The Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner
Looking through a list we’ve got of nearly 1300 installations of new kit in the printing sector, a subtle trend becomes clear. Sustainability is increasingly cited as a benefit of new kit, especially over the last couple of years. Sometimes the claims are a bit dodgy, but there’s no denying that environmental sustainability is an important boast for many companies. Manufacturers, especially of digital presses, are especially keen to show off.
Looking at the list, we also get a sense of progress when we look at individual installations of new kit and consumables and their more robust claims. For Acme Graphics in South Africa enhanced sustainability comes from the more efficient ink usage made possible thanks to the addition of PureFlexo plate surface patterning to the company’s Flexcel NX system. In Vicenza, Italy L.E.G.O. Group, a leading high-end book printer, is optimising prepress processes through Kodak Prinergy workflow technology, new Kodak platesetters and Sonora Ultra process-free plates. The L.E.G.O. Group focus on quality produces printed products that people want to keep, rather than throwing them out for recycling.
The new kit at L.E.G.O. extends a long term partnership with Kodak and reminds us that sustainability is not just about equipment. Nor is sustainability just about environmental sustainability. According to the United Nations sustainability is based on three pillars: environmental, social, and economic. Together the three pillars help us to meet our own present needs, without spoiling the ecological, social or economic viability of future generations. This is tricky to get your head round because how do you know if what you do in business will work for you and also for future generations? It’s almost too much to think about, at least when it comes to our individual businesses. Perhaps instead we should be thinking of our roles in wider supply chains.
Supply chains are not generally treated as partnerships when it comes to sustainability, but perhaps that’s exactly how we should see them. Environmental sustainability is complex and hard to achieve alone, especially if you want to ensure your company’s economic sustainability. Add in considerations about societal sustainability and it’s tempting to think it’s not your problem. But it is and this is the point. An attitude that treats business as a winner takes all game is not conducive to shared sustainability, not now and not for future generations. Environmental sustainability doesn’t happen in isolation. Having the confidence to trust your suppliers and customers, and to encourage data sharing and ideas for improving environmental impact might just be the future we are starting very slowly to see.
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This article was produced by the Verdigris Project, an industry initiative intended to raise awareness of print’s positive environmental impact. This weekly commentary helps printing companies keep up to date with environmental standards, and how environmentally friendly business management can help improve their bottom lines. Verdigris is supported by the following companies: Agfa Graphics, EFI, Fespa, Fujifilm, HP, Kodak, Miraclon, Ricoh, Unity Publishing and Xeikon.
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