Within the printing industry recently the importance placed on the level of a company’s environmental friendliness had increased dramatically, said the PIA/GATF.

It said many printers were facing a growing number of inquiries regarding sustainable printing practices, and according to a recent survey it conducted, over 90% of printers believed their customers would require ‘green’ printing in the future.

To help the printing community in this push for sustainability, PIA/GATF and its partners have established the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP Partnership).

The SGP Partnership is formed of volunteer print leaders and other key players from each of the three associations. The project is being led by Gary Jones, director of environmental health and safety affairs for PIA/GATF.

“Mr Jones is known as an expert in his field and works extensively with various government agencies on environmental health and safety issues,” said Michael Makin, president and CEO of PIA/GATF.

Jones believes PIA/GATF needs to play a prominent role in the “green” movement of the printing industry. “We are on the cusp of a fundamental change in the way printers will be doing business in the foreseeable future. This initiative will give printers the tools they need to respond to the market and demonstrate their continued commitment to protecting the environment through sustainability,” he said.

The SGP Partnership, which is comprised of volunteer print leaders and key players from the three associations, plans on establishing sustainable printing criteria and a guidance document on how to implement a program to meet them.

In addition, a national registry will be established, identifying companies that meet the set criteria and allowing printing customers the ability to identify ‘green’ printers in their area.

The national registry will be housed on the SGP Partnership website, www.sgppartnership.org.

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