Get Your Green On

Reaves said, "For the sustainable forest initiatives, we have a big selection of papers to chose from. Three years ago, there were only 574 printers and paper manufacturers certified under one or more of the programs. Today, there are [more than] 1,880. The fiber makeup of the paper can be virgin fiber, recycled fiber, fiber from controlled sources or a mixture of all of these fibers."

When asked about the initiatives being made to eliminate paper and if it was giving people false hope that they were improving their carbon footprint, Lawing responded, "Naturally, being a printer I view this as paying our debt. We all can make an impact by being environmentally conscious by recycling, which eliminates much of the paper eventually taken to the landfill."

The Flesh Company has implemented an extensive recycling program of paper, ink, chemicals, pallets, office waste, aluminum plates, other metals, label liner and others. "We have reduced the volume of material that goes into the landfill by 75 percent of what it was in 2004. We offer our customers the opportunity to purchase products manufactured from SFI- or FSC-certified paper," Gerling proclaimed.

Vogel continued, "When you're in the business of selling marketing services, you can work with your customer to come up with a solution that best fits the project per each client. That way you can keep printed materials out of the hands of those who throw it in the landfill right away and provide them with a digital solution, while you can send your other customers printed materials because you know they'll use them."

In the end, is the green really worth the green? Gerling believes it is. "We consider the development of these products as part of our research and development work that is ongoing and believe the investment will pay off," he said. "Our efforts to maintain a healthy workplace and recycle as much as possible have not been costly to us as a business and have been worth it."