. I don't know of all of the specifics, but it looks like
they are getting to "roll it out" at the upcoming National Environmental
Health & Safety conference in March (see www.nehsconference.org). In
Minnesota(and a few other Great Lakes area states) already have a similar
program called the Great Printer program (see
http://www.pimn.org/environment/greatprinter.htm). We have been certified in
this program for a few years, and have been told that by meeting this
criteria, we will most likely, by default, be qualified under the new PIA
program.

This year, we have printed a "Green" brochure highlighting everything we
have done to be "environmentally responsible". When someone asks us about
FSC, we first give them this information, and, for a few, this has been even
better in their eyes than pushing the FSC topic.

Again, I don't think the FSC topic is going to go away any time soon. So,
maybe we as an industry need to push for lower compliance costs(maybe in the
form of some kind of group purchasing program?)

Kelly Crom
Applied Graphics Associates, Inc.

We've Moved!!!
2405 Annapolis Lane N, #250
Plymouth, MN  55441
New Phone:  (763)231-6970
kellycrom at gmail.com
www.applied-graphics.com 



> -----Original Message-----
> From: printowners-bounces at printweb.org 
> [mailto:printowners-bounces at printweb.org] On Behalf Of Gerry Engelhart
> Sent: Friday, February 15, 2008 8:11 AM
> To: printowners at printweb.org
> Subject: [PrintOwners] "Green" rant
> 
> ***** This is a PrintOwners List Message *****
> 
> All over Cleveland we are reading about several of the " Big Boys "
> becomming FSC certified.
>  
> As we have discussed previously, this is really a PR poly 
> more than anything
> else 
> All this means is that the paper can be traced back to 
> responsibly harvested
> trees and that the material has been watched since its harvest.
>  
> To me this is a bunch of nonsense and does not translate in my mind to
> "being green" As printers we do not make paper we buy it. Why 
> would we have
> to be FSC, we can just buy paper from FSC mills and 
> accomplish the same
> thing.  But that is not how the game is played!
>  
> While it is good to harvest responsibly, a better way is to be
> environmentally conscious and recycle and use recycled paper. 
> UEs proper
> inks, conduct our business in ways that conserve energy..etc
>  
> This has been discussed before.
>  
> Is there any reason why a bunch of us cannot get together and 
> come up with a
> "code" for being environmentally responsible and issuing a 
> trademark that
> qualifying organizations could use.  Tehn we too could 
> advertise that we are
> "green"
>  
> This would need the backing of NAPL or NAQP and could consist 
> of a couple of
> peers coming out to do a site visit, making sure the company is in
> compliance and they would issue the certificate on behalf of the NAQP
>  
> Cost: Figure $1,000 ( a couple of plane tickets for the site 
> visit, and
> maybe $200.00 or so for NAQP.)
> My intent is to give us "little" guys a chance at the ecology 
> lime light
> without spending many thousands of dollars.
>  
> and yes, I realize that by opening my mouth I am liable to 
> get nominated to
> help get this going
>  ...never let any good deed go unpunished!
>  
> Steve...any thoughts
>  
> Gerry Engelhart
> Porath Printsource
> Cleveland OH