BtoB Media Business - February 2008 - (Page 23)

Production Printers are going green Quad/Graphics, Quebecor, Brown and Fry promote efforts to protect the environment PRESSING ISSUES P3 puts emphasis on education llen Hurwitch, senior director of digital and print technology at custom publisher Story Worldwide, is treasurer of P3 (Partnership in Print Production), a 550member association created in 2003 through the combination of Women in Production and the Association of Publication Production Managers. MB: What’s the big push for P3 this year? Hurwitch: Education. We’re BIO starting a menELLEN HURWITCH toring program Senior director this year with a of digital and few schools print technology, where we’ll put Story Worldwide students together with print production veterans to help bring them into our industry. Things are changing so rapidly. We’re also going to start running career advancement sessions to help people who do have and don’t have jobs learn new skills. People have to be adaptable now because they’re asked to do 20 different things these days. MB: What are your biggest concerns? Hurwitch: The Internet and its effect on print. The paper market has always been cyclical for the past four or five decades, but now there is the Internet, which will eventually keep that market soft. Some cataloguers are getting 45% of their business from the Internet now. Sustainability is a very big issue for us. Ink prices are going up because it’s oil-based. It still isn’t clear what new inks are fully “green.” Soy ink is said to be oil-free. But you also have to be sure about the coating on the paper. Some landfills won’t accept UV coated. The issue is recycled versus recyclable. This and the Internet growth are reasons why education is becoming more and more important to us. The industry is getting smaller and smaller. So people need to be adaptable and knowledgeable about —Mark J. Miller a number of things. PRODUCTION E P nearly 100% of its wastepaper. In 2006, the rinters are quickly joining in the battle company’s North American plants sent out against global warming, water pollu- 683,355 short tons of paper for recycling. Brown Printing Co. has been FSC-certified tion and the overstuffing of landfills. Joe Muehlbach, director of facilities at since last summer and is making a strong investQuad/Graphics Inc., said his company has ment in virtual proofing. It also makes its own been part of the fight since its founding in ink out of ink that is collected from the presses, 1971. “Our President and CEO [Joel Quadrac- and is creating a co-mailing facility to save its ci] has always been sensitive to environmental clients money and sharply reduce energy costs. Fry Commuications issues,” he said. has also attained FSC cerWhenever Quad has tification and has initiatbuilt additions, it has used ed many environmental recycled steel and conprojects over the last few crete. In the early 1990s, it years, including putting even introduced a mascot, coatings on the roofs of Gruff the Goat, that adits facilities to reflect dressed environmental israther than absorb heat sues. “Goats are natural Native plants at Quad/Graphics’ headand making its presses recyclers,” said Claire Ho, quarters in Sussex, Wis., help with more energy efficient. marketing communica- storm water runoff. The company is also moving toward using sotions manager at Quad/Graphics. Now Quad/Graphics is trying to become the lar and wind power. Quad/Graphics has made a big push refirst major printer to have all its manufacturing sites LEED-certified, a designation given by the cently to deal with water issues. “The lack of U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in fresh water is soon to become a major issue,” Muehlbach said. The company uses all of its Energy and Environmental Design. Quad/Graphics is not alone in its environ- gray (used) water again in other capacities mental efforts. In January, Quebecor World throughout its plants. It also replaced all its became the first major printer in North Amer- light fixtures with ones that use 50% less enica to get all three chain-of-custody certifica- ergy. “That’s eliminated a lot of heat as well,” tions, which basically ensure that it is per- Muehlbach said, “and that eliminates the forming “responsible and verifiable forestry need to cool those areas as much. That’s monpractices,” said Tony Ross, director of com- ey we can reinvest in the business.” Muehlbach said that everything that munications for the company. The three certifications are Forest Stewardship Council, Sus- Quad/Graphics has done has made smart busitainable Forestry Initiative and the Program ness sense and wasn’t undertaken just so the company could say it’s green. “Sure that helps for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. Quebecor World, which filed last month with some clients,” he said, “but everything for bankruptcy protection in Canada, also has has to make sense for our budget. When maka dedicated Energy Group, which recently led ing decisions, if it’s good for the environment, a workshop that led to more than 40 projects, it’s generally good for business.” Muehlbach said the company philosophy reducing consumption of natural gas and electricity by 200,000 MMBTUs annually. The for some time has been to maximize output company is focused on reducing paper waste while minimizing consumption of resources. by offering co-mailing and services to help “That’s just plain good business and good for with mailing list hygiene, among other things. the environment,” he said. “We’ve averaged Quebecor also uses soy ink and reuses its better than a 3% improvement on energy effiplastic distribution pallets. About 60% of ciency and consumption for the last 14 years. those pallets are made from recycled materials. We just keep setting new goals and going afThe company also prides itself on recycling ter them.” BY MARK J. MILLER mediabusinessonline.com | February 2008 | Media Business | 23 http://mediabusinessonline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BtoB Media Business - February 2008

BtoB Media Business - February 2008
Contents
Upfront
Cover Story
Feature
Sales & Marketing
Events
Online
Production
Circulation
People
Benchmarks
Endnote

BtoB Media Business - February 2008