Meet Greenerprinter: Q & A with the CEO

An interview with Greenerprinter founder and CEO Mario Assadi.

How did Greenerprinter first get started?
We began in 1987 as Tulip Graphics, one of the first digital color houses in the country. Prior to digital color and the desktop publishing revolution, prepress operations were largely wasteful, time consuming and toxic. The new technologies of digital prepress gave us our first taste of how technology can be used not only to increase efficiency, but also to reduce environmental impact. As printing operations became more computerized, our well-established knowledge of digital prepress gave us a major head start when we decided to venture into offset printing. Computer-to-plate technology, color-management systems, and digital press controls allowed us to shape an offset printing operation that was far less wasteful than traditional shops.

What made you decide to fully commit to being an eco-friendly company?
Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, with its proximity to so many natural wonders, I had always felt a strong connection to nature and the environment. But it wasn’t until the birth of my second child that I became passionate about making sure my business was as sustainable as it was successful. I felt it my responsibility as a business owner to see that my children could grow up enjoying the natural beauty of the Bay Area that I have come to love.

How did you set about becoming a green printer?
We decided first to focus on paper. Paper manufacturing has traditionally been one of the most environmentally harmful industries in the world, destroying natural resources and churning out countless tons of waste. When we discovered New Leaf Paper, we knew we’d found a like-minded partner, and in 2005, we rolled out greenerprinter.com, the first online printing site to offer recycled paper exclusively.

What does Greenerprinter do in addition to offering only recycled papers?
We seek to make all of our operations as non-toxic as possible. The San Francisco Bay Area was really the birthplace of the concept of “green business,” and is home to the Bay Area Green Business Program, one of the most comprehensive green business certifications in the country. The process of meeting (and in many cases exceeding) those standards required that we change fundamental practices and invest even more in newer, cleaner technologies. We also offset our carbon footprint by purchasing Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), both for our internal energy consumption, and for the carbon footprint of our shipments. Plus, in 2007, we earned our certification for being in compliance with the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) “Chain of Custody”. Adhering to FSC chain of custody processes ensures that paper can be traced from its final manufactured product all the way back to the sustainably managed forests (or processes) from which the raw materials were harvested. We’ve invested in technologies that are not only cleaner but more efficient, meaning we absorb fewer costs for makeready and reprints.

What’s next for Greenerprinter?
We will continue to seek out new ways to bring renewable energy more directly into our operations. New developments in digital platemaking technology will soon allow us to offer completely chemical-free printing plates. And as digital printing technologies continue to improve, we will soon be offering digital short-run printing whose quality is indistinguishable from offset.

While we are proud to have been one of the first printers in the country to become green certified and use recycled papers and soy & vegetable inks exclusively, we realize there is still much to do. That’s why we like to say that “Going green is a journey.”

We look forward to having you join us.