Wide-format Printing: Reducing the environmental impact of shipping graphics

by all | 7 April 2016 9:32 am

By Allison Lundy
Every day, professionals in the wide-format printing industry make choices that affect the natural environment, from the processes they use to the substrates they print on to the way they transport materials. Indeed, every stage of production in the printing industry can have a lasting impact in terms of sustainability—but this impact need not be negative.

Each April on Earth Day, businesses around the world come together to make new commitments to support environmental sustainability programs. No matter their size, they can make a real difference. And even small steps can reduce their carbon footprint.

One such step is to join the SmartWay Transport Partnership program. Originally launched in 2004 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), SmartWay eventually expanded north of the border in 2014 under the administration of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).

Smarter transportation
SmartWay was developed to help businesses reduce their fuel consumption and costs—and thus improve air quality—by transporting goods in more efficient and sustainable ways. To help accomplish these aims, SmartWay-approved vehicles create fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and get better mileage than the average car or truck.

The business and financial benefits are immediately apparent, but it is important to note SmartWay also makes a real difference for the environment. By using more fuel-efficient vehicles, SmartWay shippers waste less gas and release fewer harmful carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.

Oil is a non-renewable energy source, after all. The shipping industry needs to be aware it will not be able to use it forever, especially at current rates of consumption, and therefore it is important to plan to use less of it and/or more alternative energy sources.

“When companies that ship freight enrol to become SmartWay partners, they take a key first step in addressing their transportation-related emissions by joining a network of like-minded organizations,” says Matthew Rankin, NRCan’s recruitment officer for SmartWay Canada. “Participation is a powerful tool for businesses to report and demonstrate their commitment to environmental sustainability.”

Meanwhile, businesses and organizations that are not involved in shipping products can also participate in SmartWay as affiliates. The Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA), for example, has become an affiliate of the program and supports it through outreach and education initiatives for the printing industry in both Canada and the U.S.

Three steps to join
Joining SmartWay Canada is easy for businesses that transport goods, whether with their own shippers or with outside contractors. In just three steps, they can begin to track and benchmark their emissions, make more cost-effective decisions and improve their operational performance.

The first step is to review the SmartWay Canada shipper tools and user guides on NRCan’s website (www.nrcan.gc.ca[1]). Visitors to the website can register for upcoming informational webinars and look up SmartWay partners (i.e. carriers, shipping firms and logistics companies, some of which are multimodal).

The next step is to use the free shipper tool to determine and share the extent to which the business uses SmartWay carrier companies. This takes a few minutes and involves providing details about the business’ operations and environmental standards.

Finally, the completed form is submitted for SmartWay Canada’s approval. The program is voluntary and once SmartWay approves a business as a new partner, all that business needs to do is continue to use the shipping tool on an annual basis. It may seem like a small change to make, but every step helps—and can have major consequences.

By giving companies a free, easy-to-use tool for tracking their operations, SmartWay aims to both reduce their negative environmental impact and improve their functional efficiency. And indeed, many partner organizations end up finding more efficient processes for creating their products through efforts to reduce emissions.

Another benefit is the ability to promote a business as a SmartWay partner, with SmartWay-certified vehicles, so as to distinguish the company from its competitors. The SmartWay label conveys to environmentally conscious customers that the business in question is taking steps to become more sustainable. This can make a real difference in sales, as some companies have chosen to work specifically with SmartWay partners.

Recognition of efforts
Customers are not the only ones who will recognize such efforts. As an additional incentive, the SmartWay program offers its own special recognition of partners who go above and beyond expectations in reducing their emissions and making their facilities more sustainable.

Each year, for example, the SmartWay Excellence Awards are handed out to companies that demonstrate particularly high performance in environmental sustainability. Not only are shippers considered for the awards because of their high fuel efficiency and great mileage, but small businesses are also given their own award category, so they can avoid having to compete with larger companies with more resources. Along with the SmartWay label, the awards are a great way to impress new and existing customers.

Further, the SmartWay website honours a ‘partner of the month,’ so as to highlight the good work done by its various partners. This regular feature, based on interviews with the partners, provides further recognition to those who have successfully implemented the program, while also providing different perspectives of and ideas about how best to improve efficiency and lower emissions.

High-profile participants
As mentioned, many businesses are specifically choosing to ship products with SmartWay partners. One major example in the sign and graphics industry is wide-format printer manufacturer HP, which has participated in the program since 2008.

“We only use SmartWay-approved carriers in North America,” says a representative of the company. “Part of being an environmentally responsible company is shipping responsibly.”

On the shipping side, another example of a high-profile program participant is Ryder, which manages fleets of rental vehicles at approximately 800 facilities in North America and around the world. In addition to renting out and selling used vehicles, Ryder now also offers supply-chain services, including drivers, routing and scheduling, so it is especially important for its business operations to be both timely and seamless.

Ryder joined the SmartWay program as a partner in 2004, when it was first launched in the U.S. Since then, the company has made a concerted effort to integrate SmartWay as part of its overall emissions reduction strategy. Currently, 89 per cent of its freight miles are travelled by SmartWay-approved carriers.

Ryder uses the online SmartWay partner tool for many purposes, including the measurement of existing emissions, the sharing of data with customers and the development of new goals and strategies to improve efficiency and sustainability throughout the enterprise.

“We have been actively engaged with the program for more than 10 years because improving our fuel efficiency and transportation services is central to the services we deliver to our customers,” says Nanci Tellam, Ryder’s environmental services and sustainability group director. “Providing best-in-class vehicles, engineering, maintenance and fuelling offers our customers industry-leading transportation services that minimize related emissions.  The SmartWay program encourages and educates freight carriers to track their fuel consumption, report it and improve their performance annually.”

A helping hand
SmartWay is not just for large businesses, though. Any wide-format printing company that ships products to customers can become part of the program and will see a big difference in its facility. This has certainly been the case for graphics providers across Canada and the U.S. that have opted to join, many of whom have seen major success in their implementations.

While the program is still relatively new to Canada, the broad success of participants in the U.S. is a positive indicator of how much it can make a difference. Since the program’s launch in 2004, SmartWay partners have reduced their oil consumption by 65 million barrels, equivalent to taking five million cars off the road for a full year, which gives a good idea of the environmental implications and the savings in terms of gas and other transportation costs.

Businesses can join SmartWay at any time of year. When registering for their first time, they only need the past three to four months’ worth of data available to use the online tool. Afterwards, they will need to fill out the same form annually, entering only data from the past year.

As mentioned, SmartWay Canada regularly offers free webinars to help potential partners understand how they can use the tool, in addition to covering other related topics. There are also designated contacts who SmartWay partners can work with via phone or e-mail, whether they are just getting started or trying to resolve new issues.

In the wide-format printing industry, as is the case for other types of businesses, sustainability has become a significant market differentiator. And while there are many different ways to make a print production facility more environmentally friendly, few are available with as little commitment of time or money as the SmartWay program.

This Earth Day will be a great opportunity for more of these businesses to take the next step toward reducing their carbon footprint, streamlining their operations and increasing their customers’ satisfaction.

Allison Lundy is a regulatory assistant for the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA), a not-for-profit printing industry organization. For more information, contact her via e-mail at allison@sgia.org[2].

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/wide-format-printing-reducing-the-environmental-impact-of-shipping-graphics/

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