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The Environmental Paper Network is a diverse group of environmental organizations joined together to support socially and environmentally sustainable transformations within the pulp and paper industry.  The Network developed the Common Vision as a framework to guide necessary shifts in production and consumption.

The following tools and resources are provided in an effort to increase the knowledge base regarding paper and its impacts and solutions for advancing innovation.
    

1.  Paper Purchaser's Guide

2.  The Paper Calculator

3.  Paper Related Statistics

4.  Educational Materials

5.  Reports

6.  Organizational Links

7.  Maps

8.  Pulp Tracking Forms

9.  Glossary of Terms

Green printing is more than using recycled paper.  California is one of the forerunners in recognizing that not only does the ink and paper matter -- but the printing processes including washing the press after every run.  Many operations you never see make a difference in green printing.  Including getting the printed product TO you.

GreenPrinter has put together a solid green printing strategy.  They offer a variety of FSC certified paper stocks for your diverse needs -- from weights to finishes.  They offset transportation by purchasing offsets.  They participate in their local green business certification program as well as FSC certification.  This is good!  I always love to see a company's growth in their green strategies and I've watched GreenerPrinter for several years. 

My hat is off to this greener approach to resource management and quality business service.

Eco-friendly design, printing and online print ordering from GreenPrinter

Conduct your printing online using recycled papers and a green certified company. GreenerPrinter delivers green  quality printing and design and they're 100% Wind-Powered via Renewable Energy Credits (REC's).

That's why in addition to featuring recycled papers exclusively, GreenerPrinter also:

• Adhere to the strict environmental standards of being a locally Certified Green Business.
  
  
• Operate on 100% Wind Power through investments in Renewable Energy Credits (REC's).
  
  
• Print using only water-based coatings and soy & vegetable based inks.
  
  
• Offset the carbon emissions of our shipments through the purchase of carbon offset credits.
  
  
• Adhere to the practices outlined in GreenerPrinter's FSC Chain-of-Custody Certification.
  
  
• Eliminate dangerous chemicals and compounds from the GreenerPrinter production facility.
  
  
• Invest in printing technologies that reduce makeready and ink wash-ups, and eliminate plate processing.

Greenprinter
Berkeley, CA 94710
http://www.greenerprinter.com

Green Products Under Scrutiny

Many manufacturers claim their products are environmentally-friendly, but how green are they? Priya David reports.

Green is the catchword for natural resources conservation in today's marketplace. The short is short and sweet, almost genetic in its core understanding. We love green...the trees and grass and food sources.

But green products and services require a healthy dose of realism and conscience beyond those universal understandings. By one count, manufacturers launched 328 supposedly environmentally friendly products last year, up from just 5 in 2002.

"Environmental" claims such as rcycled content, non-toxic ingredients, lower emissions, etc. must pass Federal Trade Commission standards on packaging and in advertising.

Certifications such as USDA organic, EnergyStar, LEED, and Canadian EcoLogo auditing and verification programs help consumers sort "marketing slime" from verifiable, measurable, specific claims.

The FTC is cracking down on green marketing. They are accelerating review of  aging FTC "environmental claims" requirements ahead of their normal scheduled review. Watch for increased scrutiny...and labeling specifics. Get ready to have your products tested, reviewed, certified and audited if you want to tap into the green marketplace.

Reference: CBS Interactive. May 18, 2008

THE WAL-MART SUSTAINABILITY SCORECARD

It’s likely that you’ll soon have to comply with your customers’ sustainability initiatives as well as your own. That's the case if you provide products for the Wal-Mart chain of retail outlets.

Wal-Mart has taken a "lifecycle approach" to packaging with objectives covering reduction in waste and renewable energy. Nine weighted parameters of Wal-Mart's sustainability scorecard are measured for their prospective and current vendors.

Wal-Mart has told its buyers that, starting in 2008, they should consider the packaging scores when choosing among various products for its Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores. Matt Kistler, Vice President - Package and Product Innovations, Sam's Club Wal-Mart

Part of the challenge in rolling out greener products is informing customers about changes that affect their perception of savings. Wal-Mart's April 2008 "Earth Month" promotion is highlighting its greener products and informing customers how making better choices, especially on a large scale, can cause a difference. Wal-Mart is featuring more than 50 products in stores and 500 online, from transitional cotton shirts to mulch made from rubber to Clorox Green Works products.

The majority of Wal-Mart's environmental footprint comes from suppliers. The company has direct control on about 8 percent of its footprint, with the remaining 92 percent coming from its supply chain.

To green its supply chain the company launched a it's "Wal-Mart Packaging Scorecard" in 2007 . By filling in information about products' packaging, suppliers are rated and find out their rank in relation to peers. Kistler said Wal-Mart works with suppliers, telling them what they can do to improve and let them know what other suppliers have done to reduce packaging.

Sustainable packaging: Is beneficial, safe & healthy for individuals and communities throughout its life cycle; Meets market criteria for performance and cost; Is sourced, manufactured, transported, and recycled using renewable energy; Maximizes the use of renewable or recycled source materials; Is manufactured using clean production technologies and best practices; Is made from materials healthy in all probable end of life scenarios; Is physically designed to optimize materials and energy; Is effectively recovered and utilized in biological and/or industrial cradle to cradle cycles. The criteria presented here blend broad sustainability objectives with business considerations and strategies that address the environmental concerns related to the life cycle of packaging. These criteria relate to the activities of our membership and define the areas in which we actively seek to encourage transformation, innovation and optimization. We believe that by successfully addressing these criteria, packaging can be transformed into a cradle to cradle flow of packaging materials in a system that is economically robust and provides benefit throughout the life cycle—a sustainable packaging system. SOURCE: Sustainable Packaging Coalition

Whether it's called sustainable packaging, green packaging, biodegradable packaging, or natural packaging, there is a growing consumer demand for sustainable products. There is also a growing sense of urgency from product manufacturers - especially consumer packaged goods companies (CPGs) - to develop sustainable business practices based on the increasingly limited availability of traditional packaging materials.

Optimizing packaging materials, reducing shipping weight and cube, and increasing packaging cubic densities can lead to significant savings. While there may be minimal material savings in direct packaging costs, it can have a multiplier effect on the cost of transportation, handling and storage. A change in packaging can create a ripple effect throughout the supply chain producing efficiency gains, dramatic cost-savings and reduced energy consumption.

In spite of sustainable packaging becoming more mainstream (i.e. more major brand owners using sustainable materials for their packaging), finding sustainable solutions to meet consumer demands and corporate citizenship objectives is still a daunting challenge for packaging professionals.

The Packaging Summit Expo and Conference
May 13-15, 2008
Donald Stephens Convention Center,
Rosemont, IL
262-782-1900
www.pkgsummit.com