
Strengthen your brand through green to do more to reach their audience and less to harm the earth by: Alpa Patel
Like most nonprofit, your organization can produce various printed pieces year to attract donors, attract new members, promote events, and inform donors. The design of these guarantees, you want to create a piece that represents the success of your organization, your budget, create positive change while advancing their cause, raising awareness and promoting its mission.
But if your print provider uses methods to produce the traditional – with the help of a paper from virgin fiber, the oil-based inks, toxic solvents, and chlorine bleached paper – printed piece can do less for your audience and not to harm the environment.
Fortunately, there are ways environmentally to make your print projects, the earth – and your organization – it looks good.
Environmental Damage
It is no secret forests that supply production taxes of paper from the water, and energy. In fact, the eco-advocacy group Environmental Defense that the production of one ton of uncoated virgin – which represents 90 percent of U.S. printing and writing paper – requires three tons of wood, 19.075 gallons of water, and generates 2278 pounds of solid waste.
"The industry's impression is that pollutes the air and the third largest consumer of fossil fuels in the world after automobiles and steel manufacturing, Renourish said founder and Design at the University of Illinois professor Eric Benson. "In a typical day, printers [billion gallons] of water use to treat They contain toxic chemicals and delivered to our waterways. "
Meanwhile, adhesives, fasteners, and sheets used in printing and packaging can make the final product is not recyclable, virtually guaranteeing that end in a landfill. There, the oil-based inks can cause permanent damage to the environment, leaching of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – which can cause birth defects and cancer – in soil, contaminated soil, groundwater, and, on evaporation, air.
The printing process itself is equally dangerous: Many solvents, lacquers, drying and solutions used in the production of films, plates printing, and cleaning the presses are toxic pollutants that can cause chronic health problems – liver, including kidney damage and even the death – among the press operators, according to the National Institute of Safety and Health.
Not exactly the message is for your nonprofit profit wants to convey.
It's easy to Green Printing
For some nonprofit organizations, the solution may be to avoid the impression of online marketing. However, for nonprofit organizations that are based on marketing campaigns to support and publicity printed, completely mute the paper can not be an option.
Al Green impression that you send a powerful reminder of his audience that cares for the things future. You are also improving its brand image by making the statement that you care about the environment. degradation Environment has a wide impact, poverty and disease to war and famine. In making green printing practices, you are in a sense that encompasses all the good reasons not least of all – his own.
"Your donors, board members and prospects to see you worry and this resonance is positive for them, "said Nilesh Patel, owner and president of We print a printer located in Orange Green, California. "Every point of contact with their constituency must reinforce the idea that you do not just say the right things, but doing good things. Printing is a very visible part of it, especially for an organization member. Doing the right thing for the environment, then advertising is a way [along towards the creation of] the integrity and sincerity of your organization. This is a wonderful way to highlight its mission. "
Fortunately, ecological solutions are on the rise – and there are many online resources that can help you find them.
Between We recommendations Printing
1. Select paper that is 100 percent post-consumer (PCW), process chlorine free (PCF), uncoated, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified sources of renewable energy such as wind or solar (Mohawk book a leader in this field), or even without trees (hemp and kenaf are two.)
2. using vegetable based inks and soy inks instead of petroleum-based inks. These alternatives to low-VOC and competitive prices. When using Pantone colors – an industry standard – To avoid the colors (especially red and hot metal) containing barium copper and zinc, which can cause health problems in humans.
3. Try printing without water, which eliminates the buffer systems used in conventional printing. Digital printing, which prevents the film and chemicals in traditional printing processes, is another good alternative.
4. Avoid using links, stickers, stamps or aluminum in packaging.
5. Reduce the amount of ink you use by going with one or two colors also designs You can save paper by asking your designer to use standard size sheets of press.
6. Themselves familiar with industry standards. Protection Agency mandates that environmental agencies should be used for printing Uncoated writing and containing at least 30 percent PCW content, coated papers should contain 10 percent said that printing.
Other considerations Print
These nonprofit organizations that print a large quantity of materials or display signs should opt for a process called sublimation printing – instead of solvent-based inks, which use oil and other compounds volatile organic, according to September 1, 2005 article in the print magazine. Digital printing and applications (which works especially well with the flags) are cleaner, more sustainable options, research and tissue Ecospun, which are made from recycled materials.
Good design is your
"If this is not the responsibility of the designer? You can ask. Fortunately for you – and the environment – the answer is not. In Ultimately, the customer, the burden falls on you to ensure your project is as environmentally friendly as possible. And with the growing number of options available, it is not difficult to find paper merchants environmentally friendly, designers and printers that can help you do so.
If you can not find a green design firm or printer in your area, do not worry – easy to use technologies such as PDF readers and compression utilities (see Free TechSoup the downloads section of good options) that the rapid transmission of files (and often free) by e-mail FTP, allowing you to work with the provider of their choice, regardless of location. Many print providers allows you or your designer upload files directly to their sites and then send the print for you.
Even if a design does not promote as "green", which may be ready to respond to your request. If you have a longstanding relationship with a designer, discuss how you can make your project environmentally friendly as possible.
A good designer must be able to meet their needs by finding suppliers and appropriate work within the requested perimeter. If a designer attempts to talk using the design of two colors or dissuade you from choosing a printing technique replacement, a second opinion.
Often, designers of the brand paper and print up to 30 percent, so beware of those who insist on using expensive paper, printing, binding, coating, or give up work to look good – they just might try to improve their performance, and reduce the time and overhead involved in the investigation of alternatives. A company design can be fully competent in your beautiful project, whatever the specification.
Dispelling myths Green
Green (Book) is beautiful
A common mistake among nonprofit and for-profit is equal ecological means a lower quality.
We suggest that speak nonprofit environmental printers to better understand your options. "The greatest obstacle to the press] [Green is the lack of information, he said, noting that a printer can help you determine what kind of papers, inks, coatings and can provide the desired quality and within your budget.
Compensation costs
Another deterrent is the common misconception that green printing is always more expensive than traditional printing methods. However, this is not always the case. vegetable-based inks are often at competitive prices Oil-based, print carbon neutral is not more expensive than traditional methods, and many recycled, TCF and ECF papers are actually cheaper than Virgin.
It is also noted that, due to many factors contribute to the price of a printed document - including the size project, used the press, and even the time of the year - it is important to work with a printer that can find the best solution for your budget organization.
Also keep in mind that, as more organizations like yours to invest in environmentally friendly options, the price will eventually fall. "It pays to make paper recycling, as required [less energy than] Virgin," said Benson. However, " there is often a slightly higher premium for recycled paper. It is largely based on supply and demand. Plus we recycled PCW paper] [and the area of supply of paper, and the price of course. Printers contaminate and pollute heavily. Why is this true? Choosing not to support these practices is to vote with their money. "
Even if you discover that afford green Furthermore, there are still many ways to compensate costs:
1.Consolidate
Instead of holding four shipments per year, try to send three more environmentally friendly. The positive publicity generated by going green, in fact, may improve response rates, and you'll be more likely that most of what you send. Or to offset the cost of creativity: "The multifunctional design projects – for example, self-mailer/program combos – for the economy using paper the most expensive, "suggests Dynamic Graphics" Article Print Green. "In addition, the combination of projects is always possible wise one idea is to print business cards and postcards of the same recycled paper. "
2.Bypass the average man
Management purchases and a printing project is not as complicated as it sounds, and help maintain high margins, graphic. Ask your designer to send print-ready files, and then work with the printer in obtaining evidence and the. Explain you're a nonprofit and are trying to save money: Many printers will be happy to assist you with the process. On the other hand, some designers may even be willing to give up the mark when they know they are supporting a good cause.
3.Share Glory
Another way offset costs is to ask a vendor chip in. Some printers will reduce the price if they can put their logo on the piece, and many them without interfering with them. Similarly, you could ask one of his sponsors to help cover the costs of promoting small in the room.
It is exclusive 4.Keep
Some printers offer discounts if you bring all (or almost) of their work for them. "Selecting a printer to print their only literature can give rise to a contract that may reduce costs further, we will send them, "he said.
If you have it, parade
If your project printing on recycled paper with soy-based inks or presses the wind, by all means let your constituents know. Add a single line of text explaining how the work was printed at the bottom of the map, or include a discreet symbol of Forest Stewardship Council Seal of soybeans, and processed without chlorine, if applicable.
Alternatively, you can count up the impact of the piece to his readers: Neenah Paper reveals Environmental Savings Calculator can help you calculate the environmental savings – in trees, water, energy, solid waste, wastes from water, and emissions into the atmosphere – in the selection of documents contained higher levels of post-consumer fibers.
Promote green practices not only your property profit – which may encourage other to do the same. Because when other organizations see the good that your room is, you might be inspired to go green.
Thank you
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