Get Your Green On

He also recommended companies consider starting out on a smaller scale. "Look at the big picture, trim the fat, start reusing items, reducing costs and waste wherever you can. The money your company saves you can put towards purchasing more efficient equipment and eco-conscious raw materials," he commented.

Gerling shared these sentiments. Companies can look beyond materials and products to reduce their energy consumption. "Most companies are looking at the cost benefit from any process changes they make. Some green initiatives are expensive. Think more about efficient lighting or HVAC or windows or insulation in your home. Then compare the size of your home to the size of most printing factories and you can start to imagine what it costs to improve energy efficiency. And in a down economy, those costs could be crippling. So, from a cost benefit standpoint, we are looking for the 'low-hanging fruit,'" he said.

For example, he suggested installing 'smart' thermostats that can be programmed to adjust temperatures when areas are not occupied and adding sensors that shut off lights in unoccupied areas.

Forrest Reaves, quality assurance coordinator and FSC, SFI, PEFC chain of custody manager of Greenville, South Carolina-based growll.com, believes going green is worth the investment and customers shouldn't be discouraged by seemingly higher costs. "This is a misconception based on the experience of three years ago. We now have available very competitive priced papers that are compliant for the programs," he said.

In fact, this—the ability to offer customers a broader range of papers to print on and still be able to use a green logo that is trackable and provable—is what motivated growll.com to become tri-certified. The company received its FSC, SFI and PEFC certifications in mid-March and has printed several pieces for its customers.

On another note, he said the SFI program in North America guarantees that for every tree harvested, at least one or more trees will be planted to replace it, ultimately perpetuating renewable timber resources. The FSC program is a global program that protects the interests of the forests, the wildlife and the indigenous peoples who live in and earn their livings from the forest.