Environment

International Paper has produced the fourth issue of The Environmental Post, the company’s very own “Green Newspaper” which contains news, features and facts on the latest developments at International Paper - and the paper industry in general - in the area of sustainability and the environment.

The new issue of The Environmental Post highlights International Paper EMEA’s initiative to align and formalise the environmental policy of its two core businesses in the region, Papers EMEA and EMEA Packaging. The policy has been embarked upon in response to customer demand for greater transparency, and centres around four platforms. These are

• managing natural resources
• managing its footprint
• recycling
• product innovation.

The initiative is an important milestone in International Paper’s efforts to improve its environmental performance and communication, and also includes the production of materials aimed at both customers and employees.

Also included within The Environmental Post are news items informing that two more of International Paper’s mills at Kwidzyn and Luiz Antonio have successfully passed the European Ecolabel audit, which will allow International Paper to apply the Ecolabel logo to its paper brands from these two mills.

With its inclusion in the FTSE4Good Index, International Paper has also been included on one of the most respected “good company” lists, in recognition of its successful and ongoing sustainability efforts.

Other topics featured within The Environmental Post include the release of International Paper’s latest 2010 Sustainability Report, documenting a wide range of topics and issues, including the company’s environmental performance and practices throughout the year.

Another publication recently released by International Paper EMEA is The Little Book of Commonsense, a new booklet which explains why paper is the real sustainable choice, and also provides some commonsense pointers to the paper discussion. The Littlebook of Commonsense is available in nine languages and can be obtained by emailing David.Higgins@ipaper.com

All of International Paper’s corrugated packaging plants in France have now been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which will provide International Paper’s customers with a credible link between responsible production and consumption of forest products.

The Environmental Post also reports on the success of the Two Sides campaign, in which some 27 major UK corporates, including banks, building societies, utilities and telecoms, have all been persuade to change or amend their e-billing messages. International Paper supports Two Sides, contributing financially every year to its development.

And finally, readers of The Environmental Post are invited to test their paper & forest knowledge, with a fun, online quiz about our precious natural resource. Readers can find out how by entering at www.internationalpaper.com/EMEA/Forest

For copies of The Environmental Post, please contact Mike Robertson, International Paper’s UK & Ireland Country Manager at mike.robertson@ipaper.com

EcoPrint Europe Live 2012 has announced that HP will be the headline partner for its inaugural event taking place in Berlin on 26th and 27th September next year.

Marcus Timson, Director, EcoPrint says, “We are absolutely delighted to have the support of HP as a headline partner for EcoPrint Europe 2012. To have such a prestigious technology leader as HP declaring its support for the event is a great endorsement of the concept and vision of EcoPrint.  HP is clearly committed to a sustainable strategy and therefore has plenty of expertise to contribute to the content and profile of EcoPrint and we are excited to be working in partnership with them.”

Ronen Zioni, Marketing Director, HP, GSB EMEA, adds, “Once again HP is recognised in News Week’s Top 25 US Sustainable Brands, and also features within the world’s top 100 sustainable brands. So it should come as no surprise that HP recognises that the EcoPrint event is both a great idea and the perfect platform for HP to communicate the message of sustainable print business to an audience of printers, agencies, marketers and brands. The reality is that the leading brands of the world are aligning their supply chains to their goals for carbon neutrality, and print must fall into line. At EcoPrint, HP will showcase innovative print technologies that enable a wide range of application projects in retail, interiors, point of sale, outdoor advertising and packaging as well as developing content for visitors and attendees looking for inspiration and information for sustainable, innovative and profitable print. We look forward to working with the EcoPrint team to create an exciting new event format for the print and marketing industries.”

EcoPrint will provide a focused attendance of professionals with guidance, support and inspiration for sustainability. At this early stage, nearly a full year from the event, EcoPrint has already received excellent support from potential exhibitors and visitors from around the world, suggesting that the industry is ready to embrace both the show and its vision of a profitable, sustainable future.

Frazer Chesterman, Director, EcoPrint, continues, “Despite a busy event calendar next year, it’s good to have HP’s confidence in this new concept as a showcase for their commitment to the big issue of sustainability in print. With their encouragement and involvement, the event will, I am sure, deliver significant value for participants, visitors and delegates.”

Stephen Goddard, Environmental Program Leadership Manager, HP, concludes, “The EcoPrint show is an event that has been needed for some time. I believe that sustainability is an essential ingredient for any modern, profitable business. The print industry needs a focus on this issue so we can equip ourselves to align with consumer needs, customer demands and legal compliance. By working together through a platform such as EcoPrint, I am sure we will be able to provide a strong path forward for any print professional to make positive and profitable change.”

For more information, please visit www.ecoprintshow.com

Fujifilm Europe has installed five wind turbines at its manufacturing and R&D site in Tilburg, The Netherlands.  The five Vestas V90 wind turbines, each able to generate a maximum of two megawatts, are capable of generating approximately 20% of the total energy used by the 63 hectare Tilburg site.  This development is part of an ambitious target set by FUJIFILM Manufacturing Europe B.V. to become a carbon neutral site, with the wind turbines alone likely to reduce CO2 emissions by 12,000 tonnes per year.

The company has also installed a water recycling facility, consisting of two large water purification units, on site. With these and other sustainability measures in place, FUJIFILM Manufacturing Europe B.V. estimates that it currently reuses 13% of the waste it produces, recycles 68%, regenerates 18% and so is left with less than 1% of the total site waste to dispose of.

To supplement these initiatives, however, Fujifilm is also investigating the possibility of cleaning some of the waste water the site generates for reuse within the production process, as well as the option of constructing a complete waste water treatment system on site, in collaboration with three neighbouring companies. In addition, a feasibility study is also in progress for replacing the natural gas used in production with bio-gas, with the results of this study due to be available at the end of 2011.

Ryuta Masui, senior vice president, FUJIFILM Europe GmbH, comments, “Fujifilm has always been committed to the environment as we feel that we have a responsibility to reduce our burden on the planet as much as possible.  With the last of our five windmills now in production, we are proud to be able to generate 20% of the energy we consume at our Tilburg manufacturing site through wind power.”

He continues, “It’s not only the way in which we manufacture our products that is important but also the products themselves. We aim to manufacture both processless and low-chemistry offset plates at this site, and are also in the process of developing other exciting products for sustainable applications in other areas of our business here at Tilburg.”

The company is also pleased to confirm that its highly anticipated third state-of-the-art offset plate manufacturing line (PS-10) is close to completion, as originally announced. The new PS-10 line has been designed to be able to manufacture Fujifilm’s ‘lo-chem’ family of plates, alongside Fujifilm’s most advanced printing plate to date, the recently launched Brillia HD PRO-T3. Once complete, these investments will not only make Fujifilm’s plate production facilities in Tilburg one of the largest in the world, but also the most sustainable.

A leading signs and graphics specialist and a display materials supplier have joined forces under a new eco-friendly initiative that aims to boost their waste recycling and save them money.  The Pyramid Recycling Initiative means hundreds of tons of waste, including PVC, acrylic, polypropylene, aluminium composite and polycarbonate, which may otherwise have been sent to land-fill will instead be recycled.

The move means that Birmingham-based Hollywood Monster, and Pyramid Display Materials, which has bases in Birmingham, Manchester and Gateshead, will reduce their carbon footprint, improve their green credentials and save money in the process.  In one month alone, Hollywood Monster has saved over 30% of its land-fill costs.

Pyramid’s head of sales and marketing Neil McCarthy said the company used the move to its new 40,000 sq ft property in Manchester earlier this year to completely review its waste and recycling policy.  The company had previously had some recycling initiatives in place but was also paying to have several wheelie bins of mixed waste material removed every other day. The same procedure was operated by branches in Birmingham and Gateshead. Pyramid now works with a company called RETECH, based in Halifax, which supplies all its branches with separate metal cages for seven separate waste categories. The initiative has been so successful it has extended it to selected customers including Hollywood Monster.

Pyramid uses a separate recycling company for its paper and board and general mixed waste. All waste - the majority from cutting and converting for customers - is carefully separated and put into the relevant cage, he said.

Some materials that contain different products like self-adhesive vinyl (PVC face film and paper liner) have to go in mixed waste. For all RETECH cage waste the company receives an agreed price per ton, per category. It currently recycles around 30 tons of waste per month.

Hollywood Monster facilities manager Daren Hollins said: “Hollywood Monster has a strong commitment to introducing and improving ways of combating waste. We always do what we can to operate in an environmentally responsible manner. By working with our suppliers we are able to recycle as many products as possible.”

Neil added: “We are delighted to be able to help Hollywood Monster with their recycling initiatives. As Pyramid, from our own waste we now recycle over 30 tons of various display materials including polypropylene, aluminium composite and foam PVC to name but a few.

“When Hollywood Monster asked if we could help them with their own waste we were more than happy to assist by supplying them with recycling cages. It has created a win-win situation for both companies.”

[photo shows Hollywood Monster's facilities manager, Darren Hollins]

Today sees the official launch of a new print industry event dedicated to sustainable print production in retail, interiors, POP and packaging: ‘EcoPrint™ Europe LIVE 2012’. Organised by FM Brooks, part of the Mack Brooks Exhibitions Group and headed up by Frazer Chesterman and Marcus Timson, the first EcoPrint™ Europe will be held in Berlin on 26th and 27th September 2012 (www.ecoprintshow.com).

EcoPrint’s aim is to draw together a community of leaders, innovators and early adopters who see the true value of sustainable print production, moving the industry forward by enabling print service providers to improve the performance, profit and sustainable future of their businesses.

Frazer Chesterman, director, FM Brooks, explains, “Most importantly, EcoPrint is an event that focuses on good, sustainable business. We believe that true sustainability is a result of the focus on efficiency, the reduction of waste, implementation of effective process management and a committed, dynamic sales and marketing campaign. Our research suggests that increased profit and competitive advantage can result from a strategic investment in improving your business’s sustainable practices.”

Chesterman says the content and focus of EcoPrint LIVE 2012 will not only be different from any other event in the print industry’s event calendar, it will also provide attendees with a defined and practical guide to implementing and enhancing profitability through a sustainable approach to print business.

Continues Chesterman, “Perhaps the greatest misconception in the industry today is that implementing environmental initiatives costs the printer money and that ‘going green’ is not commercially viable. However, in many cases the opposite is actually true and printers are missing out on an important and profitable new revenue stream if they don’t engage with opportunities in the eco space. EcoPrint is as much about economics as ecology because sustainable businesses are in a far better position to embrace sustainable resources.”

Antalis McNaughton has sponsored 7,500 sheets of Cocoon Silk 100% recycled 300gsm paper and 40 boxes of FSC self adhesive labels for posters and leaflets to promote FSC Friday.  FSC Friday is an annual celebration of responsible forestry. Each year, schools, businesses, youth groups and other organisations from across the country get involved in spreading the word about FSC and responsible forestry. This year, it will take place on September 30th.

Matthew Botfield, Environment Manager for Antalis McNaughton commented: “We are delighted to supply the paper and labels to promote this years’ FSC Friday.  Our partnership with FSC is an important factor in our continuing journey to improve the sustainability of our business and to help our customers do the same.”

Last year Antalis McNaughton received the prestigious FSC Global Partner Award for outstanding achievements in promoting the FSC brand.  Antalis McNaughton has been working with FSC since 2003 when they became certified for chain of custody in the UK.

Cocoon Silk is a high quality coated paper and board range made entirely from 100% genuine de-inked post consumer waste. Cocoon Silk 100 offers a bright white shade and clean appearance along with excellent print results. Available in 100gsm to 350gsm, Cocoon Silk 100 is FSC certified.