Environmentally Responsible Printing

 

FSC Certified Paper

Corporate social responsibility issues are becoming a core component of corporate brands. Dealing responsibly with your company’s footprint cannot only reduce risk, but can enhance your brand if you walk the walk and know how to talk about it. Carrying the FSC-certification logo on your print products tells the world that you support the highest social and environmental standards in the market where you use paper. Your purchase of FSC-certified paper and print products contribute to conservation, responsible management, and community level benefits for people near the forests that provide your paper.

The U.S. is the largest market for paper products in the world, producing 90 million tons of paper annually and, in-turn, consuming about 100 million tons. Despite improved technologies for refining post consumer pulp, virgin fiber is still a significant requirement, as only 35% of current consumption is met by using recycled fiber; in addition, approximately 25% of recovered fiber is exported out of US markets. Roughly 25% by volume of timber cut annually in the US is used for paper production.
While recycled fiber is a key element of the traditional model for responsible consumption, it is becoming increasingly clear that forest management in the production of the wood used in paper manufacturing, has more fundamental importance than even recycled fiber. The use of alternative fibers, chemical treatment and resulting effluence are other factors important to the responsible purchasing of paper and board. Old Trail can help you decide which paper is best for your needs. You can find more on FSC certified products by visiting www.fsc.org

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Braden Sutphin “Eco-Smart” Inks

Old Trail is proud to partner with Braden Sutphin Inks in keeping the printing model as green as possible. Environmentally friendly inks are not new to Braden Stuphin’s product line. In fact, long before the popularization of soya inks, Braden Sutphin offered printers eco-friendly sheetfed products formulated with linseed and tung oils.
Now, in response to printers, print customers and end users becoming increasingly interested in environmentally friendly products and sustainability efforts, Braden Sutphin has developed the EcoSmart certification program.

Under the EcoSmart program guidelines developed by our technical director, an ink product will carry the EcoSmart seal if it meets the requirements below. We will continue to evaluate the EcoSmart program guidelines and make necessary adjustments as technology and the industry evolve.
Conventional oil base sheetfed inks must meet each of the following requirements in order to qualify for EcoSmart certification:

• Contain no more than 5% Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Test Method 24, or as calculated from accumulated data on the ingredients contained in the product
• Contain a minimum of 45% of renewable resource content as calculated from accumulated data on the ingredients contained in the product
• Contain no more than 5% by weight of petroleum distillates
• Meet Council of Northeast Governors Coalition (CONEG) regulation for packaging, with a combined heavy metal total of less than 100 ppm of mercury, lead, cadmium and hexavalent chromium

Learn more about Eco-Smart inks by visiting Braden Sutphin's website.

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“It’s Worth Printing,” part of International Paper’s “Down to Earth” Environmental Series

It’s important to prove the economic and environmental value of print on paper in these critical times. Keeping print viable for future generations requires knowing and sharing the facts, as well as acting with both purpose and principle. Is it worth printing?
Doing business requires maintaining a balance
Among economic, environmental and social needs. Printing on paper meets those criteria. It’s a way to drive business in a renewable way — to be more effective in your communications and to be more sustainable. It’s worth printing if you incorporate environmental stewardship in your business, encourage your suppliers and customers to do the same and use printed materials wisely.
According to the latest research on advertising, printed communications are making a significant contribution to the economy and have a positive impact on business. Statistics show the following:

• Campaigns combining direct mail and internet yield up to an additional 25 percent response rate.
• Nearly 80 percent of households either read or scan advertising mail sent to their household.
• Direct mail gives advertisers a whopping 13-to-1 return on their investment.
• Nearly 80 percent of internet users surveyed said they were directly influenced to purchase an item or service because of a direct mail.
• Brand recall is substantially higher using print vs. onscreen. On-screen information is 20 to 30 percent more difficult to read.
• Small and medium businesses still rely on newspaper and magazine articles (44 percent) and direct mail, including letters, postcards and catalogs (44 percent) to get results.

“Down to Earth” Series

International Paper launched an environmental series in 2008 called Down to Earth™ that has received outstanding responses. With Down to Earth, we hope to clear up some of the myths and misconceptions about our industry and dispel these myths with thought provoking educational pieces that help our collective customers and others better understand complex environmental topics.

Series 1: Where does your paper come from?
Series 2: Is recycled paper the best you can do?
Series 3: How big is your carbon footprint?
Series 4: A Practical Look At Environmental - Pixels vs. Paper
Series 5: The Benefit of Certification Labels and Logos
Series 6: How Does Using Paper Lead to More Trees?
Series 7: Is It Worth Printing?

You can learn more about International Paper’s “Down to Earth” Series by visiting International Paper’s website.