Sustainable Print In Global Markets

Conducted for PRIMIR by Pira International, the research revealed that few companies in the print industry that claim to be ‘green’ truly are. Most printers claim to be ‘green’ simply because they are FSC or SFI certified. Additionally, a large number of printers are recycling everything they can from their operation and many are generating income from these recycling programs. But the study revealed that the more progressive firms have a culture—an all-out corporate commitment to sustainability—with full-time staff dedicated to that purpose, and have made significant investments that already provide a positive ROI, not only to their production costs, but also in new customers that are seeking a sustainable supplier. One printer proclaimed that the investment of $30,000 over three years in certification and audits for ISO 14001 had a positive ROI—before accounting for the new business gained as a result of their sustainability initiatives.