New Leaf Paper. Paper with a Past, and a Future.

What can the print designer do to be greener? Content courtesy of www.re-nourish.com

When presented with a design problem, first the designer should ask if the solution must be a printed piece. Could the message be equally or more effective as a microsite, an email blast, or a PDF, etc.? By eliminating paper entirely the environmental footprint of the result becomes substantially smaller.

If the alternative design solution is web-based, consider hosting with a green web host. Website files are stored on servers in data centers that hold large servers and other equipment. Servers generate a considerable amount of heat so it is necessary that the equipment is maintained at a consistently cool temperature. Climate-control and backup power sources to protect the equipment and data require enormous amounts energy.

Some web hosting facilities generate their own renewable energy or purchase carbon offset credits. This can greatly reduce the environmental footprint of hosting a website.

If the design solution must be a printed piece, there are steps designers can take to reduce the environmental footprint. The following guidelines are helpful when making these decisions:

Working with local vendors
Doing business with nearby vendors helps support the local economy and reduces ozone-depleting emissions from shipping and transport. Look for paper manufactured and distributed by rail or ship within 300 miles from the printer. Hire printers less than 100 miles of final destination to limit transportation footprint. Locate local printers here.

Means to offset carbon emissions and utilize renewable energy
Counteract carbon emissions from the energy use, shipping, printing, etc. of a project by purchasing carbon offset credits. These credits help support projects that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Click here Find Green-e Climate Certified Carbon Offsets

Whenever possible, hire a printer that uses, and spec paper manufactured by, renewable energy or Green-e certified offset energy credits.

Maximization of the press sheet to limit waste
On press, a printer fits multiple pieces on one large sheet of paper. If the piece is not optimized for the size of the press sheet waste is created and more resources are used. By sizing projects to maximize the press sheet size, the amount of waste and paper use is greatly reduced. Learn how here

Other lives of the ephemera post implementation
The designer’s goal should not simply end with getting the piece in the hands of the audience or consumer. Use and disposal should also be considered in the concept phase of design. Will this piece end up in a landfill or recycling bin? Instead, can this piece be designed to be intentionally used again, thus delaying or avoiding a landfill altogether? Perhaps adding printed instructions on the piece describing such use would provide education and awareness to the consumer as well as practicality.

Paper fiber
The most environmentally-friendly paper fiber does not come from trees. In North America over 200 million tons of straw remain as a by-product of agricultural crops. Left over from parts of the plant that we don’t eat, this agricultural residue is dumped or burned in open fields. The long fibers from these crops are ideal for paper pulp because of their tensile quality. These fibers can come from flax, wheat or rice (only in S/MW USA & Most Canada).

The second best paper fiber comes from organic hemp (only in Canada), kenaf (only in Southern/Midwest USA), and arundo donax (only in S/SE/MW/W USA), which is similar to bamboo. These fiber sources grow rapidly and require little to no pesticides or herbicides, and have long strong fibers.

More readily available is paper made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper. This is made with paper recovered from curb-side recycling programs, which reduces paper headed to landfills and eliminates the need for virgin fiber entirely. Each ton of 100% post-consumer recycled fiber that replaces a ton of virgin fiber saves between 12 and 24 trees. The majority of paper sold by New Leaf is available in post-consumer content.

Other paper considerations
Some paper coatings render the paper unrecyclable. Other coatings add to the toxic sludge in the recycling process. Therefore, uncoated stock is the most eco-friendly option available.

The bleaching process used to whiten paper fiber is a critical factor when measuring the environmental impact of a product. The “Processed Chlorine Free” label (PCF) is reserved for recycled content paper. PCF papers have not been re-bleached with chlorine containing compounds.
The “Totally Chlorine Free” label (TCF) is reserved for virgin fiber papers, ideally for agri-fibers not wood pulp. TCF papers do not use pulp produced with chlorine or chlorine containing compounds as bleaching agents.

When possible choose paper with a lighter basis weight, which requires fewer resources in manufacturing, and reduces fuel use in shipping.

Look for certifications such as Ancient Forest Friendly, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and Rainforest Alliance Certified. These are independent certifications, which meet a rigorous set of criteria to ensure sustainably harvested fiber and old growth forest integrity.

Consider incorporating an environmental message/eco-audit on the printed piece. This would help to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable design and inform consumers to the intention of lessening the piece’s environmental impact. New Leaf Paper offers an eco-audit for every project using New Leaf paper.

Printing
The first step in the production of a printed piece is transmitting the files to the printer. To reduce materials use (non-reusable media) and fuel in transporting, this should be done electronically.

When choosing a printer, ask the following questions:

• Does the printer have a formal waste reduction/recycling policy in operation?

• Does the printer have a formal eco-preferable purchasing policy in operation?

• Does the printer offer Waterless or digital printing?

• Does the printer have a formal employee benefits program in operation, including living wages and health care?

• Is the printer FSC Certified?

Inks and coatings
Currently, the best option on the market is vegetable-based inks because they contain less VOCs and IPA solvents than traditional petroleum-based inks. Vegetable-based inks are also easier to clean up and to de-ink, which makes the printed product easier to recycle. Printing presses that use vegetable-based inks can be cleaned with a water-based cleaner, replacing the high VOC solvent cleaners used with petroleum-based ink.

Minimizing ink coverage is another step to creating a more eco-friendly piece. This reduces resources consumed and the decreases the sludge created from the recycling process. Bleeds require printing beyond the trim size, then cutting off the excess paper, creating waste and requiring more paper to be used. Eliminating bleeds can lessen the environmental impact of the piece.

UV coatings, varnishes, laminates, and metallic inks can cause the paper to be rejected for recycling, thus adding to the waste stream. Water-based aqueous coatings are the most environmentally-friendly option for a protective layer. The content in metallic inks may cause environmental and worker health hazards when metals are extracted, processed, or disposed. These ink colors require additional steps in the press cleaning process, which may be hazardous as well. Metal content in ink is not easily decomposed and can contaminate groundwater.

Finishing
If binding is needed, request saddle-stitching or water-based adhesives only. The staples in saddle-stitching are easily removed during the recycling process and the water-based glues contain less VOCs and harmful chemicals than their petroleum-based counterparts.

Packaging
The most sustainable packaging of course, is no packaging at all. However if packaging is necessary, can it be part of the product it protects, or can it be reused? The materials should be considered, perhaps incorporating reclaimed materials and avoiding Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). Can the packaging safely biodegrade or compost utilizing the Cradle to Cradle method? The designer should think about ways to minimize packaging to reduce resources and the weight for transport. Visit the Sustainable Packaging Coalition for more information on this important design issue.