Workflow and Waste

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner When we are out and about working with Digital Dots consulting clients, we spend an inordinate amount of time explaining workflow management. But rarely do clients ask about reducing environmental impact, which can be one of the major outcomes of a well-managed workflow. Not only does an efficient … Read more

Environmental impact of digital signs and displays

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner Proponents of pretty much all forms of digital communications sincerely believe that they are kinder to the planet than the printed equivalents. They believe it is more efficient and that it does a better job of communicating brand identity. They forget that print’s only carbon footprint is when … Read more

Human health as well as the planet’s

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner We worry a lot about the environmental impact of the graphics industry but the health of people working at the job of printing and publishing should also be of concern. Putting in long hours at a computer screen, reading and writing are all stressful and can lead to … Read more

Unintended consequences

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner The graphics industry is at the heart of the recycling industry, but when it comes to environmental accountability, how solid are its credentials? This is an impossible question to answer, but that doesn’t mean we should all give up on trying to answer it or on pursuing a … Read more

Processless plates the new reality

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner Processless platesetting, makes for more efficient and sustainable production, because it removes the need to chemically remove unexposed plate coatings. It’s a big step forward in making print media production more environmentally friendly, but it has taken a while to gain traction. Early iterations were not entirely processless … Read more

Offset printing and the environment

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner We’ve presented at countless industry events around the world where environmental impact and the graphics industry are on the programme. But unfortunately, for the most part the addition of the topic to the agendas has been more about box ticking than intentions to make any real difference. Nothing … Read more

The beast that is HP Inc.

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner HP Inc is without doubt the biggest player in the graphics industry. Net revenue in 2018 was a cool $58.3 billion. The R&D spend alone for the year was $1.4 billion. As a founding member of the Verdigris project, we are glad to have HP’s support and glad … Read more

European Union reclassifying papers

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner The European Union (EU) has a special board that, among other things, determines evaluation criteria for the EU Ecolabel for products and services. In January 2019 the outcome of their latest chat was published and makes for interesting reading (yes, really). Instead of having two separate classifications for … Read more

Plastics out at Waitrose

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner Waitrose is one of the UK’s posher supermarkets and it has joined the growing list of retailers trialing new approaches to packaging. Part of the commitment is that by 2023 all Waitrose own brand packaging will be reusable, home compostable or recyclable. And there will be no more … Read more

Ricoh awards sustainability prize

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner It’s surprising that there are so few sustainability prizes that award cash, but Ricoh is leading the way, especially in the USA. Cash prizes for sustainability are a brilliant tool for encouragement and for getting sustainability up the agenda, especially amongst the young. The Ricoh Sustainable Development Award … Read more