digitaldots.info We talked to three printers that have put their environmental policy at the heart of their business. Printing, or at least the kind of printing that requires an offset or digital press, is an industrial process. For many people that word industrial means waste and pollution. But those of us working within the print industry … Read more
This is the second part of Verdigris’ look at some of the misconceptions and myths of going green. Developing an environmental strategy for a printing business is really no different to developing one for any other kind of business. However the printing industry has been particularly villified by some lobbyists, with the result that many … Read more
This is the first of a two part Verdigris article examining some of the myths and misconceptions preventing printing companies from adopting a more aggressive environmental strategy for their businesses. There are still many printing business owners who believe that leading the company towards a more environmentally friendly direction is expensive and difficult. Printers want … Read more
HP has recently published the results of its Life Cycle Assessment of different paperback book printing options. The comparative study, “The Environmental Case for Digitally Printed Books”, focuses on the US market but its reasoning is relevant for book markets around the world. The basic conclusion, as you might expect from the title, is that … Read more
It can be hard for individual printers to develop a measurable environmental policy but the forthcoming ISO 16759 should address this. For a growing number of printers, sustainability and working to protect the environment are becoming more important. This is not just because many printing company owners believe in helping the industry to be more … Read more
PrintCity, the nebulous alliance of industry suppliers offering advice to the industry, has published another of its cross industry special reports. This one is called “Carbon Footprinting & Energy Reduction” and we were flattered to have had the chance to peer review it. We also provided reference material for the authors through the Verdigris project, … Read more
3rd May, 2011 – Verdigris, the environmental initiative from Digital Dots, the graphic arts research group, is pleased to welcome Pragati (India and New York) as its latest associate member. Verdigris is a not-for-profit research initiative designed to help printers and their customers understand more about the environmental impact of print media. The goal is … Read more
The ability to deink and recycle paper makes it a very environmentally friendly solution, but will the increasing use of inkjet printers threaten this? Paper accounts for the biggest impact of the printing process on the environment so one of the most obvious ways of reducing that impact is to use recycled paper. This can … Read more
Should a state intervene to decide the format of the invoices that companies issue to their customers? At the beginning of December last year the European Commission issued a communication called Reaping the Benefits of Electronic Invoicing for Europe. Electronic invoicing is part of the Commission’s Digital Agenda for Europe which assumes a single digital … Read more
We recently participated in a climate change event sponsored by HRH the Prince of Wales’ Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change. Apart from being completely baffled as to why we were invited, we were even more shocked that not a single printer or publisher was present amongst 200 business leaders. How can this industry hold … Read more