Sustainability Studies in Print

Since the Sustainable Green Printing (SGP) Partnership’s initial inception in the summer of 2007, roughly 50 printers and counting have taken on the challenge of achieving certification under the SGP guidelines.


Sustainability Studies in Print examines five printers (three litho/digital printers, one flexographic printer, and one screen printer) who were among the first to achieve SGP certification. Learn from the experiences of Alcom, Global Packaging, Monroe Litho, SunDance Marketing Solutions, and T-Formation as they discuss the strategies and results that come from employing sustainable practices in their operations.


The case studies examine:

• The best place to start
• Approaches that yielded the best results
• Various obstacles and how they were overcome
• The costs and benefits of various sustainability initiatives
• Shifts in company culture
• Resources that helped printers achieve certification
• How certified printers are marketing themselves
• Surprises along the way



It’s never too late to consider employing sustainability initiatives in your own facility—whether that means pursuing SGP certification or merely streamlining your processes and creating marketing opportunities for an eco-conscious print-buying community. Either way, you can take advantage of the lessons learned by these five firms that have embraced the philosophy of sustainable green printing.


Joe Deemer is an editor for Printing Industries of America. He has worked in the printing and publishing industry for nearly 20 years.