Search results matching tag 'environment'

Three print predictions for 2012

2044192 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:15:00 GMT

Do you wonder what the future has in store for us?
Do you ever wait in suspense to find out what will happen next?
Do you you follow the predictions of those who foretold the future?

The greatest of those who made predictions was Nostradamus.   Sadly, neither he nor any others ever made any predictions about the print industry. So, in the absence of his input, I am going put myself into the role of a great visionary. Here are my three print predictions for 2012.

1)   In 2012 print will be truly interactive
I believe that in 2012 communicators are really going to understand how print can work with other channels. Print will no longer be regarded as something that stands on its own. Instead, people will use it in conjunction with other channels.

QR codes will become commonplace. There will be more experimentation with other ways in which print can interact. And we will see augmented reality starting to be used more widely.

These changes will offer both opportunities and threats to the print sector. Print companies will have to learn these new technologies to stay in the game. But these new technologies will also offer good opportunities to move print away from the commodity pricing arena.

And the main reason for this will be that print is becoming more measurable.

2)   In 2012 we will start hearing about return on investment for print more often
Now that print will drive prospects to other channels, its success can be properly measured. If I put a QR code, or a specific url, on a piece of print today I can immediately check whether my campaign works. I know exactly how many people have taken action as a result of seeing that piece of print.

The return on investment for print can now also be properly measured. It is possible to work out exactly how much profit is generated by a print campaign.

The relative efficiency of print versus other channels can also be measured. E-mail may seem cheap. However, if it does not generate any revenue against specific target markets then it is a waste of money.

So now marketing teams and publishers can work out exactly how print measures up. They can understand exactly when it should be used in preference to other channels. And what profits they will gain from print. And I have no doubt that they will understand that print is still a vital medium to use to engage with people.

And there’s another reason why print will remain a vital medium.

3)   In 2012 the environmental benefits of print will become understood
Measuring the environmental impact of work is becoming more important. People will begin to measure the environmental footprint of e-communication in more detail.

I believe that print will come out very well in comparisons. There is a huge long term impact of the server farms required for e-communication. And there is the issue of disposing of all the devices that read e-communication. In contrast, print is easily recyclable or compostable.

In 2012, I predict that claims that asking for e-communication as an environmentally friendly option will no longer be believed.

Of course my predictions may be wrong
But Nostradamus was notorious for accuracy and poor timing of his predictions. So I claim the same right to be inaccurate too!

P.S. If you want to find out if I’m right or not, and to read more about important trends in print, you should sign for my regular articles. You’ll also get a copy of “Ten Common Print Buying Errors And What To Do About Them”, worth £25, for free. Click here to get your copy.

Print buyers: is your environmentally friendly printer really environmentally friendly?

2044192 — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:28:00 GMT

A better world.
Higher living standards.
A new future.

Politicians promise a lot. But do you really believe everything that they say? Or do you just think politicians blow a load of hot air?

Let’s face it; there are quite a few politicians out there that offer us a lot. But do they really deliver?

Just like a politician’s promise, an FSC certification can appear to offer more than it delivers.

FSC certification does not necessarily mean that a printer is environmentally friendly
An FSC certified printer does not have to be environmentally friendly. FSC certification only means that a printer has a good paper management system. It only means that a printer can track FSC paper to the correct job.

Of course, many FSC certified printers are very conscious about their environmental impact. But how does a buyer tell? Here are three ways to see if your print supplier really cares about their impact on the environment.

1)   Environmentally friendly printers usually have certification
Most printers that have a true environmental programme usually have some form of certification to prove it. The trouble is that there are so many different certifications. Which one should you trust?

The most common environmental certification is ISO14001. However, some print buyers insist that their suppliers hold ISO14001. They ignore the fact that there are plenty of other certifications out there. And some certifications are more rigorous, such as EMAS.

And there are also some printers who have a great environmental record but don’t hold any certification. So how else does a printer prove that they are environmentally friendly?

2)   Environmentally friendly printers consistently measure and reduce
A printer that really cares about their impact on the environment wants to reduce their impact on the environment. So they will measure their impact and announce how they are reducing it.

Here are some useful environmental measurements:
-   Energy usage
-   Water usage
-   Landfill tonnage as a percentage of total waste
-   Vehicle miles
-   Factory emissions

A print buyer should be able to ask about these measurements and receive a swift response. But who at the printer can answer the print buyer’s question?

3)   Environmentally friendly printers make sure that all staff are engaged with their policy
An environmentally friendly printer should make sure that all staff understand the environmental policy. And the staff should be actively involved in reducing environmental impact. They should all be recycling and reducing waste. It always surprises me how few staff at some printers know or care about the environmental policy.

But sometimes it seems that some customers don’t care about the environment either.

Doesn't a company look green enough with just an FSC logo on its print?
A company with a true environmental policy should ensure that all its suppliers work to the same standards. And a company can often gain other benefits through this strategy.

Environmentally friendly printers measure all waste. So they are often more efficient than their competitors. And they are often more forward looking too.

Environmentally friendly printers can often offer several advantages to the print buyer.

Here are three steps to see if your printer is really environmentally friendly
1)   Ask what certifications they hold
2)   Ask for their figures in reducing waste
3)   Ask the staff if they know about the environmental policy and what they are doing to comply with it

You will soon find out if your printer really believes in the environment. Or if they just pay lip service to it.

Some printers promise you lots. But then they just blow a load of hot air
Just like some politicians…

Baling out the environment

2103610 — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:36:00 GMT

Put in place an environmental management system that can reduce waste going to landfill by 79% in nine months, says Priority Mailing and Digital Print managing director Terry Turner.

"It is easy to be unaware of the savings to be made by recycling waste paper, cardboard and polythene. We have reduced waste going to landfill by 79% over the past nine months simply by putting card and paper into half tonne bales and polythene in 75kg bales for recycling.

"The weekly cost of buying a suitable size baler is small when compared with the landfill tax paid for disposing of these items. Add to this the payment received for recycled items and the cost is covered."

Act small, think big

2103610 — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:08:00 GMT

Make small environmental changes at the workplace, says Greg Priest, works director at Quentin Press.

"One of the most effective changes we have made is the use of processless plates, allowing the complete removal of plate making chemistry. In the printroom, we have a filtration system in the water recirculation units which prolongs the condition of the fount water mix to at least three times its normal life, meaning less chemical waste needs to be removed from the site annually.

"All presses are now alcohol-free, our oldest Komori press was converted to alcohol-free after eight years, so it can be done.

"Take time to encourage staff and management alike has led to ideas from all departments and has proved key to making environmental changes in the work place.

"Use a chipper to relieve the build-up of broken pallets, which we all know are a pain to get rid of, has saved sending them to landfill – just one of the ideas that came from a member of staff."

Don't go the extra mile

2103610 — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:17:00 GMT

Reduce the miles involved in getting the product to market, says Ian Collinson, managing director of Parker & Collinson.

The commercial printer has recently diversified and launched book publishing company Weathervane Press.

Collinson says: "I want to try to get stock printed digitally and locally, in short runs. The same would apply if an overseas market developed.

"In other words, I want to reduce the book miles involved in getting the product to market."

Batch jobs together to cut energy usage

2245952 — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:36:00 GMT

Batch jobs together to reduce energy consumption, says Claire Lewins, commercial director at Redwood.

"Understanding your customer’s business is vital and we attempt to learn as much as possible. We can then ensure we take an informed approach towards their forthcoming print requirements, as well as the immediate ones.

"We can then look at ways of reducing the impact on the environment by batching jobs together. This has the effect of reducing the energy consumption of the machinery, reducing paper wastage and emissions from transportation, and also ink and chemical wastage.

"We are able to get customers to adopt this approach by passing on cost savings which we make as a result. This is very popular in the current climate and also for customers wanting to improve their eco-credentials further – a saving which can cover the cost of adopting papers with a higher recycled content or similar."

Tapping into creative solutions

2103610 — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:52:00 GMT

Evaluate your suppliers, says Manor Creative’s marketing manager Ryan Gearing.

“We have recently been looking at paper to the net effect. Not only are we financially better off by having greater buying power from a smaller number of suppliers, but we have also elected to source from suppliers more local to our premises. This not only means we can benefit from more timely deliveries and shorter lead times but also reduces our carbon footprint in terms of inbound logistics which we measure. Our residual offsetting is then also reduced as a result.”

The company said it has also been looking at ways to reduce energy consumption with lighting surveys and is due to install concussion taps to conserve water in the washrooms and heating controls connected to shutter doors for when loading bay doors are left open.

Manor Creative has also replaced all its plate kit with Fuji Pro-T processless plates. It said that this has removed all harmful chemicals from the plate process, removed some electrical equipment and reduced its water consumption by some 250,000 litres per annum.

Put the greenwashing out to dry

2103610 — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:57:00 GMT

Beware of greenwashing, says Ricoh UK environmental and compliance manager Tim Taylor.

“The term greenwashing has emerged to describe vague green claims that cannot be substantiated. Any company that cannot answers questions about its activities, or is unclear about the detail, is probably guilty of greenwashing to some extent.

“Often a copy shop can think it is doing the right thing by the environment by signing up to a cartridge collection scheme, for example, but all too often its toner bottles will still end up in landfill.

“Forward-thinking, responsible printers should be auditing suppliers to make sure they are doing what they say they are. One simple way to guarantee transparency is to only work with companies that are ISO14001; 2004 accredited.”

Drive down landfill by reducing van miles

2103610 — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:44:00 GMT

Cut the number of skips going to landfill, says Mike Seamarks, part-owner and director at Newnorth Print.

"We have cut our skips to landfill by 90%. Although redundant or broken wooden pallets have always been a source of concern to dispose of, they often give rise to a disposal charge or the van miles are often up to 40 miles.

"We now supply these locally free of charge to people with a wood-burning stove to which a testimonial is available. As this is within two to three miles of the factory, van miles are also reduced.

"Further we have an open offer to our workforce, as four laid out in a square make a very good compost frame such as for grass clippings.

"The interleave sheets inbetween the aluminum printing plates are supplied free of charge to a local removals company as packing materials."

Environmental bliss is a ticked-off list

2103610 — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:56:00 GMT

Measure to manage and feedback, says Clare Taylor, environmental consultant at Clare Taylor Consulting.

"Before starting out on environmental initiatives, measure to find out what your starting point is. It doesn’t need to be absolutely precise as long as it’s enough for you to judge results.

"If you are planning to cut the waste you send to landfill, for example, it can be as simple as checking how many full or half-full bins or skips are taken on average each week. Then keep measuring to check progress. And set firm targets, so you know what you are aiming for.

"It’s a management truism that applies to environmental improvements as much as anything else – you can’t manage if you are not measuring. Measuring also helps you feed back to staff on what they’ve achieved – very important for keeping people motivated.

"Margaret Thatcher reputedly stated that 'happiness is a ticked-off list'. A met target – or milestone along the way – can have similar therapeutic effects."