Environment & Safety

The Value and Environmental Impact

Print is often criticized for its loss of value and importance in the market, as well as its impact on the environment. It is essential to convey the message that print is important to brand recognition and the sales process, and that we are an environmentally and socially responsible industry.

The following tools and resources have been developed to help printers convey these messages to the media, your customers, the government, and other industries.

Tools and Resources

Web Resources

• Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP) This voluntary program is designed to reduce the environmental impact and increase social responsibility of the print and graphic communications industry. It recognizes and acknowledges printers who are committed to sustainable and green printing through a formal registry program. 
• The Green Guide for Graphic Communications  (member log in required)
  The Green Guide for Graphic Communications provides a step-by-step approach to evaluating and marketing your sustainability profile.This resource can help you make appropriate and credible green claims; issue periodic reports on your green progress; better understand third-party certification and eco-labels; and more.
• Chain-of-Custody Certification Assistance
• Printing Industries of America Green and Sustainability Services
• Printing Industries Association, Inc. of Southern California’s Choose Print Campaign www.chooseprint.org
• Print in the Mix: A Clearinghouse of Research on Print Media Effectiveness A clearinghouse advocating print as a viable and effective ROI in the marketing media mix. This website presents compelling, verifiable, and factual data from a variety of academic and reputable sources that make the case for print.
• Two Sides is a non-profit organization created to promote the responsible production and use of print and paper and to improve sustainability standards and practices. Printing Industries of America supports Two Sides and is involved with them as an allied organization
• Printing Industries of America Environmental, Health, and Safety Staff 
• This group offers inquiry response—call or email with your EHS questions; a member listserv for EHS professionals in the printing industry; assistance with starting or continuing a sustainability program; and more.

Publications

• "The Truth About Print vs. Electronic Communication" This article, written by Printing Industries' Gary Jones, debunks the myths about electronics being environmentally superior to printed communication.
• “The Fine Print” PR Toolkit (member log in required)
• Use this toolkit to convey the value of print and counteract negative statements from the media and objections to print by the consumer. This packet of PDFs is filled with resources and statistics to help you communicate the value of print.
• Value of Print Poster
• Value of Print Brochure
• Full Page Ad/Flyer (color)
• Full Page Ad/Flyer (black-and-white) This full-page advertisement/flyer communicates the environmental impact of print, as well as its value. Four color and black-and-white high-res PDFs are available for download.
• Sky Radio Interview: Print’s Image As it Relates to the Environment 
• What Print Means to Us This audio recording features staff members of Printing Industries of America, the world’s largest graphic arts trade association, offering their thoughts on print and what it means to them.
• The Print & Graphic Association Mid Atlantic (PGAMA)offers the following resource: 
• Print Grows Trees Poster
• “Why Print? The Top Ten Ways Print Helps You Prosper” Full-color Brochure
• Why Print Brochure PDF (1.9 mb)
• Yes Print! This series of single-sheet flyers, each based on a specific print-related topic, such as Integrated Print, Mobile Marketing, ROI and Accountability, and Social Media is brought to you by The Print Council.
• Print Delivers Seminars, hosted by the Print Council, are designed to educate media and marketing decision makers about the role and advantages of print. On December 12, 2009, a seminar was held in Minneapolis. To view a brief clip of this event, go to http://printinthemix.cias.rit.edu/fastfacts/show/306.
• Advancing Print Procurement - A New Approach by William Gindlesperger

Facts and Summaries 

Newest Fast Facts from Print in the Mix

Newest Summaries from Print in the Mix

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