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The Greening of the Printing Industry

The printing industry in the United States does not appear to be getting the attention—or the applause—it deserves for its considerable efforts at bringing sustainability and environmental responsibility into its daily operations.

Photo by: Gem Lauris RK


The industry has been aware for more than two decades that the entire printing process—whether it is to print brochures, cards, packaging materials, catalogs, you name it—can and often does have detrimental environmental impacts. So we could say the industry has been taking steps to for several years to "clean up its act."


However, in the past decade, many of the more significant players in the industry have been nudged even more to bring green and sustainability practices into their business operations. This is because their customers, specifically their larger business customers, have begun insisting on it.


At first, these customers simply asked printers about their sustainability programs and efforts to protect the environment.


But the process soon became much more formal. Many printers started receiving "sustainability questionnaires" asking very specific questions about what initiatives they have implemented to protect the environment, reduce waste, ensure hazardous waste is properly disposed of, diminish the use of natural resources, and more.




With 3manager green profile and waste tracking, the first steps are taken in getting the overview of how office printing is affecting the environment.



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