Environment

We strongly believe that everyone needs to think long term about our environment. We jeopardize our current life style if we don't consider how we are consuming our planet's natural resources. 

Most printing papers require the harvesting of trees but there are many choices in how paper mills go about creating pulp to make paper. The factors you can consider when choosing a paper include:

• Recycled content and Post-consumer waste. A paper must contain 10% post-consumer waste to be classified as recycled and many papers contain 30%, 50%, or even 100% post-consumer waste.
• Chlorine is used to bleach paper to make it whiter but chlorine is a known carcinogen.  Many papers are made without the use of chlorine.
• Sustainability and Accountability. Paper mills can be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and follow the principles of the Rainforest Alliance, two organizations that support sustainability and management of resources in an environmentally responsible manner.  
• Alternative Fibers such as sugar cane are available, although in limited colors and weights.

Paper choices, with or without recycled content, have a huge impact on the appearance and performance of your finished product. We can explain your options once we understand your project and design goals. 

All of our process inks are soy based, and some of our PMS inks are also soy. We will gladly print any project in soy based inks on request. We follow the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle philosophy in all of our practices. 

Here are some examples of how we can help you save money and the environment, and what we're doing internally:

• Offer alternative sizes that save paper and money. Anticipate when bleeds impact paper usage and costs and offer suggestions.
• Run multiple items on the same press sheet. It saves plates, paper and lots of money.
• Make suggestions on how to order smaller amounts and minimize the impact to unit costs by running masters or utilizing digital methods.
• We re-use set-up waste to lower paper usage.
• We eliminated film and the corresponding hazardous chemistry from our manufacturing process. 

Improving the environment begins in our building because it is the air we breathe and products we touch. Overall, preserving the environment saves money so everyone wins.

We offer an ongoing 5% discount to any organization whose primary purpose is to protect the environment. Examples: An entity whose primary purpose is to educate businesses about their options to reduce landfill would receive the 5% discount. A paint company that makes low odor, low VOC paint would not qualify because their primary product is paint. Give us a call at 206.282.8400 to discuss your goals and we can determine your eligibility.