A common myth about the printing industry is that it is not sustainable. We’re here to bust that myth. According to Two Sides North America, in the United States, 39% of the fiber used to make paper comes from recycled materials. The other 61% comes from sustainably managed forests, which are held to strict standards by certifying agencies such as the Forrest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). However, here at Replica, we believe more can be done, and we have taken these four steps to make our printing operation more sustainable.
1. We only use FSC & SFI certified paper.
Paper is at the center of our operation, and we make sure that we only work with environmentally responsible suppliers. Our most commonly used paper stock is made from 30% recycled materials and is certified to be sustainably sourced by FSC and SFI. What this means is that the trees being harvested to make the paper we use is grown in forests by companies that meet stringent regulations that prevent ecosystems from being destroyed and mitigate environmental impacts.
2. We recycle everything that we can.
As simple as it may seem, recycling can go a long way in reducing waste. Not only do we recycle paper trimmings and scraps, but we also encourage our team to recycle any plastic, paper, or aluminum they bring in one of the many recycling bins located throughout the shop. We also recycle our empty toner cartridges and send any waste toner back to our suppliers, who then make sure the cartridge is disposed of responsibly.
3. We made the switch to efficient lighting
This was one of the first initiatives we took to improve our energy efficiency. We replaced all of the traditional incandescent bulbs in the shop with Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and LEDs that resulted in a 75% energy savings and last ten times longer than conventional bulbs.
4. We use the latest, energy-efficient printing equipment
Unlike other commercial printers, here at Replica Printing, we invest in energy-efficient technology and machines to make them more sustainable and shrink our energy footprint. All of our digital equipment is state-of-the-art and ENERGY STAR® certified and they carry an EPEAT® Silver rating, which sets the standards for electronic energy efficiency.
These four steps are just the most important things we have done at Replica to be more sustainable. We do smaller things that have just as big of an impact, like providing our customers with digital proofs. One thing we have found is that sustainability is smart for business and the environment, and we are happy to be doing our part.