Paper Tigers Hear them Roar

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner The paper industry has often been the target of chippy greens looking to offload their eco-anger. If past practise is anything to go by, they have some justification, but it is time to start cutting paper companies a lot more slack. Pulp and paper manufacturers have made massive … Read more

A Thing of Beauty is an Ancient Book

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner We hear a lot about the wonders of digital media and for several years it has had print in a more than mild state of panic. The Bay Psalm Book is just the latest addition to the list of reasons to choose print over electronic media. This slender … Read more

Stepping Up to the Plate

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner Agfa has introduced a new chemistry-free plate, the Azura TU with a tonal range of 1-99% supporting linescreens of up to 240lpi, holding a 20 micron spot and run lengths of up to 150,000. This is quite a leap up in durability so this plate will be attractive … Read more

Deinking

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner Most people accept that recycling is a good thing. Take paper for instance: in 2011 70% of European waste paper was recycled. Logistics and sorting can be complex, but of equal concern is how waste paper gets prepared for its reincarnation and a new life. The removal of … Read more

Astonishing Uptake of ISO 16759

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner As members of an ISO technical committee we are not allowed to share detailed data on standards uptake. However we can share the fact that response to ISO 16759 for quantifying and calculating the carbon footprint of print media has been astonishing and far beyond our expectations. Strong … Read more

Print Saves Trees Campaign

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner We recently came across a US industry association representing 350 printers on the midAtlantic coast, campaigning with much the same goals as the Verdigris project. The Printing & Graphics Association MidAtlantic (PGAMA) “Print Saves Trees” campaign takes as its starting point the debunking of the idea that people … Read more

About Time

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner For those of us who find the concept of patience anathema, progress on sustainability is taking too long. However that sustainability takes time is the reality and is probably a reflection of how hard it is for businesses to shift their thinking. Sustainability progress depends on a cultural … Read more

Environmental PR Fail?

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner Dear Sir or Madam, or Dear Laurel the emails from PR companies begin. Then follows a boast of one kind or another. It could be an installation story, a case study, some new technology or information, news about presence at a trade show, or a positive environmental achievement. … Read more

Chemical Attractions

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner One of the best television programmes around is a surprising and pretty shocking US offering, Breaking Bad. In one of the programme’s opening scenes the protagonist, a disappointed and downtrodden chemistry teacher, asks his students what chemistry is all about. The answer he gets is, rather obviously, “chemicals”. … Read more

A Quick (Very Quick) Guide to Environmental Management

The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner We get lots of enquiries about the value of standards, and some are easier to answer than others. In the case of environmental management standards a common question is the difference between the Eco Management & Audit Scheme (EMAS) and ISO 14001 (Environmental management systems). There is more … Read more