The New Gold Standard of Sustainable Printing.

Printery Communications is the first USA based shop in eight western states to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). If you count Northern California as a state, then it would be nine states. Anyway, the FSC Brand is now the gold standard for commercial printing. It is a world organization that started in Bonn, Germany. FSC began by certifying forests for lumber production. The organization now certifies many different products. Coffee is FSC certifiable. It includes three components including fair trade, organic, and shade growth. Paper can be looked at the same way.

FSC Certified Paper

Roughly 50% of US paper products are being recaptured and recycled, and recent campaigns may lead to a further increase in recycling. However, despite improved technologies for refining post consumer pulp, virgin fiber is still a significant requirement, as only 35% of current consumption is met by using recycled fiber; in addition, approximately 25% of recovered fiber is exported. Roughly 25% by volume of timber cut annually in the US is used for paper production.

The general recognition that environmental responsibility in all its aspects is a required function of corporate governance is growing significantly all the time. More and more companies that use, or cause to be used, significant volumes of paper and board in their businesses are recognizing their responsibility to ensure that not only do they know the origins of the fiber used in their paper and board purchases, but also that they ensure that the fiber is produced in an environmentally responsible manner.

While recycled fiber is a key element of the traditional model for responsible consumption, it is becoming increasingly clear that forestry management in the production of the wood used in paper manufacture, has more fundamental importance than even recycled fiber. The use of alternative fibers, chemical treatment and resulting effluence are other factors important to the responsible purchasing of paper and board.

Certification

Any product made of pulp or paper has the potential to be certified as long as the wood used in the product originates from FSC-certified sources. Wood is an important material for all paper manufacturers. The FSC certification system allows these professionals to know they are doing the right thing, and taking business away from other companies that may still be supporting illegal, unsustainable, unverified logging activities. The intent of the FSC system is to shift the market to eliminate habitat destruction, water pollution, displacement of indigenous peoples and violence against people and wildlife that often accompanies logging.

Just like other forest products, in order to use the FSC* logo as an "environmental claim" on paper, the product must have flowed through the FSC "chain-of-custody" from the FSC-certified forest, to a paper manufacturer, merchant, and finally printers who have FSC chain-of-custody certification.

The paper industry also has their own paper certified brand of papers. But, according to Kenna "The non-independent certified paper industry green washed brand called SFI is bogus. It's like letting the fox guard the chicken coop!"

Well what about cost?

"Because Printery Communication buys FSC paper in volume, it can be purchased as an exact substitute for conventional methods. This is very important for the client," mentions Kenna.

That's it for today class. Lunch is on the waterfront in Port Townsend with oysters on the half shell supplied by Mike at Printery Communications.

*Please note: in order to use any FSC trademarks, including the FSC logo, initials "FSC", or phrase "Forest Stewardship Council" on a printed piece, the printer must have next line-of-custody certification. Without this certification, no claims can be printed regarding the FSC-certified content of the paper.

For more information visit the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)