Kodak (Rochester, NY), a global leader in developing environmentally sustainable printing solutions, has announced the 2018 Kodak Sonora Plate Green Leaf Award winners, which includes 13 printers from around the world. The program, now in its sixth year, acknowledges printing industry partners who are leaders in adopting sustainable practices while offering their customers eco-friendly options for their printing needs. The Canadian winner was Mitchell Press of Burnaby, British Columbia, a family-owned business since 1928 and a G7 Qualified Master Printer. It’s also the largest commercial heat-set web printer in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Every year it outputs over two billion publication pages for a wide range of clients from its modern, custom built, award-winning 64,000-square-foot facility. The company has two divisions – Digital and Display.
The other 2018 winners were: Artes Gráficas Sagitario (Bolivia); Presse-Druck- und Verlags-GmbH (Germany); Blackmore Group (UK); Colour King (South Africa); PT. Gelora Aksara Pratama (Indonesia); Hebei Xindong Printing Co. (China); Leanin Tree (U.S.); The Profeather Printing Co. Ltd. (DongGuan, China); SRB Printing (South Korea); Stuff New Zealand (New Zealand); Toyokuni Printing Co. (Japan); and Wijeya Newspapers (Sri Lanka).
In addition to integrating Kodak Sonora Process Free Plates into their operations, each of the winning companies demonstrated an ongoing commitment to investing in sustainable business practices. Award entrants were judged on a range of criteria – including management practices to improve energy and water efficiency, participation in local community sustainability initiatives, and the use of eco-conscious materials and supplies. All submissions are reviewed and all final scores were determined by a panel of Kodak judges.
“At Kodak we believe that sustainable printing provides the critical foundation for bolstering business success – and each of this year’s Sonora Green Leaf Award winners are once again exemplary examples of how to put this practice into action,” said John O’Grady, President of Kodak’s Print Systems Division. “The specific outcomes that each of these printers yields from incorporating more eco-friendly actions into their entire business, are quite tangible – from reduced operating costs to measurable increases in key performance metrics that benefit their customers.”
Kodak Sonora Process-Free Plates are the centerpiece of Kodak’s sustainable product offering, with over 4,000 customers using the technology worldwide and on pace to grow in adoption with the latest version, Sonora X, enabling 80% of printers to switch to process-free plates. Beyond Sonora Plates, Kodak’s CTP solutions reduce energy consumption by up to 95% compared to alternative platforms, said the OEM. As well, Kodak Prosper Presses and Kodak Ultrastream Inkjet Technology have printhead components that are designed for refurbishment and reuse, while the Kodak Nexpress Press and Kodak Nexfinity platforms include environmentally responsible features such as HD Dry Inks that create virtually no emissions, and electrical power requirements that are significantly below those of alternative platforms.
British Columbia’s Mitchell Press wins Green Leaf Award from Kodak
