Environmental Responsibility and Sustainability
A sustainable system is one that can maintain productivity indefinitely.
Sustainable printing reflects a commitment to the twin goals of controlling what we take out of the environment in terms of raw materials and reducing what we put back in the way of environmental pollution.
Sustainable printing relies on “renewable” resources whenever possible, controls energy use in both production and distribution, and recycles the byproducts of manufacturing. For the latest on GHP’s environmental stewardship results click here.
GHP’s Sustainability Initiatives
At GHP, we take environmental responsibility and sustainability seriously. We have taken the important step of becoming an FSC®-certified printer. The Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC) is a non-profit organization committed to “promoting environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.” In other words, the FSC is concerned with making sure that diverse forest resources are around for future generations to enjoy and that the rights of the people working in the forests are respected.
Using the FSC logo on a printed piece requires you to be part of what is called the “chain of custody”. This means selecting an FSC-certified printer for manufacturing. FSC-certified printers have demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Forest Stewardship Council that they are capable of maintaining the integrity of the product from forest through delivery to the customer.
As an FSC-certified printer, GHP can help you find an FSC-certified paper appropriate to your job, assist you in choosing the correct FSC logo, and obtain approval for use of the logo on your job. When an FSC-certified stock does not meet your needs, we are happy to help you select other stocks with recycled content that work for a particular project.
In addition to investing in FSC Certification, we:
- Recycle byproducts of manufacturing, e.g. press wash
- Employ a digital workflow (no film or photo chemicals)
- Moved to energy-efficient lighting, upgrading ballasts on all plant and office lighting
- Invested in an energy-efficient compressor, cutting energy use 30%
- Installed a “no-bake” processor line for plating
- Recycled 27,000 lbs of aluminum plates
- Recycled over 2 million pounds of paper and cardboard
- Invested in more efficient HVAC systems for our plant and offices
What You Can Do
If you are concerned with sustainability as it relates to your print campaigns, here are some things you should consider:
- Select an FSC-certified printer
- Select FSC-certified, recycled, or recyclable stock when it is appropriate to the job and budget
- When that is not possible, select stock that can be recycled after use
- Select a printer that can demonstrate environmental responsibility in its own operations
- Select a U.S. Printer. Overseas printers and shipping typically have heavy carbon footprints.