greenpiece: Print is Green

In case you didn't know, print is green. And, 
Research and Markets, a source for market 
research and market data, has a report titled "Print Is Green!" that explains it all.

The report provides an overview of the state of green printing initiatives in the U.S. commercial printing industry. The report, an update to a special primer report first published in April 2008, includes the results of a March 2011 survey of commercial printing establishments, descriptions of a host of green certifications and other organizations, sustainability success stories from the winners of the annual Environmental Innovation Awards and a variety of steps—small and large—that commercial printers can take toward becoming environmentally sustainable and responsible.

The data also seeks to dispel the increasingly common notion that electronic media is more environmentally friendly than print, offering a sample of third-party research that demonstrates the often dramatic environmental costs of computers, mobile devices, data centers and the Internet in general. In addition, the report stresses the ways in which the printing industry and the associated links in the supply chain are taking proactive steps toward environmental sustainability. The goal of the report is to offer a value proposition for sustainable printing.

Key topics covered in the report include green initiatives, perceptions of these initiatives, certifications, sheetfed offset versus digital printing and summaries.

There are stories of sustainability from a dozen companies including Livingston, Montana-based PrintingForLess.com; Dayton, Ohio-based Standard Register; Rochester, New York-based Monroe Litho; Toledo, Ohio-based Homewood Press; and Chula Vista, California-based Spirit Graphics and Printing Inc. It also mentions how companies will move forward in the future.

The data includes information that focuses on print versus pixels. This section discusses the carbon cost of electronic media, dirty data and e-waste.

In the organization and certification section, there are several groups discussed including Chlorine-Free Products Association, EPA Climate Leaders Program, Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Sustainable Green Printing (SGP) Partnership.