Choosing a Green Printer

An interesting discussion arose on the Green America Business Network (formerly Co-op America) recently about green printers and what to look for beyond recycled paper and soy & vegetable-based inks.

The important points were that printers should be working to reduce their environmental impact throughout the entire production process and should also be looking to operate as a responsible business, which we agree with wholeheartedly!

Here are a few things to consider when selecting a green printer:

• Recycled paper: How much recycled paper do they carry? Is it a “special request” item? Does it contain at least 50% post-consumer waste?
• Soy/vegetable inks: What are the levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)? Does the ink contain petroleum? (For the record, our inks have no petroleum and have only trace VOCs of less than 1 gram/liter.)
• Carbon offsets: Do they offset all of their emissions from operations and shipping?
• Equipment: What type of equipment are they using? Newer equipment helps to reduce some of the waste inherent in the printing process.
• Supply chain: Has the company looked at its supply chain? What types of suppliers does the company support? For example, we carry only New Leaf Paper not just because it is high-quality, high-recycled content paper but also because the company is well-regarded as a socially and environmentally responsible business.
• Third-party audit and verification: Can their environmental claims be independently verified by third-party auditors? This is an important point to consider. At Greenerprinter for example, as a certified green business in the Bay Area, we are subject to audits in the areas of water conservation, energy conservation, and more; as an FSC certified printer, we go through an annual audit; and as a B Corp, we can also be randomly audited.  Another important certification is the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership – this is the printing industry’s own standards for green printing. There are currently fewer than a dozen printers nationwide that meet the certification standards, but several more (including Greenerprinter) are in the process of obtaining this certification.

To learn more about why you should print green, read “The Top 10 Reasons to Print Green.”