National No-Print Day Angers U.S. Printers

National No-Print Day Angers U.S. Printers

Recently Toshiba America Business Solutions called for a National No-Print Day, asking businesses throughout the United States to avoid printing on October 23, 2012, claiming it wished to draw attention to the impact of the printing industry on the environment.

The move generated a great deal of press, and Printing Industries of America fired back on behalf of the more than 800,000 citizens who make their living in the print industry in the United States.

“Our industry has long led the way utilizing sustainable processes. The primary raw material for printing is paper, which comes from trees, which are a renewable resource—so renewable that today, our country has 20 percent more trees than it did on the first Earth Day, which was held more than 40 years ago,” said PIA CEO and President Michael Makin.

Toshiba conceded to the backlash, canceling National No-Print Day on June 20. But one positive, lasting result of the controversy is an incredibly useful collection of facts and resources by the Printing Industries of America demonstrating the sustainable and environmentally friendly ways in which the printing industry operates. “The Value of Print” lists such statistics as:

  • Printers support using paper that preserves the ecosystem.
  • Paper is a completely renewable resource.
  • Print is effective! 67% of online action is driven by offline messages.
  • 75% of consumers use newspaper inserts to plan purchases.
  • The U.S. forest products industry is responsible for more than four million trees being planted each day—greater than what is harvested.

Trelleborg Printing Solutions is proud to operate sustainably and with the environment in mind in its printing blanket plants throughout the world. Log on to our website to download the PrintCity Project Briefing Cross Industry Special Report: Carbon Footprint and Energy Consumption.

As an example, our production facility in Morristown, Tennessee, recycles all materials throughout the plant. We have achieved ISO-14001, developing an environmental management system. And we continue our efforts in solvent-free printing blanket production.

Please tell us in the comments section below how your company operates sustainably and with the environment in mind. And we encourage you to visit the Printing Industries of America’s site, “The Value of Print.”