Sustainability has moved front and center in the business world, with educated consumers expressing a preference for companies that embrace sustainable practices. Even major enterprises such as Walmart are bending to the wishes of consumers by making sustainability pivotal to their business’ core values. From there, every company along the supply chain that supplies Walmart was affected, including those that print signage, labels, packaging, and more.
Even if your print production operation does not factor into the supply chain of a larger entity that is embracing sustainable values, you could boost your business by embracing sustainable business practices. In fact, research shows that consumers are even more concerned with the environment in 2022 than they have been in previous years — and they are more likely to patronize businesses who put the environment first.
Smart production print operations are turning to green practices to gain a competitive advantage in the burgeoning production print marketplace. This article will address several options for adding sustainable products, services, or technologies into your workplace to boost your corporate responsibility profile and become a more sustainable operation.
Ways to Incorporate Sustainability in Your Production Print Operation
There are many ways your production print shop can incorporate green practices into everyday operations, from the mundane to the more esoteric:
Consider Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP) Certification
The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP) offers a certification that encompasses your entire operation and includes labor practices as well as health, safety, and environmental issues. While specific to printing, it comprises all processes from flexography and digital printing to lithography, screen printing, and even gravure. SGP printers are focused on decreasing waste, reducing energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions, increasing recycling, and improving worker safety, signaling your commitment to sustainability to your customers and giving your business a competitive edge.
Use — Or Sell — Green Products
Some printer brands such as Konica Minolta make a point of designing and building printers that are better and kinder for our planet. For example, some of their printers use a special technology that involves heating the roller’s surface only as opposed to the entire roller to reduce the use of power expended during the ink fixing process and to shorten warm up times. The same feature shuts off the fixing heat when no printing is being done to contribute even further to energy savings.
Additionally, most companies that are producing eco-friendly printers are also using green practices in their own enterprises, so purchasing from these companies can give your own business a sustainable boost.
Add — or Offer — Print Management
Managed print services can help your print business — and your customers’ — save money on printing and become more sustainable in several ways. First, print management programs often offer you the option to participate in a printer ink cartridge recycling program that helps to keep harmful e-waste out of overburdened landfills. In addition, a smart managed print strategy can help even production print businesses reduce paper consumption for non-essential print jobs and streamline paper-based workflows to conserve ink, paper, and energy.
Take a Closer Look at Your Inks
Commit to using sustainable inks — ones that are ethically sourced, have a smaller environmental impact, and are evaluated for life cycle based environmental performance — by choosing UL ECOLOGO-certified inks for use in your production environment. ECOLOGO certification is also available for products, packaging, and services that meet specific and rigorous environmental compliance standards.
Blue Technologies Has the Green You Need
At Blue Technologies, we have the green products — and practices — that can help move your print production operation into the green. Not only do we offer production printer models with eco-friendly features, such as those offered by industry leader Konica Minolta, but we also specialize in programs such as Managed Print services that can help you reduce print waste — and save money in the process.
Our team of experts can help you get the most out of your print facility by offering an extensive range of high-performing, eco-focused printers and print products from stand alone office printers to high volume production models.
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