Environment - Green Events

Mimaki is the latest organisation to become a founding exhibitor and supporter of EcoPrint 2012.  As a founding exhibitor, Mimaki Europe will also take its seat among other industry leaders on the EcoPrint Development Group, where it will play a key part in defining and refining the event.

Mike Horsten, Marketing Manager at Mimaki, comments, “Mimaki’s decision to become a founding exhibitor at EcoPrint is in line with its strategy to innovate new technologies that combine high print volumes and sustainable performance. The EcoPrint concept recognises that sustainability doesn’t exist without commercial viability, yet to be commercially viable you must be a sustainable and creative business. This is a reflection of Mimaki’s approach to technology and so this new event is a compelling proposition.”

Frazer Chesterman, Director, EcoPrint adds, “Naturally, a leading innovator such as Mimaki committing this early to EcoPrint demonstrates the confidence the print sector has in the EcoPrint concept. Mimaki is the leader in digital textile production, an exciting growth area with flexible and creative potential allied to considerable sustainable performance – all factors which resonate with EcoPrint’s objectives. Add to that Mike’s expertise and enthusiastic commitment to sustainability and you have an exciting combination which will add tremendous value to the event.”

Horsten concludes: “It is a question of when, not if, the main marketplace adopts green practices and products in its entirety. So, adopting a sustainable business strategy makes good business sense and EcoPrint will afford visitors a significant head start in this respect.  I am excited to be part of this event and proud to be contributing to its success through the development group. Only by collaborating with other like-minded professionals in the industry can we really affect change in a positive way. Our industry needs innovation in its events in order to push it on to the next level and EcoPrint will be a highly positive addition to the calendar. Focused entirely on the business of sustainability in print, this event will be of great importance.”

EcoPrint runs 26-27 September 2012 in Berlin.

For more information, please visit www.ecoprintshow.com

[picture shows EcoPrint logo and photo of Mike Horsten, Mimaki]

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

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.”

EFI has joined the Verdigris environmental initiative as an associate member.  This not-for-profit research collaboration aims to help printers and their customers develop a better understanding about the environmental impact of print media. The goal is to raise awareness of the sustainability of the printing industry through cooperative content development shared with an international network of trade publishers.

"As the leading pioneer in ink-jet technologies, software, inks and machines, EFI continues to drive the solvent to UV-curable transition to bring greener practices to all related manufacturing and production processes.” says Marc Verbiest of EFI. “Our mission is straightforward in that it intends to educate and fulfil the needs of every print service provider, encouraging more sustainable working methods and practices for businesses of all sizes."

EFI achieves this by designing and developing print engines inks and software platforms that lead to greater efficiencies throughout workflow, production and MIS. These innovative principles, in turn, assist companies wanting to achieve a reduced carbon footprint, minimize levels of product and energy waste, and generate greater eco-awareness and responsibility.

Laurel Brunner, managing director of Digital Dots, says: “We are really pleased to have EFI on board with the Verdigris Project. EFI integrates environmental considerations into all of its projects and we are looking forward to working with them to continue raising the awareness of print’s sustainability”.

Verdigris, launched at drupa 2008, is a unique project that works closely with the print industry’s key players to provide free research and content to trade publishers, printers, print service providers and end users around the globe. Participants in the Verdigris Project can use Verdigris content to educate their printing communities about print’s environmental impact, and to help raise print’s positive profile. Verdigris content development is independently managed by people who know and understand print technology.

Verdigris’ articles analyse the current issues facing publishers and printers to provide them with relevant information to help them manage a variety of concerns from recycling to carbon footprints, and most importantly highlights how to achieve this whilst maintaining a profitable business. The Verdigris site also features a growing list of the printers around the world who are compliant to ISO 14001, the environmental management standard.

Océ, a global leader in digital document management and delivery solutions, today announced its Wide Format Printing Systems division will begin accepting applications for its fourth annual "Green Reprographer of the Year" award. Applicants will be asked to submit, in writing, their achievements in the area of green business practices and explain how these efforts have assisted their customers to meet their own sustainability goals. The winning reprographic firm will be announced on April 28, 2011.

Creation of this award has been driven by Océ's longstanding commitment to help reprographers reach their sustainability goals, and those of their customers, through large format printing solutions that are environmentally conscious without sacrificing print quality.

"Developing environmentally sound business practices continues to be a priority for many reprographers. These forward-thinking companies realise that doing more with less not only applies to their business operations but to their impact on the environment," said Patrick Chapuis, President, Wide Format Printing Systems division of Océ North America. "Océ remains committed to recognizing the reprographers that stand out from their peers in their ability to incorporate sustainability into their own operations and those of their customers."

In an effort to highlight those reprographic firms that have embraced a forward-looking approach to incorporating sustainability into their business model, all applicants will be considered by Océ for future publicity opportunities regarding their sustainability efforts, including interviews and contributed articles with leading reprographic industry publications.

Award Submission Details

WHAT: The Océ "Green Reprographer of the Year" award will recognise the reprographic firm that has made the most compelling strides to incorporate environmentally conscious practices into its business operations.

WHEN: Reprographers can view criteria and submit applications through March 18, 2011 via an online application form, which can be downloaded by visiting www.oceusa.com/greenreproaward.
 
HOW: Applications will be judged based on the following factors:

• Products used in the reprographer's business that reduce the impact on the environment
• Services provided to the reprographer's customers to benefit the environment
• Changes or improvements to facilities that reduce the impact on the environment
• Employee programs supporting environmental conservation

Applications will be evaluated by a panel of judges, including Denise Gustavson, Editor of Wide Format Imaging magazine, Robert Cassidy, Editor-in-Chief of Building Design & Construction magazine, and Ed Avis, principal of Ed Avis Associates, a communications firm specialising in the imaging industry, and author of the 2008 Green Reprographics Handbook.
 
For more information on this award or the submission process, please visit www.oceusa.com/greenreproaward.

The International Standards Organization (ISO) technical committee 130 (TC 130) has recently launched a new Working Group (WG) WG11 to develop a set of standards to cover the environmental impact of print. The Group's remit is closely aligned with those of the Verdigris Project, the not-for-profit print environmental research initiative, run by Digital Dots.

WG11 is currently working on ISO draft 16759, the requirements for measuring the carbon footprint of printed products, and is in the process of producing the first draft which is available for review, with a deadline for comments of the 4th February. Verdigris is encouraging print industry participants with an interest in the environmental impact of print to join WG11 through their national bodies to take an active role in developing the standard.

Commenting on the new Working Group, Verdigris founder, Laurel Brunner, said; "Standards work is time consuming, unforgiving, unrelenting and unpaid, so it's no surprise that printers and publishers are reluctant to do their bit. However the work has a profound and long lasting impact on the industry's competitiveness. It's important because it provides a mechanism for constant improvement in print production means and methods."

The aim of WG11 is, says Brunner, to have the new standard complete by drupa 2012.