Publishing and paper
More and more consumers and businesses are making buying decisions based on the sustainability of a product. This is particularly the
case with paper and printed material.
There are a huge number of ways to incorporate sustainability into the planning and printing process – from design, paper and ink choices, through to supply chain management.
Publishing managers, designers, printers and others can play an important role in helping to minimise the environmental impact of the printing industry. Creating a more consumer friendly, as well as environmentally friendly product.
The links below will help you develop sustainability in your specific business field.
Guides
Cleaner Production Strategies for Lithographic Printers [PDF, 91 KB] (Waitakere City Council)
This guide outlines strategies for lithographic printers to adopt cleaner production practices. Cleaner production offers opportunities to reduce environmental and health and safety impacts, increase productivity and reduce costs.
Cleaner Production Strategies for Screen Printers [PDF, 277 KB] (Waitakere City Council)
This guide outlines strategies for screen printers to adopt cleaner production practices. Cleaner production offers opportunities to reduce environmental and health and safety impacts, increase productivity and reduce costs.
FutureProof: A guide towards sustainable publishing (Ministry for the Environment)
This guide is designed to help you consider the effects printing can have on the environment and on occupational health, and helps you to make improvements.
Guidance for Voluntary, Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reporting
This publication gives guidance for corporations on voluntary Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reporting, including emission factors. It is intended to help those corporates that wish to voluntarily monitor and report greenhouse gas emissions on an organisational basis for their New Zealand operations.
Guidelines for 'Green' Print Purchasing [PDF, 250 KB] (Waitakere City Council)
These 'Green Print Purchasing' guidelines outline how to integrate environmental criteria with traditional purchasing criteria such as the cost, availability and functionality for paper and ink used in printing.
Paper Task Force Recommendations for Purchasing and Using Environmentally Preferable Paper (Environmental defence)
This remains the most comprehensive life cycle analysis available for paper products. It is based on the paper industry in North America, was conducted by major paper users and researchers. Findings are reported separately for each of the main paper types.
Other resources
Paper and Packaging Life Cycle Assessment (Centre for Design (Melbourne))
This Australian study shows there are net benefits in recycling as opposed to sending waste to landfill
Paper Cuts: Recovering the Paper Landscape (Worldwatch Institute)
This study reports that global consumption of wood fibre for papermaking can be cut by more than 50 percent. This reduction can be achieved through a combination of trimming paper consumption in industrial countries, improving papermaking efficiency, and expanding the use of recycled and non-wood materials.
Rethinking Paper Consumption (International institute for Environment and Development)
This study looks at the consumption phase of the paper cycle and examines the implications of calls for radical changes in paper use.
Towards a Sustainable Paper Cycle (International institute for Environment and Development)
An independent study of the pulp and paper sector that objectively assesses the role of paper and the paper industry worldwide, focusing on the entire cycle from fibre production (including forestry) to pulp and paper production, paper usage, recycling, energy recovery and final disposal.
Think something should be added to Simply Sustainable? Send your suggestion to webmaster@mfe.govt.nz.
