Printers urged to be more eco-minded

It seems that sustainability and environmental impact are two aspects that printing businesses are being encouraged to consider when reviewing their paper supply processes – or at least so Print Week reports. Two groups – the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) – are looking to encourage printers and supply chain specialists to make their procurement choices more eco-friendly.

The two organisations have published a set of guidelines, titled ‘Sustainable Procurement Guide for Wood and Paper-based Products.’ This was originally released in 2008 but has since been updated. It is aimed at providing procurement specialists with a better understanding of how they can improve their policies related to paper and packaging.

Both the World Resources Institute and the WBCSD are concerned with creating a sustainable future – not only for businesses, but for society and the environment, too. The World Resources Institute operates in over 50 countries in pursuit of this aim.

Different aspects of procurement are discussed in the guidelines, including legality, environmental impacts and social issues. Uta Jungermann, the group manager for WBCSD, said that the need for revised guidelines arose from “the growing movement from big brand-owning companies towards deforestation-free products.” She noted that the organisation wanted “to help supply chains address this.”

Some of the steps print businesses can take to ensure their supply chain is eco-friendly is to thoroughly check the legality of suppliers – e.g., whether product information provided is accurate and if the supplies have been legally produced. Similarly, businesses can check if the forests their paper products are gathered from are sustainably managed and if environmental controls have been put in place.

It is also important for businesses to check suppliers operate in a way that is not harmful to the local communities.

Were you aware of the new push for more environmentally-friendly supply chains in the print industry? Will you be following the new guidelines?