Green marketing strategies for printers

It was 2007 when “green” went mainstream; and in the past several years, it has captured the public consciousness. There were 2,400 trademark applications for terms and phrases with “green” in them and 900 more with “eco.” The number increased in 2008; there were 32 per cent more applications for trademarks containing “green” and 98 per cent more containing “eco.”

While many companies are touting their green credentials – in response to public pressure – some are venturing into “greenwashing” without true sustainable practices in place.

The printing industry has been under pressure to adopt environmentally-responsible initiatives and processes like other industries. External pressure includes government initiatives, sustainability ratings, eco-labeling programs and even carbon taxes.

A survey conducted in 2009 by Park&Co, a Phoenix AZ advertising agency, found that 80 per cent of consumers consider themselves some shade of green. And manufacturers and marketers are trying to keep up: green advertising went up three-fold between 2006 and 2008 and grew ten-fold in the last 20 years. The result? Print buyers are looking for suppliers and service providers that are greener.

There are three camps of printing companies claiming to be green. There are printers who have been from the beginning, there are printers who are going green under pressure, and there are those trying to look green without really being concerned about their processes or the effects of the products they produce.

Printers have been required to deal with environmental regulations for many years, such as emissions of VOCs, handling of contaminated water and toxic waste as well as tracking of inks, solvents and other chemicals. Recycling of waste paper and corrugated is good economy; you get paid for your trash!

While the move to sustainability initiatives is often a reaction to customer requirements, it can be a differentiator between one printer and another. What many companies are finding is that a sustainable business – that is, a green business – can also be more efficient and profitable.

Yes, some elements of sustainable print have a cost, but many have a quick payback and will continue to bring savings year after year.

The future will have a focus on the triple bottom line: economic, environmental, and social benefits to the company and its stakeholders. Proactive printers will benefit from cost reduction, process improvement and an attractive position for their customers.

In the report, “Sustainable Print in a Dynamic Global Market,” available from PRIMIR/NEPS, the authors express it simply:

* Recycle everything. This generates income.
* Reduce everything. This reduces cost.
* Communicate with customers about your green initiatives and products. This generates business.
* Communicate with and educate employees, suppliers and the local community.

A Quick Look at the Industry

Where are we now? While more and more printers are adopting sustainable programs, more than half have not yet. “Printing Continues to Go Green,” published in 2009 and available from WhatTheyThink, asked printers what environmental initiatives they had in place. The responses were:

* 33 per cent identify their company as an environmentally-sensitive business in marketing and sales materials and promotions.
* 24 per cent promote recycled papers as better than “typical” papers.
* 22 per cent justify new equipment purchases because of a more favourable environmental impact.
* 22 per cent have special green certifications from independent organizations.
* 6 per cent perform an “environmental impact” statement or audit.
* 3 per cent buy wind power.
* 2 per cent buy carbon credits.
* <1 per cent buy or use solar power.

Unfortunately, numbers like these still seem to indicate that for many printers, their green strategy is to talk the talk before they walk the walk.

Ten Green Principles

There are 10 basic principles of environmentally-responsible print that should be considered before developing a marketing campaign promoting your green printing company.

* Always ask, “What is the best way to communicate your message?”
* Design for reduced energy use, water use and waste impacts.
* Design for recycling, reuse and recovery – the “3Rs.”
* Select materials with less impact and toxicity.
* Increase use of recycled and renewable materials.
* Seek independently verified data about environmental aspects and lifecycle impacts.
* Optimize production techniques to eliminate scrap, error and waste.
* Select lower-impact packaging and distribution systems.
* Maximize the length of the product’s useful life.
* Recover, reuse and recycle materials at “end of life.”

Underlying these principles are processes and procedures that will ensure your company is truly green. The future will be greener and the most successful printers will be those who are proactive and driven by their own strategy. The question remains, “How do I get there?”

Build A Green Team

Before you gather your sustainability team or green committee, you need buy-in, support and commitment from the executive team. Without budgets and the ability to take action, your team cannot make real change in your company.

A green team needs to be fairly small – 10 to 12 members – and diverse. Whether you designate or ask for volunteers, members should come from across the company including sales, operations, production and administration.

Creativity is the key to successful sustainability initiatives. Encourage creative ideas across all functions throughout the operation including the building and grounds. While cost cutting can be the end result, seeking cost savings as an initial goal can smother new ideas. Many printers have found identified cost savings after a new initiative was put in place.

Launching green projects with a clear proposal will make it more likely that the initiative will succeed. Project proposals should include the following:

* A simple definition of the action to be taken in a short sentence.
* A quantifiable benefit that the company will receive from implementing the action along with any intangible benefits, such as employee satisfaction or improved morale.
* An outline of the project costs.
* A summary of the risks associated with the project.
* A method for tracking, measuring and reporting the results.

When your project is complete, don’t forget to celebrate your success. As you uncover efforts that make a difference, let the rest of the company know all about it. By celebrating your wins, you encourage all employees to keep moving toward environmental sustainability for the company and for themselves.

Where Do You Start?

Start with the basics. In 2009, the Printing Industries of America (PIA) rolled out “The Green Guide for Graphic Communications: Growing and Profiting through Sustainability” to its members. While the guide provides a detailed assessment tool for printers, it’s really based on the old adage, “what gets measured, gets done.”

With or without the “Green Guide,” you will want to benchmark the current situation in your operation before going forward. Consider these questions:

* What do you make?
* What is it made from?
* Where do the raw materials come from?
* What are the upstream impacts of your raw materials?
* What processes are used?
* What do you waste?
* What happens to the waste?
* What happens to what you make?
* What are the downstream impacts of production?

While you are dealing with internal issues, keep an eye out for changes and opportunities developing outside your company. Watch for new industry standards, changing legislation, or even the “next wave” of change. Think outside of your company and outside the box.

As you develop your green plans, always have a Plan B. Cost savings and process improvements do not always pay off as expected. By including contingency plans, you will be aware of both the risks and rewards.

What the Green Leaders Are Doing

Every year, printers who are implementing a wide variety of sustainability initiatives and practices are recognized across North America. Recognition may come from local sustainability groups, city or provincial governments, or even national or international organizations. Learn from them and build your own programs.

We’ve selected four printers from across Canada: Farnell Packaging, Dartmouth, NS; Metropolitan Fine Printers, Vancouver, B.C; Skytone Printing and Graphics, Red Deer, AB; and Hemlock Printers, Vancouver, B.C. The following are mini-case studies describing their activities and the resulting benefits.

Case Study – Farnell Packaging, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Farnell Packaging Ltd., established in 1961, evolved over the last 50 years into a totally integrated manufacturer of flexible packaging. The company is a second-generation family-owned company. Based on the founders’ values, the company has long been environmentally-conscious and socially responsible.

In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, common sense activities, such as separating office paper for recycling, influenced the production floor where corrugated was recycled. Soon the company was separating metal and fiberglass strapping and recycling ink pails.

“It wasn’t because we wanted to be green; it just made sense,” says David Stanfield, director of sales and marketing for Farnell Packaging. “Why throw all these things out? There is value here; someone has a use for them.”

Green teams are invaluable in identifying and implementing sustainability initiatives. Farnell’s team consists of production, planning and administrative staff as well as the owners. Meeting every month, the green team addresses a wide range of topics. While they can talk “big issues,” like solar or thermal energy, the team continues to comb through the business to find more ways to be sustainable and make a smaller impact.

Recent initiatives have included carpooling, ink reduction, sustainability requirements for equipment purchases, compressed air audit, compostable film and distilling solvents from ink.

*Carpooling. By developing contingency plans to help get people to work during snowstorms – common occurrences in Nova Scotia in the winter – the company developed a carpooling program.

*Ink reduction. Farnell Packaging is recognized as a fine flexographic printer and while exploring new ink technologies, the company has reduced ink consumption, improved print quality and saved money for themselves and their customers. And in the end, used fewer resources.

*Sustainability requirements for equipment purchases. When replacing air compressors and water chillers, the company specifies products that use less energy or water.

*Compressed air audit. An analysis of compressed air usage identified air losses through hose clamps and pinholes, and corrections saved time, money and energy.

*Compostable film. Working with BASF, a German supplier, Farnell Packaging is now able to offer a compostable film for packaging.

*Distilling solvents from ink. By investing in technology that captures solvents from ink, Farnell reuses the solvents and only has to dispose of one-twentieth of the waste volume of the past.

Benefits from these initiatives have been substantial. For example, ongoing energy audits of lighting resulted in more than five per cent savings on electricity and a 30 per cent increase in light on the production floor. Installation of a closed-loop glycol-based cooling system that replaced an older water-based cooling system reduced water usage from 12,000 cubic metres to 1,200 cubic metres per year for a one-year payback. A heat recovery installation decreased natural gas usage 40-60 per cent (depending on the time of year) and cut oil purchases by 40 per cent.

David has some advice for other print service providers. “Just do it! Don’t jump off a cliff and try to do too many really big projects, [but] there are all kinds of little things you can do that make a difference.” He advises printers to take the time to look at all processes and inputs. Having the 3Rs – reduce, reuse, recycle – as part of your consciousness is not a cost. It saves in the long run.

Case Study – Metropolitan Fine Printers, Vancouver, B.C.

Founded in Vancouver in 1977, Metropolitan Fine Printers has built a successful company based on the triple bottom line of concern for the environment, focus on profitability and community service. The company operates its plant with the highest environmental standards and supports a number of charitable organizations. For example, Metropolitan was the founding sponsor of Canstruction Vancouver, which has collected more than 925,000 cans of food for donation to local food banks.

Metropolitan began a formal environmental program in 2004 and has put a number of initiatives in place:

*Recycling. Paper, cardboard, aluminum plates, old dies, steel strapping, blanket edges, old UV bulbs and soft plastics are recycled.

*Reuse. Wood pallets are used as long as possible and then chipped for use on walking paths and hiking trails. Leftover inks are collected by the manufacturer for reuse. Chemicals are reused as long as possible, and then collected for reprocessing.

*Refurbished press blankets. Press blankets are treated by Enviro Image Solutions (EIS) and can be reused as if new, up to as many as 12 times; then they are recycled.

*Safe cleaning products. Cleaning products are soy-based and biodegradable.

*Office equipment. Computers, printers and “old” technology are donated or recycled.

*Low-waste production. Installed on the presses are “Eagle Eye” error detection systems, which instantly identify imperfections and reduce waste.

*Green fleet. Finished goods are delivered by bicycle couriers, hybrid cars or biodiesel-fueled trucks.

The company continues to push the environmental envelope in developing new technologies and educating clients about the best green practices for print.

Consumers and businesses are becoming more and more environmentally-conscious, and Metropolitan’s clients are asking for green products. Customers want to be as sustainable as possible, and the company can identify processes and papers that are as green as possible within their budget. FSC-certified papers are typically a little more expensive than commodity papers, however Metropolitan can offer recycled papers printed with UV inks as an alternative.

There is a learning curve for designers and print buyers with the wide range of green offerings on the market. By developing and showcasing new products, clients learn what green solutions are available.

These sustainable initiatives have been a great benefit economically to Metropolitan. For example, the blanket refurbishing program, a patented process developed by Metropolitan, has returned more than $1 million in savings to the company since it was developed. And the program is offered to other printers through Enviro Image Solutions.

Once a blanket can no longer be refurbished, the aluminum bar, rubber and fabric materials are repurposed to avoid landfills. For example, the rubber can be mixed with other materials as surface for highways and school track fields or used as an alternative solid fuel. EIS is currently collaborating with an Alberta-based drilling company that has developed a promising process using rubber to absorb waste from drilling for oil and gas, which is then converted into a base material for road construction.

As advice for other print service providers, Nikos Kallas, business development manager for Metropolitan Printer, says, “Imagine if you could claim you had used the most sustainable printing practices developed on all of your manufactured printed collateral? It might read something like this: ‘This product was produced using the most sustainable printing materials and practices available in the industry today. It was printed on 100 per cent PCW, FSC-certified paper using UV inks. No greenhouse gases were released in the process and any environmental impact has been offset. Going green not only saved the environment, but it also saved money.’ It’s possible today!”

Case Study – Skytone Printing and Graphics, Red Deer, AB

Skytone Printing and Graphics, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2010, made the move to green in 2006.

Because the company is located in Alberta around 175 kilometres from the Rockies, the mountains are important to the owners and the staff. A love of the outdoors drove the search for green programs appropriate for a small printing company.

The Print for Trees program was developed after the staff expressed a desire to plant trees. In partnership with Trees for the Future, a global non-profit organization that helps communities around the world plant trees, Skytone has funded planting of more than 20,000 trees since March 1, 2006.

While it is possible to make small changes that add up to big environmental savings, sometimes it’s necessary to do something big. In November of 2009, Skytone moved to a new facility and installed a new processless plate maker.

After nearly 30 years in their old building where they printed with a traditional film-based process, the company analyzed its products and services and determined that becoming leaner would be greener. Changes had to be made closer to home. The new processless plate maker uses no chemicals, requires no special lighting and images on recyclable aluminum plates. The old equipment was either sold for reuse or sold for scrap.

The move to the new building not only gave Skytone better visibility among newer businesses, the building has lots of green features, like radiant heat, automatic water faucets and better lighting. The smaller, more efficient space is projected to reduce annual overhead costs by 30-40 per cent.

Some customers have been asking for green solutions, however Skytone is finding they have to educate print buyers about what’s available. For example, for nearly the same price as traditional commodity papers, buyers can get paper with 30 per cent recycled post consumer waste content.

The Cote family still owns Skytone Printing and Graphics, and Rhonda Cote advises printers to watch for opportunities. “They are always there. Look at your operation and take one thing at a time,” Rhonda says. “It can become overwhelming when you start doing the research and you’ll get the feeling that there is no way to do it. Just take it one step at a time and it will become part of your thinking and part of your program.”

Case Study – Hemlock Printers, Vancouver B.C.

Founded more than 40 years ago, Hemlock Printers delivers high-quality commercial offset and digital printing services and online print procurement and management solutions.

In 2009, the company was named the “Most Environmentally Progressive Printer in Canada” for the fourth consecutive year and received the “International 2008 Heidelberg Eco Printing Award for Most Sustainable Printing Company.”

Hemlock kicked off its green focus in 2004 as the first printer in the Pacific Northwest to receive Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain-of-Custody certification. While the original impetus to go green came from the top, it didn’t take long for a very active internal group to take over.

Soon the company created a committee that developed its first environmental policy. As the team set goals to reflect the values of the company, a desire to lead the industry and set a standard for environmentally progressive printing became clear.

Like other printers who have embedded environmental consciousness in the company, Hemlock has discovered that what is good for the environment, also saves money. Rather than attempting to build a business case for cutting costs, savings are uncovered as projects are implemented.

There are two parts to a business case. First, is the cost side. By concentrating on “lean manufacturing” you can measure results through waste reduction and process improvement. For example, by changing some production processes, Hemlock cut waste pickup from daily to twice weekly and saves $10,000 – $15,000 a year.

The biggest improvement recently has been a filtration system that eliminated a variety of waste chemicals, water usage and discharge issues. Although the company invested $70,000 on the system, labour savings alone paid for it in one year.

The other part of the business case is the revenue side. It’s harder to measure, but initiatives like Zero, Hemlock’s carbon-neutral program, differentiate the company from its competitors.

Another differentiator is the biodegradable laminate available from Hemlock’s lamination supplier. By working together, they can offer a cellulose-based product that is only slightly more expensive than traditional plastic and yet, recyclable. Traditional laminates will render even the most environmentally-sensitive printed piece non-recyclable.

How many companies come to them because of green initiatives like these? That’s hard to document. However, it appears there are more requests for proposal (RFPs) coming into the company that have environmental specifications. And when Hemlock is awarded those contracts, it is in part because of their environmental programs.

“People don’t buy a product just because it’s green. When the choice is between two similar products, they will select the one that happens to be greener,” observes Dick Kouwenhoven, president and CEO of Hemlock Printers. “We communicate our environmental initiatives, but it isn’t our strategy to say we are green first. We keep our focus on our quality and core products.”

Go Green!

Getting on the path to sustainability is not difficult; there is an enormous amount of information available from trade associations, industry publications, vendors and suppliers, to the Internet. Educate yourself, your staff and your customers.

Sustainable practices are likely to become the “ticket to do business” as more printers become green and as legislation and market demands add pressure. If you start now, you will be ahead of the curve.

Look for grant money, tax savings and other opportunities to fund your green technologies. Be proactive and research local, provincial and national opportunities.

As the companies highlighted in the case studies have advised – think big, but start small. It is not necessary to tackle all the “big issues” at one time; often a number of small initiatives can add up to big dollars.

It isn’t necessary to reinvent the wheel. There are lots of companies with lots of stories to tell – about successes and failures. Copy their best practices and adjust them to your operation.

Remember that marketing and public relations are an important part of your green strategy. Tell the world what you are doing, educate your customers, inform your community. The entire concept of sustainable print is surrounded by myth and misinformation. You have the opportunity to provide education and add value to your customer relationship.

Look at going green as an opportunity to both educate the market and then deliver what the market is demanding.