THINKING GREEN
Printing and packaging have one of the biggest environmental impacts of any industry. No matter which materials are used or how they are manufactured there is no escaping the fact that our industry uses a great deal of natural resources and energy in manufacturing its products. Even the use of recycled papers have the additional energy costs of extracting ink from used paper and then reprocessing the paper into a reusable product. Many paper mills make the argument that recycled paper has a greater impact on the environment than using pulp from well-managed forest products, since all parts of harvested trees are used in either lumber or paper manufacturing. And, certainly, the use of pulp from well-managed forests and using state-of-the-art manufacturing methods has greatly reduced the impact of paper manufacturing in America. Industry standards and certifications like FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), attest to the improvements in energy efficiencies that the paper industry has achieved in the last decade.
But it is useful to remember the hidden savings of using recycled materials, despite their apparent increased costs. For instance, the harvesting of any trees, for whatever purpose, robs the earth of the beneficial effects of allowing forests to mature and achieve old-growth status. The use of recycled papers also reduces the necessity of increased landfill space. Currently, our industries do not account for the disposal of waste paper and plastics in stock prices but the cost of using recycled papers is. Should those costs ever be acknowledged, as in the form of a carbon tax, for instance, then the use of recycled stock suddenly looks like a great bargain.
Similarly, the energy consumption used by printers and packagers is enormous. How and from what source a manufacturer obtains its power should be a consideration in thinking about how large an impact the printing of a particular product might be. Does the manufacturer practice energy efficiencies in their plant? Do they buy power from their utility from renewable sources? Better still, do they generate some of their own power or recapture it in the form of co-generation - the capture of heat from machinery to use as power?
Finally, buyers should ask themselves basic questions about the use of their products. Obviously, if the product that is printed and/or packaged is of a type that is Eco-friendly, then its packaging and printing should be consistent with that message. Further, if the product is intended for a long shelf life then the materials should be the most durable affordable, in order to prevent unnecessary waste and reruns resulting from decay. Most importantly, a buyer should be specific in their requests for Eco-friendly materials; a responsible printer and packager can help in determining the most cost effective and useful materials for an intended use.
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