Photo courtesy Orbus Exhibit & Display Group
By Marci Kinter
The wide-format printing industry has embraced the notion of sustainability in recent years, but this acceptance does not always lead to real change. There are several reasons for this problem.
For one thing, change can be scary. In many cases, people working within the industry are comfortable with what they are doing and will not necessarily want to move forward when new work habits are introduced to them.
For another, change can be overwhelming. If people feel like they are being asked to do too much, too quickly, they may feel hesitant to do anything at all.
Change can be awesome, however, and the key is for business leaders to help their employees embrace it. Indeed, over much of the past decade, a set of common factors have become apparent that, if adopted, will succeed driving positive change with regard to the sustainability of a wide-format printing company’s operations.
1. Embrace change
Most of today’s successful wide-format printing business owners are already adept at embracing change, given the many rapid technological developments and heavy competition they have encountered. They need to understand sustainability, too, will require a different mindset for running their facilities.
In particular, sustainability represents a co-ordination of efforts. Many pieces need to be brought together in one cohesive program, addressing everything from solid waste, chemicals and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions to water use and energy consumption.
Further, as a system-wide approach, sustainability comprises not only environmental stewardship and its related issues and concerns, but also social responsibility and economic prosperity. In this sense, it can be thought of as the intersection of the three Ps: planet, people and profit.
Embracing sustainability means being in it for the long haul. It requires work and a high degree of commitment from the entire team, with a focus on the whole wide-format printing facility, from the supplies to the building. Sustainability is not simply a matter of using ‘green’ products; it is a matter of addressing business issues and decisions to earn a strong return on investment (ROI).
The Sustainable Green Printing (SGP) Partnership certifies print service providers (PSPs) for reducing their environmental impact, increasing social awareness of best practices and supporting a more sustainable supply chain.
Photo courtesy HP
2. There is no silver bullet
There is no one, single action a company can take that, like a silver bullet killing a werewolf or witch, will accomplish sustainability once and for all. As mentioned, there are many different parts that need to be brought together, given the complex nature of wide-format printing operations.
This is true of both screenprinting and digital printing. In screenprinting, for example, a combination of high-quality screens, inks and substrates is needed to yield a high-quality graphic.
Another issue in this respect is transparency. Sustainability-focused customers do not want to just hear claims; they want to see printing companies actually validate their claims.
3. Provide top-level support
A lack of management-level support is often cited as a major reason why sustainability initiatives fail. Everyone needs to understand the direction the company is taking.
The Sustainable Green Printing (SGP) Partnership is a non-profit organization that certifies printing companies for reducing their environmental impact, increasing social awareness of best practices and supporting a more sustainable supply chain. In one case, a company’s marketing manager arranged for an SGP audit, but without bothering to check in with upper management. As a result, the company did not get certified!
Without top management’s support, sustainability efforts will not get very far. It is necessary to share a vision and strategy both from the top down and from the bottom up, so time and resources will genuinely be dedicated to the cause.
By way of example, companies often continue to buy a certain product simply because they are used to it, not because it works better than other options. To make a better choice, both management and employees may need to work together.
Bosses need to be on board from the beginning and take steps forward to integrate sustainability into their companies’ operations. Without their active support, the whole system will fail.
4. Choose a champion
In a large organization, while the boss’ support is needed, someone else should serve as the sustainability champion, with responsibility built into his/her job function for integrating changes throughout the facility. Depending on the scale of the program, this employee will need access to top-level decision-makers and the ability to create and mobilize a sustainability committee.
With this in mind, it is important to recognize and build the corresponding responsibilities into the sustainability champion’s job function, rather than giving additional responsibilities to someone who is already performing a full-time job within the company. Otherwise, he/she will not be able to get much done.
| CASE STUDY: STELLA COLOR |
 Photo courtesy Stella Color Stella Color is a small business in Seattle, Wash., that produces large-format signage, displays, trade show graphics, banners, vehicle wraps and interior décor, among other applications. Six years ago, it became the first printing company in its state to earn SGP certification. More recently, in 2015, it was honoured by SGIA with a Sustainability Recognition Award. Lynn Krinsky, president of Stella Color, explains her employees understand the importance of the business becoming more sustainable and are happier for it. Not only do they comply with all applicable environmental regulations, but they also work to go above and beyond them, particularly by recycling and reusing materials. In 2014, for example, they were able to save approximately (1,000 lb) of fabric scraps from being discarded as waste. Today, they are able to recycle fully 100 per cent of their unused fabric scrap. In some cases, these in-house off-cuts are crafted into ‘upcycled’ goods, such as tote bags. Other ways the company has gone green include a commitment to low-VOC inks and the marketing of environmentally friendly printable media. |
