Environment - Consumables

 

Realising the magnitude of increasing environmental pressures, Sun Chemical has now joined IGS UK as an important UK sponsor of Colorgreen’s incentive which encourages users of solvent-based wide-format printers to dispose of their used cartridges. By using the company’s free recycling service, businesses are not only helping to reduce landfill but are also complying with legislation being brought into force by the Health & Safety Executive.

The brainchild of IGS UK, specialist UK ink distributor, Colorgreen is a free recycling scheme which is easy to integrate into existing green schedules and policies. By registering on the Colorgreen web site, participants are sent boxes which, when filled with used cartridges, are collected and replaced by courier.

Simplicity has proved to be the key with Colorgreen, confirming that working within environmental parameters need be neither costly nor complicated to bring into effect. The added attraction to users of wide-format solvent-based ink cartridges is that the responsibility is transferred away from their businesses to a third-party specialist who will take care of removal and disposal.

Returned cartridges are either recycled for further use or, depending on their condition, are broken down and used in new products which utilise recycled materials. The Colorgreen initiative is successful in simplifying the red tape and mystery surrounding the disposal of waste products which contain hazardous elements.

Since introducing the scheme, 61 companies signed up immediately to be regular users of the Colorgreen initiative. Growth is estimated to be double that number each month, and this looks set to increase with Sun Chemical’s sponsorship and as legislation becomes more stringent. Colorgreen also offers links on its web site to the key sources which should be studied by every user of solvent-based wide-format printers in order to understand environmental law as it stands today.

Further information and sign-up information is available by visiting www.colorgreen.co.uk

 

More than 80% of Océ wide format plain paper media now environmentally certified

Océ Imaging Supplies, one of the world’s largest paper converters and market leader in wide format printing media, has gained PEFC sustainability certification for a large part of its product range.

Provides sustainability assurance of Océ papers

The PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes) certification gives users a number of important assurances about the sustainability of the Océ papers concerned. As a result of this certification, Océ is entitled to use the PEFC label and logo on its packaging. In addition to the new PEFC certification, Océ also holds the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain-of-custody certification.

Committed to sustainability throughout value chain

“These certifications give users of our papers a further assurance of our commitment to sustainability right through the sourcing and production chain,” says Hans van der Laan, International Product Manager of Océ Imaging Supplies. “PEFC provides a transparent system of tracking extending from forest right through to end-product, giving users the assurance that the products originate from legal and sustainable sources. By 2010 more than 90% of the paper volume sourced by Océ will carry a certification label for paper coming from sustainable sources.”

Basis for credible and sustainable procurement

PEFC certification now forms the basis for a credible and sustainable paper procurement policy by providing a fully audited, verifiable supply chain from forest to end use. This allows companies to integrate Chain of Custody certification into their own quality management and control systems. Certification was granted to Océ Imaging Supplies following a detailed audit of the company’s sourcing and production policies.

Certification covers wide range of Océ papers

The PEFC certification applies to 75% of the volume of Océ wide format plain paper media. LFM054 Océ Red Label Paper and LFM022 Océ Black Label Paper are PEFC certified. LFM116 Océ Top Label Paper is FSC certified. Full information about other Océ PEFC and FSC certified media grades can be found in the Océ Media Guide.

Five lucky winners of the new Two Sides competition will see sustainable forestry and papermaking in action

Two Sides is offering five competition winners the opportunity to visit the forestry and papermaking facilities of  one of Europe's leading paper producers. The competition is part of the Two Sides multifaceted awareness campaign recently launched across the UK to promote the sustainability of print and paper as 'Renewable, Recyclable and Powerful'.

"The prize is a fantastic opportunity to spend time in some of Europe's forests, seeing how trees are harvested and then replanted, and then follow the pulping process through to final paper production," says Two Sides spokesman Martyn Eustace. "Seeing paper being made, and realising how trees are a natural and renewable resource is always a trip that people remember. There are those that believe that our forests are diminishing but in Europe, where more than 90% of our paper comes from, forests have grown by 30% since 1950 and are increasing by 1.5 million football pitches every year."

Hosting the visit for five winners are Stora Enso, UPM Kymmene, Mondi Uncoated Fine Papers, grupo Portucel Soporcel and Sappi. These organisations will look after the winners and their colleagues over two or three days, and ensure that there is time not only for discovering more about the industry but also relaxing and enjoying some of the local hospitality.

It is easy to enter the competition on the Two Sides website (www.twosides.info), where visitors can also find facts and figures plus general information about the sustainable graphic communication supply chain.

The Two Sides' campaign to raise awareness about Print and Paper's good environmental record and dispel many myths that people may have is gaining momentum. The second postcard pack is due to hit the desks of 21,000 media specifiers and influencers around the UK over the next couple of weeks.

The creative postcard campaign has been designed and coordinated by the 300million agency and integrated communications management firm The Lateral Group. Two Sides is targeting those who have the most influence in the choice of communications media including: agencies and designers, corporates, retailers, government, journalists, politicians and publishers.

The latest mailing features six postcards (printed on Freelife Cento and Vellum donated by Fedrigoni) that educate and enlighten.  Each card is illustrated by Holly Sims a London-based, freelance illustrator creating exciting, colourful and bold illustrations for companies including, most recently, Orange. Combining the textured look of printed and stencil shapes, with clever compositions and ideas, Holly's illustrations perfectly reflect the creative properties of paper.

"It's important to correct many common misperceptions about the production and use of print and paper", explains Martyn Eustace, Two Sides Director. "It is an essential part of today's media mix and we are working hard to wake people up to the fact that print media is powerful and sustainable."

The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) schemes is delighted to announce that Alun Watkins has been appointed as the new National Secretary for PEFC UK. Alun Watkins will take up his post in January 2010.

He will take over the reins at PEFC from William Walker who announced his intention to retire earlier this year. 

Watkins has been working in the timber and furniture industries for the past 25 years, the last 15 of which has seen him strengthen his involvement with environmental issues.

Before joining PEFC UK, Alun Watkins worked for The Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) as Health, Safety & Environmental consultant where he provided services including offering advice and guidance to the furniture industry on all aspects of environmental compliance including chain of custody, as well as managing the industry specific initiative - Club Green. He was also instrumental in the development and promotion of the Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme (FISP) and chaired the Furniture Industry Environment Committee.

Commenting on the appointment, PEFC UK Chairman Peter Latham said, "William has done a splendid job as National Secretary for the past five years in getting the PEFC programme to its current position. When he took on this role in 2005, there were only 70 companies with PEFC chain of custody certification and the figure currently stands at over 1,300.  The Board recognises the immense contribution that he has made to the organisation and we now look forward to his successor building on the firm foundations that William has laid down. We are confident that Alun's previous experience in the timber and furniture industry and knowledge of certification will be invaluable in helping PEFC to strengthen its position in the UK market".

When it comes to the environment, Neschen AG and HP work together. As a certifi-cated development partner of HP, coating specialist from Bückeburg Neschen AG has collaborated with the inkjet manufacturer to develope digitally printable media which are ideal for HP’s latex inks and printers.

In terms of quality and versatility, the water-based HP latex inks are similar to solvent-based inks. On Neschen media, they have maximum brilliance – a deep black with glossy, intense colours. The pictures are pin-sharp and are radiant on the materials. But as far as the environment and health and safety are concerned, they are significantly less polluting. Digital prints produced with HP latex inks have no odour and release extremely low levels of volatile organic compounds.

During printing, they produce no ozone and are free of any other hazardous air pollutants. Special ventilation is not neces-sary and there are no requirements for emissions. Neither are they flammable or combustible, and they are not classified as hazardous wastes.

“Neschen AG traditionally relies on environmentally friendly products and processes” said Frank Seemann who is in charge of Marketing and Communication at Neschen AG in Bückeburg. “This now includes the eco-friendly digital print using latex inks. We worked in close collaboration with HP to develop the print media to suit. Thus, high quality is ensured.”

Used together with the HP Designjet L65500, printing services are now able to cover a wide variety of different applications. These range from POP, street and building advertising to exhi-bition design and vehicle signing as well as a huge variety of signs for events and functions. For these applications, latex print technology provides durable, odourless prints. They also offer a high level of versatility and productivity so that printing services are able to increase their capacities while minimising their impact on the environment.

“Resource and energy-saving production is increasingly impor-tant these days” continued Frank Seemann. “New concepts are required as a result of stricter environmental controls and the greater consumer awareness of green issues. As one of the leading suppliers in the book protection and graphics industries, Neschen AG recognised this trend some time ago and consis-tently relies on green production processes and materials. A current example of this is the print media for latex inks.”

Neschen AG also offers a high level of production security with a comprehensive service including advice on all its products and applications. The consistent high quality and wide choice of media for commonly used ink systems goes without saying. Neschen customers enjoy a special free service – download-able ICC profiles and the Neschen Colour Concept.