Heidelberg Sustainability Award for The John Roberts Company
HEIDELBERG, Germany—The winners of the second Heidelberg ECO Printing Award were honored at a ceremony at the Print Media Academy (PMA) in Heidelberg on July 6, 2011. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) initiated this international sustainability award for sheetfed offset print shops. Michael Keene, CEO of The John Roberts Company in the United States, accepted the EUR 30,000 prize for the most sustainably managed print shop, while a check for EUR 20,000 for the top sustainable innovative solution was presented to Rob Nugent from Australian print shop Vega Press. The winners also received vouchers for PMA seminars. Some 45 companies from 19 countries on four continents submitted entries this time round. For the first time, they included print shops from Brazil, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
An independent international panel of judges voted on the most sustainable integrated solution and the most innovative stand-alone solution. “The proposals submitted for environmental activities in the industry were even better than last time round and were much more wide-ranging than in 2009. There were far more sustainable integrated solutions than innovative stand-alone solutions,” observed the judging panel’s spokesman Dr. Achim Schorb from the IFEU (Institute for Energy and Environmental Research) in Heidelberg.
“We work with our customers to systematically pursue our objective of a sustainable printing industry. The entries submitted demonstrate that customers are combining economic success, environmental responsibility, and far greater social commitment in their sustainable management strategies,” explained Stephan Plenz, member of the Management Board responsible for Heidelberg Equipment, at the award ceremony.
Most sustainably managed print shop
The panel was unanimous in voting The John Roberts Company, based in Minneapolis, the most sustainably managed print shop. With a workforce of more than 300, the company has been actively committed to environmental protection for more than 30 years.
The John Roberts Company was the first industrial printer in the United States to receive the “Sustainable Green Printer” accolade. To achieve this status, companies must undergo regular external evaluation by neutral third parties. To ensure end-to-end sustainability, the print shop operates state-of-the-art equipment—from prepress to postpress—and focuses on reducing both paper and process waste. It also uses inks based on vegetable oils. What’s more, the print shop has cut the proportion of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in the dampening solution it uses by 60 percent, with a further 15 percent reduction planned for next year. It uses natural gas to heat the buildings and electricity generated from wind power. Consumption of both gas and electricity has been cut by 10 percent this year.
“The John Roberts Company impressed us with its environmental achievements over recent years, its challenging and ambitious environmental targets for the immediate future, and its social commitment,” said Schorb.
Sustainable innovative solution
Submissions in this category primarily focused on saving energy and conserving resources. Melbourne-based print shop Vega Press impressed the panel of judges with its unique approach. It has coated the roofs of the print shop building with a special reflective surface that stops virtually any of the sun’s UV rays getting through. Together with highly efficient building insulation, this can reduce the cost of the air conditioning to an absolute minimum. The resultant lower electricity consumption plays a key role in preventing harmful greenhouse gases.
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