It’s no secret that the printing industry has a major impact on the environment. From forestry and water to carbon dioxide emissions, printers are heavy users of resources and significant polluters. Today, printers and their customers are seeking green printing methods that are environmentally sound and cost-effective. The natureOffice USA program offers both, as well as employee engagement and education.

natureOffice USA begins with a full audit of the printer’s carbon footprint. They design an action plan for decreasing energy, water and raw materials use, as well as reducing shipping, waste, and carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions. Printers purchase certified carbon credits, including renewable energy sources with no emissions, to mitigate processes that cannot integrate sustainable practices. When a printer completes the natureOffice USA program, they are qualified as a 100 percent carbon neutral print shop.

“Carbon neutral printing with the natureOffice USA program provides both environmental benefits and cost-savings, and is easily integrated into long-term growth strategy,” said Erwin Hudelist, president, natureOffice USA.

natureOffice USA is also taking action to improve the way Americans buy carbon credits. Unlike Europe, the United States has no recognized standard for carbon credits. Buyers have no guarantee that credits are sold once and apply to a certified project.

natureOffice USA develops carbon offset projects that offer the ability to track credits through a database. All natureOffice USA projects are certified to European standards, including the Native Forest (Koa) Reforestation project in Hawaii. Each offset (credit) has a unique tracking number; making it the most transparent carbon offset system available today.

Via: marketwire.com

Almost from the start it ran into opposition from the state’s purchasing specialists at the Department of General Services, who were not consulted about it and who – once they started asking questions – turned up other concerns, including allegations of unfair competition and ink waste.They also favored reusing cartridges by refilling them at local businesses, a process known as remanufacturing.”It is to HP’s advantage to get as many remanufacturable cartridges off the market as possible,” Robert Tetz, manager of the department’s environmentally preferable purchasing program, said in an e-mail to his boss last year. “I don’t believe that this partnership arrangement passes the smell test.”

The recycling plan is one of many purportedly eco-friendly initiatives launched in California
A state that portrays itself as a green-minded model for the world. But Scot Case, who investigates green marketing claims, said the state HP plan is the wrong choice for the environment.”It is completely ridiculous to ship a product from California to Virginia to be reground when you could refill those cartridges in California and reuse them,” said Case, vice president of TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, which places the green “EcoLogo” label on thousands of consumer products – but not on new printer cartridges.”You would use fewer resources,” Case said. “And you would create significantly less global warming impacts.”For their part, most DGS employees are not free to speak to The Bee. “We have a policy that we have high-level spokespeople … respond to questions,” said Jeffrey Young, the agency’s deputy director of public affairs.And Tetz, the green purchasing manager, has been ordered to clam up. “Bob, per my voicemail, I need you to stand down on any communication with Mr. Knudson. Call me …” Jim Butler, DGS’ chief procurement officer, said in an e-mail.

But their views come through clearly in electronic correspondence.
“The bottom line is that it is environmentally preferable and fiscally prudent to buy remanufactured toner cartridges for state laser printers from California small businesses,” wrote Ben Martin, an engineering branch manager at DGS, in an e-mail to a colleague.

Targeting a river of waste
Printer cartridges are a mainstay of the modern office – and a vexing waste problem. One 2007 industry report estimated 46 percent of the larger kind, known as laser jet cartridges, and 84 percent of the smaller inkjet cartridges are dumped in landfills after one use. A follow-up study, commissioned by HP, found 34 percent of the company’s laser jet cartridges and 78 percent of its inkjets end up in landfills after one use.The state-HP recycling effort was aimed at shrinking that river of waste by diverting up to 100 tons of spent state cartridges from landfills every year. But state and HP officials said it would have an additional benefit, striking a blow against climate change by curbing greenhouse gas emissions by 500 tons annually.Here’s how it was supposed to work: For every HP cartridge purchased and recycled, state agencies would earn points toward buying new, more energy-efficient HP printers. Top officials said that would trim power use and slice pollution.

Via: sacbee.com