An alliance between PrintNZ and the Enviro-MarkNZ certification programme is expected to significantly help members develop and implement a credible environmental management system (EMS) for the benefit of both their business and the planet alike
Managed by Crown entity Landcare Research, Enviro-Mark is a five-step programme, commencing with Bronze Certification and culminating in the global ISO 14001:2004 standard-equivalent Diamond Certification.PrintNZ proactively sought the partnership with Enviro-Mark to give members discounted access to a programme that will validate the environmental practices within their businesses and provide them with a recognised seal of approval.
It is intended that Glenda Keegan, PrintNZ membership co-ordinator, will be the leading PrintNZ resource, available to assist members implementing the programme up to the third-stage Gold Certification level. Keegan will be available on a user-pays basis to work with member businesses at a grass roots level to help get the programme established.
She says, “We are not environmental consultants, however we know the printing industry and will be bringing our knowledge together with Landcare’s to assist our members.
“I’m itching to get into it and start helping our members. It is such a great programme. It contributes to the bottom line. It’s the right thing to do, giving them a point of difference with regards to others in the industry and it provides a fantastic process.”
Charlie Bartlett, programme manager Enviro-Mark New Zealand, says the alliance with PrintNZ is exciting for the development of the printing industry’s environmental performance.
He says, “We have our own team of experts that all Enviro-Mark members have access to, but the PrintNZ partnership is a relatively new thing for us as it is a close liaison with an actual industry body.”
Bartlett says that with 35 companies currently involved with Enviro-Mark, the printing industry is one of the programme’s best represented. He adds, “The printing and paper industry seemed to get into this much quicker than other sectors. They have been proactive in establishing practices to improve health and safety and environmental performance in a wide range of areas, and in getting formal recognition for those improvements.
“Classic areas being a reduction in waste and electricity use, where the paper is procured from, the type of inks used, type of printing equipment and the use of solvents etc. It is fairly intuitive for a lot of print managers to take some simple steps forward. When you are implementing an EMS, you are really scrutinising how your business works. A lot of our members who have been in the programme for just a few months often find these efficiencies soon after.
“The second thing is the industry is relatively competitive as well, with lots of printers offering lots of services. I think people really want a point of difference and the environment is one of those.
“The old Govt3 programme was a driver for sustainable procurement. National has got rid of Govt3, but the programme lives on in a different guise and people still want to do the right thing. The important thing is that local and regional government values are still intact; they still want to buy sustainable print.”
A voluntary programme, which companies pursue at their own speed, Enviro-Mark comes with a membership cost of $1700 per year with independent certification audits costing an additional $1000 per level. Because of the new alliance, PrintNZ members will receive a discount on the membership fee.
Bartlett says that with the evidence of one (non-printing) member of the programme achieving annual savings of between $1.5-$3million, the benefits far outweigh this outlay.
“Enviro-Mark will both make a business operate better overall and provide credible certification. Certification can be used to win more work but, in these days of greenwash, it is absolutely essential that there is some credibility to the claims companies are making.
“We organise an independent re-certification audit once every 12 months which ensures that Enviro-Mark members are legally-compliant with New Zealand’s most common health, safety and environmental legislation. There are no other schemes out there that will guarantee that.”
Blazing the way in the printing industry’s adoption of Enviro-Mark, Soar Printing’s New North Road site recently became the first in the sector to achieve the ultimate Diamond Certification.
Fred Soar, managing director Soar Printing, Soar says the process took five years to complete and has seen a range of initiatives introduced to optimise printing procedures and reduce waste by recycling metals, chemicals, paper and water.
Soar Printing now deploys energy-efficient lighting and equipment are in its plant and shuts them down when they are not in use. The company prints on either paper derived from sustainable foresting or biodegradable plastics. It uses vegetable oil-based inks for 90 per cent of the work, which, Soar believes, delivers a result that is just as good as petroleum-based inks. He says, “We believe it’s possible to achieve environmental objectives without compromising quality and we’ve made a significant investment in this area to ensure our impact on the environment is minimal.”
Bartlett adds, “Fred and his team have made exceptional progress and Soar Printing is now one of only 10 companies in New Zealand with our highest level of certification.
“It goes to show that putting good environmental management at the centre of your business reduces costs and provides a key point of difference that customers really like.”
