Have a look at what you are reading right now. For our wrap issue, we spoke to David Blundell at RA Printing about printing the Sustainability Spotlight, and why managing sustainability isn’t just green business, but good business.

“For us, it’s about listening to the client, understanding their goal, and then using our skills to exceed those expectations,” says Blundell. “Printing on recycled stocks is no different to any other. We get to know the stock, recognise the paper’s characteristics and then decide on an angle of approach. After that it’s a calculated and measured process, minimising waste but ensuring we get the best result.” The philosophy that there is nothing more wasteful than a bad print job explains how Blundell has managed to print this project on so many different papers. “Did we treat them all the same?” he asks. “We treated them accordingly, and never had any problems getting results.”

“There is a lot of greenwashing around, but sustainability in the print industry is well documented,” says Blundell. “In the last 20 years we’ve made immense progress compared with other industries.”

As a business, he suggests “it’s about having benchmarks in place so we can measure sustainability.” Placed in the market as a leader in sustainable practice, RA Printing has gained FSC® Accreditation. “It means we have good clients, which has allowed us to invest in the best technology, and continue getting the best results.”

To put it simply, fashion labels have to look their best. Making no exception, when Kirrily Johnston approached VervePrint to produce their recent catalogue, director Karl Page says he was looking for a stock with “the look and feel that would best represent the Kirrily Johnston brand.” Working closely with the designers, Page settled on Stephen, describing it as a “nice, toothy, non-bright eco-sensitive stock.” Stephen is one of Spicer’s most environmentally and socially sustainable papers available, another important outcome for the client. “Every brand should be aware of the small steps they can take to make a difference,” says Page. Stephen is one of the Australian Paper range that has full cradle to grave Carbon Neutral certification from the Australian Government Department of Climate Change and comes with a carbon calculator, so you can find out the exact amount of carbon you offset by your purchase.

When the client has an end result in mind, Page sees his role as to present “the best, most cost effective option, always with the environment in mind. Stephen fitted the brief perfectly.” As an image conscious industry, fashion labels have strived to not only look green, but also make a valuable contribution to the environment. Finished with a ‘French fold’ and black stitching, the project gives a sophisticated look with a highly sustainable choice of stock.

Today, the way we produce paper has changed for the better and a literal forest of green logo’s and certifications abound. One product that was first to package those most important is Dalton’s ENVI range. Manufactured under the ISO 14001 standard, sourced from sustainably managed forests, utilising renewable energy and certified carbon neutral, it has established itself as one of the most sustainable paper options in Australia. As you begin to understand the complexity of sustainability reporting, the ENVI range can become both a tool for communicating your commitment to a more sustainable future, and to compass what aspects determine your impact as a business.

As a design based business, it can perhaps seem a difficult task to understand how your choices are affecting your environmental impact. As a certified carbon neutral paper range, ENVI will actually reduce your company’s carbon footprint, and help you understand how it achieves this. When you specify the ENVI range, the carbon footprint of the paper can be measured by Dalton and provided to you in period reports, or on a job-by-job basis. Providing you and your client’s with valuable information that can feed into your sustainability reporting, and in turn, core management principles.

Rohan Dean, strategic sourcing manager for Dalton, notes that further to its environmental credentials, “being Australian made is a huge benefit in many ways,” providing valuable jobs and supporting our local economy. The availability of a high-quality paper manufactured locally means that compromise is not necessary, as it once may have been, Dean says. “ENVI is competitively priced and it’s quality is up there with the best.”

Although it may seem that choosing a sustainable paper is easier than ever, it is important to be aware of the details of both the raw materials and the manufacturing standards used, as well as the place of manufacture and, of course, print quality. Be aware also of added benefits- in the case of ENVI, CO2 reporting tools and the availability of recognisable consumer logo’s. Dean outlines the simplicity of the process to use the logo’s, “Generally approvals take between 24-48 hours…it’s very quick, and helps maintain the integrity of the certification.”

 ENVI Super Smooth can help us be aware of our choices, and that will positively affect the core principles of a company when it comes to sustainability. So next time you look at the two bins under the desk, think about what paper can teach your business.

The environmental benefits of the Revive Creative range exceed the ordinary by being certified carbon neutral and greenhouse friendly by the Department of Climate Change, as well as FSC® Certified, and comprising 70% recycled stock made from Australian waste. The range comes with the ability to quantify CO2e savings from the paper, which Schmid finds to be an “impressive and eye-opening tool” in sharing her environmental concerns with clients and suppliers. She says it is encouraging for printers who can see the benefits, and work towards bringing down costs to make it both “a financially sustainable and socially responsible choice”.

Using the range in a new identity for the Australian Music Centre in 2009, Schmid is impressed with the technical qualities of the stock, and finds it has its own characteristic warmth and “tactile look” to it. Combined with a carbon neutral profile and the tools available to share the environmental benefits with her clients, Schmid and her team remain excited about the discovery of Revive Creative.

“Dealing with an organisation that is all about books, writing and ideas, it was important that the tactile quality of the programme make it something people would want to hang on to,” says Andrew Paoli of Paoli Smith. “With the sustainability of Saxton, we found a perfect fit.”

Commissioned to develop the identity and launch campaign for the newly created Wheeler Centre, Paoli was looking for an Australian made stock that would exemplify the quality of the brand while giving consistent results over an extensive print campaign. Manufactured at Shoalhaven, NSW, Saxton is a choice that drives value for Australian communities, minimises environmental impacts and delivers results of an international standard. Challenged by their client’s goal to find “better ways of contributing to a more sustainable tomorrow,” Saxton offered Paoli a choice with clear environmental and social benefits. Government certified Carbon Neutral under the NCOS and FSC® Mixed Sources, Saxton is one of the most sustainable Australian made papers in the Spicers range.

Driven by a need to showcase the quality of the brand, Paoli was looking for a stock that would maintain colour consistency while rolling out such an extensive campaign. Paoli remarks, “We find Saxton delivers a high quality result each time.”

At the recent Australian Catalogue Association awards, Paddy Pallin secured the prestigious “Catalogue of the Year” award for their exceptional Winter 2010 catalogue.

Care for the environment is one of the cornerstones of Paddy Pallin. Ever since Paddy Pallin was set up in 1930, both Paddy Pallin the company and Paddy Pallin the man have demonstrated a commitment to sustainability. This commitment is now carried on by current owners, Robert and Nancy Pallin, and is a crucial part of their triple-bottom-line approach to doing business.

This sustainable approach also extended to their paper stock selection for the Winter 2010 catalogue. For many years, Paddy Pallin had used recycled paper to print their catalogues. They then re-assessed the environmental impact of transporting recycled paper from Europe, as well as the whole paper recycling process. The decision was then made to use a stock which better reflected the sustainable objectives of the company, and thus Australian made ENVI Matt was adopted.

“What made ENVI paper the ideal solution to our concerns was the combination of being Australian made, that it held PEFC certification and the option for it to be 100% Carbon Neutral. Not only did we achieve an improved environmental solution, we got a catalogue that looks and feels great. At Paddy Pallin we couldn’t be happier with the results.” – Jemima Robinson, Marketing Manager.

Take a look at the award winning Paddy Pallin catalogue.

http://www.paddypallin.com.au/default.aspx?page=260

http://www.catalogue.asn.au/awards/past-winners

Keep your eyes out for Paddy Pallin’s Summer 2010 Handbook also – in store from 20^th of September. The handbook is jam-packed with information on old Paddymade gear, club member stories, etc. Paddy Pallin’s Summer 2010 catalogue is printed on Australian Made, Carbon Neutral ENVI paper.

“We have selected Onyx on multiple occasions because it reflects our client’s desire to achieve premium printing standards and positive environmental outcomes,” says Murison. As a stock that is both one 100% recycled and 100% Australian, Murison feels the benefits to Australian communities and the environment speak clearly of the client’s values. Furthermore, being endorsed as carbon neutral by the Department of Climate Change shows the measurable positive effect of the client’s sustainability reporting.

While Onyx stands out as a range with incredibly high environmental standards, Murison makes no sacrifice on quality. “We have now printed over 10 of The Match Group’s development brochures with Onyx and couldn’t be more satisfied with the outcome; it consistently retains its premium quality and print performance with each job and never lets us down.”

Using a sustainably sourced and produced stock no longer means grey spotty paper, designer Stuart Geddes of Chase & Galley points out. As more clients set environmental standards, Geddes looks to the paper stock ranges that can offer his work something distinctive while maintaining great sustainable credentials. When choosing a cover stock for the Melbourne Design Guide, the range of textures in Tablex offered him an “unusual touch… to represent some of that diversity,” he says, in such a large compendium of information. The use of the Freckles texture, he says, seemed “a funny way of debunking the idea that the whole scene is something really cool and sleek”.

As a white, textured and coloured board range manufactured under the rigorous environmental standards of ISO14001, PEFC Chain of Custody and now available as carbon neutral, these qualities come at a low cost to our planet, and provide for Australian communities by being manufactured locally and distributed by Australian company KW Doggett. Although Geddes appreciates how “remarkably well” it prints, it is the range of colours and textures available that presents unique opportunities and attracts him to Tablex. Colours that are “ordinarily used for office stationery…you get coming through the print, which is really interesting to work with…distinctive and ordinary at the same time,” he muses.

www.spicers.com.au

Johanna Villani runs a carbon-neutral graphic design business in Melbourne and works on a range of publications for large organisations.

Villani explains that many of her clients are looking to go green wherever possible. “Councils in particular sendlarge amounts of material to their ratepayers and need to be accountable for what they put out,” she explains. “They want to do the right thing, and be seen to be doing so. Based on our credentials, we advise them that Tudor RP is one of the best stocks available. Landcare have programs such as the regeneration of Merri Creek that are local to Melbourne’s councils, so this paper keeps jobs in Australia. It also has that earthy, recycled feel, which is often part of the message clients want to get across. We’re pushing it wherever possible.”

Made with locally sourced recycled pulp, chlorine-free bleaching, and with every aspect of production at Shoalhaven Mill carefully managed to EPA requirements, Tudor RP is a genuinely sustainable step forward for Australian Paper.