Laurel Brunner
Wow. Hard to get the noggin around the fact that this is the 250th Verdigris environmental blog we’ve written. Over the last five years or so we have covered all manner of environmental matters relevant to the graphics industry. But has it made any difference to the market’s sustainability awareness? It’s no more than a vanity to say that it has, so far better to look at any scraps of evidence, but evidence of raised environmental awareness is impossible to attribute to these blogs.
One very clear and obvious difference compared to where we were five years ago is the number of environmental ISO standards published or under development for graphics professionals. ISO 16759 for calculating the carbon footprint of printed matter was published in July 2013. There are now at least two carbon calculators certified to this standard. A similar document for calculating the carbon footprint of electronic media is almost ready for submission to ISO for publication. ISO 20294 (Quantification and communication for calculating the carbon footprint of e-media) can be used alongside ISO 16759 and other documents as part of a larger evaluation of the environmental impact of print.
Other documents in the works are ISO 20690 for measuring the energy usage of high speed digital printing engines with low incidences of transitional power surges and ISO 21632. This document provides directions for measuring the energy usage of digital printing engines with frequent power surges, such as those used in wide format digital printing. Both standards provide data to assist investment decisions for printers and print buyers as well as for developers of new digital printing technologies. Both are in their final stages prior to publication. A less progressed document is ISO 21331 for assessing the deinkability potential of print. Work on this has been uphill but we are making relentless progress with it.
Another document is at its journey’s start. A series of ISO standards will provide environmental declarations for different categories of print, providing a common reference for the many eco-labels available. This new ISO standard will provide a reliable and consistent data source for ecolabels. The first document in the series is for packaging and labels.
So overall has this blog made a difference to awareness of the environmental impact of print? There really is no way of knowing, but we hope that the standards work, the general awareness of sustainability in the industry and the improved environmental impact of processes and equipment are making a real difference. If the Verdigris project and these blogs have contributed, even in a very small way, then the graphics industry is heading in the right direction.
– Laurel Brunner
This article was produced by the Verdigris project, an industry initiative intended to raise awareness of print’s positive environmental impact. This weekly commentary helps printing companies keep up to date with environmental standards, and how environmentally friendly business management can help improve their bottom lines. Verdigris is supported by the following companies: Agfa Graphics, EFI, Epson, Fespa, HP, Kodak, Kornit, Ricoh, Spindrift, Unity Publishing and Xeikon.
Taking the long view can be difficult in business, but it’s especially hard when it comes to sustainability. It’s tempting to look only at one’s own interests, especially for the small and medium sized businesses that make up the bulk of the graphics industry. Most of us are content to let the major blue chip companies take the wheel on environmental impact mitigation.
So it’s just as well that the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), a collection of five UN agencies and eleven countries, is working to support countries wanting to develop along green lines. PAGE assists with economic policies and building ecological foundations to help countries create income and jobs, and to grow. Last week PAGE held its second annual forum on the global green economy. Unsurprisingly the print sector barely got a look in, despite its credible sustainability credentials and its suitability for entrepreneurs.
The PAGE forum is intended to improve common understanding of the root causes of climate change, pollution and the exploitation of natural resources. The latter is rising around the world and despite efforts to arrest degradation, natural forests are still not being managed as they should be. Resource destruction has an unhappy yet predictable outcome, which is why the great and the good want to change expectations.
There were over 40 CEOs, plus UN agency representatives, NGOs, trades unions and a sprinkling of economists at the gathering in Berlin. Amongst the 300+ participants, the graphics sector was underrepresented, despite having a vested interest in moves that influence resource management and affect prices for consumables, such as energy and paper.
PAGE participants concluded that what’s needed is a green revolution, a movement to establish a new economic model based on sustainable policies, particularly in vulnerable geographies. Concern for climate change is the start, but PAGE wants to address the inequalities driving toxic politics undermining environmental sustainability. This is ambitious to say the least, but nothing will change unless governments and businesses work together. Getting people to adopt new behaviours to act in the interests of the planet may not be as hard as it appears, especially if money is involved.
Money alone isn’t the answer to any problem but it is a powerful motivator, encouraging new ideas and solutions to what might otherwise appear to be intractable problems. An additional €15 million was pledged to the multi-million dollar PAGE budget. It’s tempting to see all this as naive idealism and an expensive waste of taxpayer funds. But change only happens in pursuit of common interests, such as protecting our shared environment. PAGE is a forum to establish common interests and goals, but its members should offer practical environmental guidance for businesses and for specific industry sectors. Support for localised efforts to offer good practise environmental guidelines for industry is what’s needed.
Laurel Brunner
This article was produced by the Verdigris project, an industry initiative intended to raise awareness of print’s positive environmental impact. This weekly commentary helps printing companies keep up to date with environmental standards, and how environmentally friendly business management can help improve their bottom lines. Verdigris is supported by the following companies: Agfa Graphics, EFI, Epson, Fespa, HP, Kodak, Kornit, Ricoh, Spindrift, Splash PR, Unity Publishing and Xeikon.
Taking the long view can be difficult in business, but it’s especially hard when it comes to sustainability. It’s tempting to look only at one’s own interests, especially for the small and medium sized businesses that make up the bulk of the graphics industry. Most of us are content to let the major blue chip companies take the wheel on environmental impact mitigation.
So it’s just as well that the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), a collection of five UN agencies and eleven countries, is working to support countries wanting to develop along green lines. PAGE assists with economic policies and building ecological foundations to help countries create income and jobs, and to grow. Last week PAGE held its second annual forum on the global green economy. Unsurprisingly the print sector barely got a look in, despite its credible sustainability credentials and its suitability for entrepreneurs.
The PAGE forum is intended to improve common understanding of the root causes of climate change, pollution and the exploitation of natural resources. The latter is rising around the world and despite efforts to arrest degradation, natural forests are still not being managed as they should be. Resource destruction has an unhappy yet predictable outcome, which is why the great and the good want to change expectations.
There were over 40 CEOs, plus UN agency representatives, NGOs, trades unions and a sprinkling of economists at the gathering in Berlin. Amongst the 300+ participants, the graphics sector was underrepresented, despite having a vested interest in moves that influence resource management and affect prices for consumables, such as energy and paper.
PAGE participants concluded that what’s needed is a green revolution, a movement to establish a new economic model based on sustainable policies, particularly in vulnerable geographies. Concern for climate change is the start, but PAGE wants to address the inequalities driving toxic politics undermining environmental sustainability. This is ambitious to say the least, but nothing will change unless governments and businesses work together. Getting people to adopt new behaviours to act in the interests of the planet may not be as hard as it appears, especially if money is involved.
Money alone isn’t the answer to any problem but it is a powerful motivator, encouraging new ideas and solutions to what might otherwise appear to be intractable problems. An additional €15 million was pledged to the multi-million dollar PAGE budget. It’s tempting to see all this as naive idealism and an expensive waste of taxpayer funds. But change only happens in pursuit of common interests, such as protecting our shared environment. PAGE is a forum to establish common interests and goals, but its members should offer practical environmental guidance for businesses and for specific industry sectors. Support for localised efforts to offer good practise environmental guidelines for industry is what’s needed.
Laurel Brunner
This article was produced by the Verdigris project, an industry initiative intended to raise awareness of print’s positive environmental impact. This weekly commentary helps printing companies keep up to date with environmental standards, and how environmentally friendly business management can help improve their bottom lines. Verdigris is supported by the following companies: Agfa Graphics, EFI, Epson, Fespa, HP, Kodak, Kornit, Ricoh, Spindrift, Splash PR, Unity Publishing and Xeikon.
It is one of the most useful and yet annoying forms of packaging we have. Its useful because it works with all sorts of content types, from clothing to soup. But it’s annoying because most people are confused as to whether a particular piece of flexible plastic packaging can be recycled or not. The secret codes and logos plastics carry mean little to the average consumer, so it’s hard to tell the desirable from the undesirable.
This confusion is not good, because it makes recycling something that requires thought, almost an inconvenience. And when in doubt, rather than risk polluting what might otherwise be a pristine batch of recyclate, people may opt to throw the material away for incineration or landfill. This is not good either. But how can we improve how we handle waste that is hard to recycle? And should the streaming decision be up to consumers at all? Ideally recycling plants should be able to handle all of it, and without requiring people to do the sorting. Let’s face it, people simply won’t bother if the recycling burden is too onerous.
Fortunately work has been done to see what possible solutions there might be to this problem. The Reflex (Recycling of Flexible Packaging) research and development project is a two year collaborative effort funded by the UK government and various global brands. The project involved brand owners packaging printers, recycling companies and technology developers. These include Amcor Ltd, one of the world’s largest suppliers of flexible and rigid packaging materials, along with the likes of Nestlé and Unilever. The project found that 80% of the flexible packaging being sent off for recycling is suitable for reprocessing. The 20% that is not however will have to be handled by new facilities able to handle all forms of the material, and by modifying sorting facilities so that rogue flexible plastic packaging is either removed or processed.
The project’s objective for this two year effort was to “create a circular economy for flexible packaging” through improved understanding of the various steps in flexible packaging supply chains. For the UK this could mean sending less of its 414,000 tonnes annually of plastics based packaging to landfill or for incineration. Together the partners looked at new types of mixed polymers and better identification and sorting systems. Everything from design to sorting and reprocessing was investigated with a view to making changes and improvements that support the circular economy.
An important outcome of the project is the preparation of a set of design guidelines for flexible packaging. This research document would encourage the use materials that can be recycled when they reach end of life, from the initial design to production. The idea is to provide advice on such things as polymer types and coatings, and their suitability for either mechanical recycling into new raw materials or for turning into energy.
The next step is to merge the Reflex project with broader European initiatives to work on optimising the circular economy for flexible packaging based on life cycles. What goes around, really should come around if this effort pays off.
Laurel Brunner
This article was produced by the Verdigris project, an industry initiative intended to raise awareness of print’s positive environmental impact. This weekly commentary helps printing companies keep up to date with environmental standards, and how environmentally friendly business management can help improve their bottom lines. Verdigris is supported by the following companies: Agfa Graphics, EFI, Epson, Fespa, HP, Kodak, Kornit, Ricoh, Spindrift, Splash PR, Unity Publishing and Xeikon.
It is one of the most useful and yet annoying forms of packaging we have. Its useful because it works with all sorts of content types, from clothing to soup. But it’s annoying because most people are confused as to whether a particular piece of flexible plastic packaging can be recycled or not. The secret codes and logos plastics carry mean little to the average consumer, so it’s hard to tell the desirable from the undesirable.
This confusion is not good, because it makes recycling something that requires thought, almost an inconvenience. And when in doubt, rather than risk polluting what might otherwise be a pristine batch of recyclate, people may opt to throw the material away for incineration or landfill. This is not good either. But how can we improve how we handle waste that is hard to recycle? And should the streaming decision be up to consumers at all? Ideally recycling plants should be able to handle all of it, and without requiring people to do the sorting. Let’s face it, people simply won’t bother if the recycling burden is too onerous.
Fortunately work has been done to see what possible solutions there might be to this problem. The Reflex (Recycling of Flexible Packaging) research and development project is a two year collaborative effort funded by the UK government and various global brands. The project involved brand owners packaging printers, recycling companies and technology developers. These include Amcor Ltd, one of the world’s largest suppliers of flexible and rigid packaging materials, along with the likes of Nestlé and Unilever. The project found that 80% of the flexible packaging being sent off for recycling is suitable for reprocessing. The 20% that is not however will have to be handled by new facilities able to handle all forms of the material, and by modifying sorting facilities so that rogue flexible plastic packaging is either removed or processed.
The project’s objective for this two year effort was to “create a circular economy for flexible packaging” through improved understanding of the various steps in flexible packaging supply chains. For the UK this could mean sending less of its 414,000 tonnes annually of plastics based packaging to landfill or for incineration. Together the partners looked at new types of mixed polymers and better identification and sorting systems. Everything from design to sorting and reprocessing was investigated with a view to making changes and improvements that support the circular economy.
An important outcome of the project is the preparation of a set of design guidelines for flexible packaging. This research document would encourage the use materials that can be recycled when they reach end of life, from the initial design to production. The idea is to provide advice on such things as polymer types and coatings, and their suitability for either mechanical recycling into new raw materials or for turning into energy.
The next step is to merge the Reflex project with broader European initiatives to work on optimising the circular economy for flexible packaging based on life cycles. What goes around, really should come around if this effort pays off.
Laurel Brunner
This article was produced by the Verdigris project, an industry initiative intended to raise awareness of print’s positive environmental impact. This weekly commentary helps printing companies keep up to date with environmental standards, and how environmentally friendly business management can help improve their bottom lines. Verdigris is supported by the following companies: Agfa Graphics, EFI, Epson, Fespa, HP, Kodak, Kornit, Ricoh, Spindrift, Splash PR, Unity Publishing and Xeikon.
The job of a package is manifold and yet very simple. A package must protect contents from damage, and provide a barrier between what’s inside and what’s not inside. The contents must stay in the package at all costs and must not become corrupted or otherwise spoiled within it. Ideally the package should extend the shelf life of its contents and maintain its own integrity in terms of structure and appearance over time. The materials from which it is made should also be recyclable or biodegradeable. And it must also be possible to print on packaging surfaces in a way that minimises waste in the supply chain.
Clearly for printers considering a move into the digitally printed packaging business, there is much to think about besides which digital press to buy. The format and type of packaging product will determine where to start with the investment process, for instance if the printed material is for flexible or rigid plastic packaging, for folding cartons, corrugated materials or containers printed direct to shape. Whatever the print product, environmental considerations should also be part of the investment planning. For digital printing technology there are plenty of reasons to go with this short run option, but success depends on getting the business plan right.
Environmental considerations begin with the materials and inks, and their recyclability or potential for reuse. Fortunately the packaging materials suppliers have been focusing on improving the environmental impact of their products for years. Digital press manufacturers are working hard to make sure they can print these materials and that that their inks and toners perform to spec.
The massive jump in the use of digital printing technology for packaging has also encouraged some very creative thinking in packaging applications, particularly for specialised and short-run work. The environmental benefits are substantial for this type of application because digital processes dramatically cut supply chain complexity. Digitally printing packages close to their point of use means that only what is required for a particular store, shopping complex, town or geography gets produced. This cuts waste and transportation costs, and shortens time to market.
Besides the environmental benefits of such a model, brand owners benefit from fast turnarounds and product customisation. Digital printing gives brands the flexibility to run new product trials more frequently. If they get their workflows right, they also have the advantage of personalised packaging design variations. Innovative combinations of labels, packaging, signage and brochures help reinforce brands and products across media channels. It’s a commercial and an environmental conversation, and workflow is where the narrative begins.
Laurel Brunner
This article was produced by the Verdigris project, an industry initiative intended to raise awareness of print’s positive environmental impact. This weekly commentary helps printing companies keep up to date with environmental standards, and how environmentally friendly business management can help improve their bottom lines. Verdigris is supported by the following companies: Agfa Graphics, EFI, Epson, Fespa, HP, Kodak, Kornit, Ricoh, Spindrift, Splash PR, Unity Publishing and Xeikon.
Lees verder....The job of a package is manifold and yet very simple. A package must protect contents from damage, and provide a barrier between what’s inside and what’s not inside. The contents must stay in the package at all costs and must not become corrupted or otherwise spoiled within it. Ideally the package should extend the shelf life of its contents and maintain its own integrity in terms of structure and appearance over time. The materials from which it is made, should also be recyclable or biodegradeable. And it must also be possible to print on packaging surfaces in a way that minimises waste in the supply chain.
Clearly for printers considering a move into the digitally printed packaging business, there is much to think about besides which digital press to buy. The format and type of packaging product will determine where to start with the investment process, for instance if the printed material is for flexible or rigid plastic packaging, for folding cartons, corrugated materials or containers printed direct to shape. Whatever the print product, environmental considerations should also be part of the investment planning. For digital printing technology there are plenty of reasons to go with this short run option, but success depends on getting the business plan right.
Environmental considerations begin with the materials and inks, and their recyclability or potential for reuse. Fortunately the packaging materials suppliers have been focusing on improving the environmental impact of their products for years. Digital press manufacturers are working hard to make sure they can print these materials and that their inks and toners perform to spec.
The massive jump in the use of digital printing technology for packaging has also encouraged some very creative thinking in packaging applications, particularly for specialised and short-run work. The environmental benefits are substantial for this type of application, because digital processes dramatically cut supply chain complexity. Digitally printing packages close to their point of use means that only what is required for a particular store, shopping complex, town or geography gets produced. This cuts waste and transportation costs, and shortens time to market.
Besides the environmental benefits of such a model, brand owners benefit from fast turnarounds and product customisation. Digital printing gives brands the flexibility to run new product trials more frequently. If they get their workflows right, they also have the advantage of personalised packaging design variations. Innovative combinations of labels, packaging, signage and brochures help reinforce brands and products across media channels. It’s a commercial and an environmental conversation, and workflow is where the narrative begins.
Laurel Brunner
This article was produced by the Verdigris project, an industry initiative intended to raise awareness of print’s positive environmental impact. This weekly commentary helps printing companies keep up to date with environmental standards, and how environmentally friendly business management can help improve their bottom lines. Verdigris is supported by the following companies: Agfa Graphics, EFI, Epson, Fespa, HP, Kodak, Kornit, Ricoh, Spindrift, Splash PR, Unity Publishing and Xeikon.
Lees verder....
De-inking chemicals
We’ve recently been working a lot on ISO 21331, the international standard for assessing the potential deinkability of print. This document is one of several standards under development within ISO to improve the environmental impact and accountability of graphics technology and print.
The idea behind ISO 21331 is really very simple. This short document is a tool to encourage media professionals to use resources efficiently and to plan their media investments taking environmental sustainability into account. Media professionals can use ISO 21331 to help them decide which print media production method would be best for a particularly project, in terms of overall environmental impact.
They might for instance choose digital printing for very short run work such as photobooks, or for a few customised banners. And if the project is a long run glossy magazine, print buyers might opt for web offset or gravure using an ISO standard to inform their decision. There are endless examples of how ISO 21331 might be implemented alongside other project planning tools. Overall this should lead to more sustainable communications and improved data for quantifying print’s environmental impact.
ISO 21331 is just one part of a much larger environmental impact conversation necessary to help media professionals with investment choices. But it is also important for developers of printing systems, including new imaging and marking techniques, inks and substrates. The range of use cases for ISO 21331 is also growing beyond its original concept. ISO 21331 was conceived as an aid to print buyers, so that they could make informed decisions about their media investments. But environmental impact and a medium’s recyclability potential are factors that increasingly concern marketing professional, particularly for high profile brands who need to demonstrate conformance with their own Corporate Social Responsibility policies.
We recently came across another interesting use case. An NGO in the US is providing documents and support to encourage printers and packaging engineers towards sustainable design. GreenBlue’s mission is “to foster the creation of a resilient system of commerce based on the principles of sustainable materials management” and print guidance is obviously part of that. ISO 21331 is a tool for assessing the likely performance of processes and materials.
All around the world people are starting to think more carefully about how they invest in media. They are considering recyclability, energy footprints, transportation and waste. Sustainable design is an important part of the puzzle, and it is something everyone can keep in mind. ISO 21331 is a small part of the same puzzle, intended to provide media professionals with a helpful tool for planning investment. It is also useful for printers considering investment in new production capacity and for manufacturers working on new materials and printing systems.
Laurel Brunner
This article was produced by the Verdigris project, an industry initiative intended to raise awareness of print’s positive environmental impact. This weekly commentary helps printing companies keep up to date with environmental standards, and how environmentally friendly business management can help improve their bottom lines. Verdigris is supported by the following companies: Agfa Graphics, EFI, Epson, Fespa, HP, Kodak, Kornit, Ricoh, Spindrift, Splash PR, Unity Publishing and Xeikon.
De-inking chemicals
We’ve recently been working a lot on ISO 21331, the international standard for assessing the potential deinkability of print. This document is one of several standards under development within ISO to improve the environmental impact and accountability of graphics technology and print.
The idea behind ISO 21331 is really very simple. This short document is a tool to encourage media professionals to use resources efficiently and to plan their media investments taking environmental sustainability into account. Media professionals can use ISO 21331 to help them decide which print media production method would be best for a particularly project, in terms of overall environmental impact.
They might for instance choose digital printing for very short run work such as photobooks, or for a few customised banners. And if the project is a long run glossy magazine, print buyers might opt for web offset or gravure using an ISO standard to inform their decision. There are endless examples of how ISO 21331 might be implemented alongside other project planning tools. Overall this should lead to more sustainable communications and improved data for quantifying print’s environmental impact.
ISO 21331 is just one part of a much larger environmental impact conversation necessary to help media professionals with investment choices. But it is also important for developers of printing systems, including new imaging and marking techniques, inks and substrates. The range of use cases for ISO 21331 is also growing beyond its original concept. ISO 21331 was conceived as an aid to print buyers, so that they could make informed decisions about their media investments. But environmental impact and a medium’s recyclability potential are factors that increasingly concern marketing professional, particularly for high profile brands who need to demonstrate conformance with their own Corporate Social Responsibility policies.
We recently came across another interesting use case. An NGO in the US is providing documents and support to encourage printers and packaging engineers towards sustainable design. GreenBlue’s mission is “to foster the creation of a resilient system of commerce based on the principles of sustainable materials management” and print guidance is obviously part of that. ISO 21331 is a tool for assessing the likely performance of processes and materials.
All around the world people are starting to think more carefully about how they invest in media. They are considering recyclability, energy footprints, transportation and waste. Sustainable design is an important part of the puzzle, and it is something everyone can keep in mind. ISO 21331 is a small part of the same puzzle, intended to provide media professionals with a helpful tool for planning investment. It is also useful for printers considering investment in new production capacity and for manufacturers working on new materials and printing systems.
Laurel Brunner
This article was produced by the Verdigris project, an industry initiative intended to raise awareness of print’s positive environmental impact. This weekly commentary helps printing companies keep up to date with environmental standards, and how environmentally friendly business management can help improve their bottom lines. Verdigris is supported by the following companies: Agfa Graphics, EFI, Epson, Fespa, HP, Kodak, Kornit, Ricoh, Spindrift, Splash PR, Unity Publishing and Xeikon.
At the recent Fespa Asia show in Bangkok, Thailand we learnt more about the Thai Forest Certification Scheme (TFCS). Rungnapa Wattanavichian, manager of the Thailand Forest Certification Council (TFCC) told us that their scheme’s main objective is to protect the forests because “forests give us everything – home, food and different materials that we can use.”
The TFCC was started by growers and other players in the pulp and wood supply chains, along with various academic entities and industry associations. The Thai Institute of Agro-based Industries and the Federation of Thai Industries support the scheme. Everyone wants to encourage certification so that harvesting can be capped and the forests properly managed to avoid long term damage. Indonesia please take note!
The Thais are also working with the PEFC, the international forestry certification organisation. The PEFC’s mission is to get people to manage their forests at a local level and to do so sustainably. The TFCS, which the PEFC endorses, covers harvesting, process control, legality and chain of custody audits, so it has much in common with the international Forest Stewardship Council certification scheme. However since its foundation in 1992, the PEFC has worked at the local level, albeit with a global programme applicable everywhere. The TFCS is a third party accreditation, with robust and independent audits designed to be particularly suitable for small businesses. Today there are over 17,800 PEFC certifications in 70 countries.
Whether it is a PEFC or FSC scheme, the primary market driver for certification is quality assurance. Third party certification demonstrates compliance with the law and tight process management, reassuring customers. This is important for public procurement contracts and for brands such as UniLever and McDonald’s. The latter for instance has Chain of Custody certifications for wood fibre used in packaging in its 38 European markets, where there are 7,900 McDonald’s outlets. Third party certification confirms that the wood fibre based products companies like McDonald’s use are sustainably sourced.
The TFCC was founded in June 2015 to oversee the Thai scheme and is working with the Thai Ministry of Industry to drive certification. Rungnapa told us, that the organisation is also providing input to the review of ISO Technical Report 14061 as part of the process of upgrading it to a standard. ISO TR 14061 provides information to assist forestry organizations in the use of the ISO 14001 and ISO 14004 Environmental Management System standards. Making it a standard means that the document can be used as the reference for certification. The new standard is likely to follow the principles of the Thai scheme and the PEFC method for forestry management certifications. Once published it will be possible for local schemes around the world to be certifed for compliance to it. Through its work with ISO and with local growers Thailand is in the vanguard of sustainable forestry management in South East Asia. It is a model for its region.
Laurel Brunner
This article was produced by the Verdigris project, an industry initiative intended to raise awareness of print’s positive environmental impact. This weekly commentary helps printing companies keep up to date with environmental standards, and how environmentally friendly business management can help improve their bottom lines. Verdigris is supported by the following companies: Agfa Graphics, EFI, Epson, Fespa, HP, Kodak, Kornit, Ricoh, Spindrift, Splash PR, Unity Publishing and Xeikon.
Lees verder....At the recent Fespa Asia show in Bangkok, Thailand we learnt more about the Thai Forest Certification Scheme (TFCS). Rungnapa Wattanavichian, manager of the Thailand Forest Certification Council (TFCC) told us that their scheme’s main objective is to protect the forests because “forests give us everything – home, food and different materials that we can use”.
The TFCC was started by growers and other players in the pulp and wood supply chains, along with various academic entities and industry associations. The Thai Institute of Agro-based Industries and the Federation of Thai Industries support the scheme. Everyone wants to encourage certification so that harvesting can be capped and the forests properly managed to avoid long term damage. Indonesia please take note!
The Thais are also working with the PEFC, the international forestry certification organisation. The PEFC’s mission is to get people to manage their forests at a local level and to do so sustainably. The TFCS, which the PEFC endorses, covers harvesting, process control, legality and chain of custody audits, so it has much in common with the international Forest Stewardship Council certification scheme. However since its foundation in 1992, the PEFC has worked at the local level, albeit with a global programme applicable everywhere. The TFCS is a third party accreditation, with robust and independent audits designed to be particularly suitable for small businesses. Today there are over 17,800 PEFC certifications in 70 countries.
Whether it is a PEFC or FSC scheme, the primary market driver for certification is quality assurance. Third party certification demonstrates compliance with the law and tight process management, reassuring customers. This is important for public procurement contracts and for brands such as UniLever and McDonald’s. The latter for instance has Chain of Custody certifications for wood fibre used in packaging in its 38 European markets, where there are 7,900 McDonald’s outlets. Third party certification confirms that the wood fibre based products companies like McDonald’s use are sustainably sourced.
The TFCC was founded in June 2015 to oversee the Thai scheme and is working with the Thai Ministry of Industry to drive certification. Rungnapa told us that the organisation is also providing input to the review of ISO Technical Report 14061 as part of the process of upgrading it to a standard. ISO TR 14061 provides information to assist forestry organizations in the use of the ISO 14001 and ISO 14004 Environmental Management System standards. Making it a standard means that the document can be used as the reference for certification. The new standard is likely to follow the principles of the Thai scheme and the PEFC method for forestry management certifications. Once published it will be possible for local schemes around the world to be certifed for compliance to it. Through its work with ISO and with local growers Thailand is in the vanguard of sustainable forestry management in South East Asia. It is a model for its region.
Laurel Brunner
This article was produced by the Verdigris project, an industry initiative intended to raise awareness of print’s positive environmental impact. This weekly commentary helps printing companies keep up to date with environmental standards, and how environmentally friendly business management can help improve their bottom lines. Verdigris is supported by the following companies: Agfa Graphics, EFI, Epson, Fespa, HP, Kodak, Kornit, Ricoh, Spindrift, Splash PR, Unity Publishing and Xeikon.
Lees verder....
At the recent Fespa Asia show in Bangkok, Thailand we learnt more about the Thai Forest Certification Scheme (TFCS). Rungnapa Wattanavichian, manager of the Thailand Forest Certification Council (TFCC) told us that their scheme’s main objective is to protect the forests because “forests give us everything – home, food and different materials that we can use”.
The TFCC was started by growers and other players in the pulp and wood supply chains, along with various academic entities and industry associations. The Thai Institute of Agro-based Industries and the Federation of Thai Industries support the scheme. Everyone wants to encourage certification so that harvesting can be capped and the forests properly managed to avoid long term damage. Indonesia please take note!
The Thais are also working with the PEFC, the international forestry certification organisation. The PEFC’s mission is to get people to manage their forests at a local level and to do so sustainably. The TFCS, which the PEFC endorses, covers harvesting, process control, legality and chain of custody audits, so it has much in common with the international Forest Stewardship Council certification scheme. However since its foundation in 1992, the PEFC has worked at the local level, albeit with a global programme applicable everywhere. The TFCS is a third party accreditation, with robust and independent audits designed to be particularly suitable for small businesses. Today there are over 17,800 PEFC certifications in 70 countries.
Whether it is a PEFC or FSC scheme, the primary market driver for certification is quality assurance. Third party certification demonstrates compliance with the law and tight process management, reassuring customers. This is important for public procurement contracts and for brands such as UniLever and McDonald’s. The latter for instance has Chain of Custody certifications for wood fibre used in packaging in its 38 European markets, where there are 7,900 McDonald’s outlets. Third party certification confirms that the wood fibre based products companies like McDonald’s use are sustainably sourced.
The TFCC was founded in June 2015 to oversee the Thai scheme and is working with the Thai Ministry of Industry to drive certification. Rungnapa told us that the organisation is also providing input to the review of ISO Technical Report 14061 as part of the process of upgrading it to a standard. ISO TR 14061 provides information to assist forestry organizations in the use of the ISO 14001 and ISO 14004 Environmental Management System standards. Making it a standard means that the document can be used as the reference for certification. The new standard is likely to follow the principles of the Thai scheme and the PEFC method for forestry management certifications. Once published it will be possible for local schemes around the world to be certifed for compliance to it. Through its work with ISO and with local growers Thailand is in the vanguard of sustainable forestry management in South East Asia. It is a model for its region.
– Laurel Brunner
This article was produced by the Verdigris project, an industry initiative intended to raise awareness of print’s positive environmental impact. This weekly commentary helps printing companies keep up to date with environmental standards, and how environmentally friendly business management can help improve their bottom lines. Verdigris is supported by the following companies: Agfa Graphics, EFI, Epson, Fespa, HP, Kodak, Kornit, Ricoh, Spindrift, Splash PR, Unity Publishing and Xeikon.
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