A 2020 study by IBM and the National Retail Foundation showed that nearly 70% of consumers in the United States and Canada believe it is important for a brand to be sustainable or eco-friendly. This desire extends to sustainable printing and the simple steps you can take to find eco-friendly printing solutions for retail displays. The use of paper from recycled materials is a well-known environmentally responsible production method. However, green printing goes beyond the act of recycling paper. Sustainable printing solutions include a commitment from printers and material manufacturers to reduce or stop the use of non-sustainable printing practices and raw material sourcing. In addition to eliminating non-sustainable practices in our day-to-day operations, Forge is currently re-evaluating our entire product line. Our goal is to eliminate non-sustainable materials when they can be replaced by a sustainable solution that meets the price and durability standards of similar, non-sustainable substrates. Be on the lookout for more news on this initiative in late spring 2021!
THE FUTURE OF ECO-FRIENDLY PRINTING AND RETAIL MANUFACTURING
How can a company reduce its environmental impact?
- An easy environmentally conscious option for your next project is to simply use recyclable materials. This reduces costs and benefits the environment. Just within the last year, Forge was able to recycle over 60,000 pounds of materials like paper, wood, packing materials, and plastics. We plan on greatly increasing that number in 2021.
- Reducing your carbon footprint is one of the most effective ways to practice climate-friendly printing. Knowing where your materials come from and how they are delivered helps you determine the current carbon footprint of your material sourcing.
- When considering substrates for your next project, think about environmentally safe printing options for displays and inks. Many inks used in large format printing contain solvents and caustic chemicals which are bad for the environment as they dry. Forge does not use any of these types of inks.
- Consider requesting fully recyclable packaging materials and dunnage to protect graphics and displays during shipping. Forge can provide substrate and packaging options that are curbside recyclable. Ask us for more information!
- As more companies make sustainability a priority they are also finding ways to save money using affordable green printing solutions. Every little bit helps - whether you are hoping to ship your seasonal graphic rotations with more sustainable materials or are looking to create a fully recyclable display, we have a solution!
SUSTAINABLE GREEN PRINTING WITH FORGE
Sustainable green printing practices are easy to initiate when you partner with Forge. As an SGP Certified Printer, we were built with sustainability in mind. As part of our commitment to sustainable printing and the highest print quality possible, we use printing presses with the lowest environmental footprint in their class. We’re always proud to show off our facility, and because of our commitment to eco-friendly printing solutions you will not see fume hoods extracting chemical gasses from our printing presses. None of our inks contain solvents or other environmentally unfriendly chemicals that are caustic and (quite frankly) stinky. If you are interested in learning more about sustainable options for your retail graphics, we’ll show you a solution that meets your requirements while staying within your budget.
Let’s make something great together, and reduce our carbon footprint while we’re at it!
