With the whole world trying to go green, why wouldn't a printing company do the same? A lot of the people I deal with on a regular basis worry about the same things: What can we recycle? What portion of our supplies are made from recycled products? How can we reduce our VOCs (volatile organic compounds)? These are all very valid questions in today's business environment and are being asked more frequently by my customers.
My company is in a unique position in that it does not manufacture a hard product. We purchase components and resell the whole product along with software and support. Our VOCs are inherently low. I have asked our suppliers about theirs' and have been sent EPA estimates, etc., to answer my questions. That task is out of my hands, but I have to be responsible for the recycling and purchasing of recycled products. This is limited to paper and printed materials for me. Buying recycled paper is like falling off a log. I just happens naturally. You read the label, and there is the proof. I just choose to pay a little more for the 100 percent recycled than the stuff that includes 50 to 75 percent. Knowing how much of the printed material is recycled is not much harder.
Choosing a company that uses 100 percent recycled paper and soy-based inks is the most responsible thing to do. Luckily, there are quite a few of them. What are the benefits to your company, though? Marketing. I can't count on my fingers the number of people I know that will pay more for a product that is produced by an eco-friendly company, before they buy the cheaper, harsher version from someone else.
There are dozens of things you can do to go green. Recycled paper, recycling paper and refilling printer cartridges. The easiest of them all is using a green printing company.
If you have a green idea, I would love to hear about it. Leave me a comment and I will get back to you ASAP.
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