dcc Cares About Our Community
At dcc, we believe that corporate responsibility begins with taking care of our environment. Sustainable printing is essential to our commitment to protecting the environment and promoting responsible resource management. For that reason, we are always looking for new and better ways to manage our use of materials and energy so that we can do more while using less. In 2007, dcc became an FSC-certified printer in order to meet their global standard for responsible forestry, and our certification is third-party managed by the Rainforest Alliance to ensure that our use of resources is environmentally responsible.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a significant component of our commitment to sustainable printing. The FSC is an international non-profit organization that promotes responsible management of global forests and sets rigorous standards for sustainable forest management to ensure that they are harvested in an environmentally, socially, and economically responsible manner. To achieve this, the FSC provides certification for forests and forest-based products so consumers can make more informed choices when purchasing paper and wood products.
It’s clear that the FSC plays an instrumental role in sustainable printing and how printing facilities can help contribute to its cause through their printing practices, but what does sustainable printing really mean?
Sustainable printing refers to the process of producing printed materials while minimizing the negative environmental and social impact. The FSC logo signifies that the paper used in that product comes from responsibly managed forests. Furthermore, the certification also ensures that printing operations adhere to high environmental and ethical standards throughout the entire supply chain and printing process.
What does being FSC-certified mean, and what is the global impact of sustainable printing? Responsible forestry and the use of FSC-certified products help to prevent deforestation and the degradation of natural habitats. This, in turn, helps to maintain our planet’s ecosystems and support biodiversity. Sustainable practices help to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and reduce your carbon footprint. The FSC also promotes fair labor practices within the forest industry, ensuring the rights and well-being of local communities and indigenous people.
While being FSC-certified clearly benefits the planet and its environment, it can also greatly impact your business. Going “green” is not a passing fad. In fact, the demand for environmentally friendly products and services continues to grow, and sustainability has become a key factor for brands and consumers all over the world. For example, global Google search inquiries for topics related to sustainable products increased by 130% between 2017 and 2022. In 2023, 75% of consumers said that they feel sustainability is important, while 55% said that they are willing to pay more for eco-friendly products. On the flip side, 84% of consumers said that they are likely to alienate a company that has poor environmental practices. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that sustainable practices and an FSC certification give printers a competitive advantage as an environmentally responsible company.
To sum it up, sustainable printing practices are crucial for reducing the environmental impact of the printing industry. So how does a company that is interested in being “green” specify sustainable printing and packaging? There are a number of things to consider whether your printing company is FSC-certified or not:
- Use environmentally friendly inks and materials. Ask for soy or water-based inks, which contain fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than traditional petroleum-based inks, and select paper and packaging materials made from recycled, biodegradable, or FSC-certified materials which, as you now know, will come from responsibly managed forests.
- Optimize your design and printing process. Create a design that minimizes material and prints only what you need when you need it to reduce waste from overproduction. Specify that your documents be printed duplex (double-sided) where you can conserve resources and reduce cost. And go digital! Digital printing typically uses less energy and resources and, therefore, has a smaller environmental footprint compared to offset printing.
- Consider the energy and emissions. Work with a printer that offsets or uses renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind, to lower their carbon footprint and specify the use of equipment that consumes less electricity and is more efficient, such as a digital press.
Keep it local. Work with a printer who sources their materials locally and utilizes efficient freight and delivery transportation practices, such as consolidated shipments and optimized routes, to help reduce emissions from transportation.
If sustainability is a priority for your business, then working closely with a printer whose practices align with your objective is essential. Look for printers with environmental certifications such as FSC, the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), and Environmental Management ISO 14001 certifications. Ask about their practices and seek their input on sustainable printing. This collaborative partnership can lead to more effective and sustainable printing solutions.
Along with dcc’s FSC certification, we also joined the SGP in December 2015 as a certified printer with a commitment to continuous improvement. Learn more about all of our green initiatives, certifications, and commitment to sustainable printing.
1 Ruiz, A. (2023, September 9). 51 Huge Environmentally Conscious Consumer Statistics. Theroundup.org. Retrieved November 17, 2023, from https://theroundup.org/environmentally-conscious-consumer-statistics/
