The Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) passed a major key initiative concerning sustainability. As a result, PIA/GATF has joined with the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) and the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) to form one central location for information on sustainable, “green” printing activities.
According to a recent survey conducted by PIA/GATF, more than 90 percent of printers believe that their customers will require environmentally friendly printing in the future. In an effort to assist the printing community in this push for sustainability, PIA/GATF and its partners have established the Sustainable Green Printing (SGP) Partnership.
The group is comprised of volunteer print leaders and other key players from each of the three associations, and is being led by Gary Jones, director of environmental health and safety affairs for PIA/GATF.
“Whether our members corrugated boxes, print labels, flexible packaging, newspapers, or envelopes, sustainability for flexo printers has become a top priority,” notes Dr. Doreen Monteleone, FTA’s director of special projects and EHS services. “We must offer our members, and the industry as a whole, a way to prove themselves, to demonstrate and document that they have taken the steps to become corporate, social and environmental stewards.”
“We are on the cusp of a fundamental change in the way printers will be doing business in the foreseeable future,” he adds. “This initiative will give printers the tools they need to respond to the market and demonstrate their continued commitment to protecting the environment through sustainability.”
FTA President Mark Cisternino says the movement is also essential to building business.
“There is no doubt that a sustainable company will increase sales, maintain a strong employee base, and reduce environmental costs and risks,” he explains. “It is our intention to work with our partners to develop a credible program that will assist our industry in learning about the steps toward continual environmental, social and corporate improvements.”
The SGP Partnership plans on establishing sustainable printing criteria and a guidance document on how to implement a program to meet them. In addition, a national registry will be established, identifying companies that meet the set criteria. This registry will allow printing customers the ability to identify green printers in their area. The national registry will be housed online at www.sgppartnership.org, a site designed to be an information resource center for both printers and their customers.
“There is no doubt that a sustainable company will increase sales, maintain a strong employee base, and reduce environmental costs and risks.”
—M. Cisternino, FTA president
