Heidelberg Honors Winners of the HEI Eco Printing Award
Coinciding with the start of spring, the winners of the Heidelberg Eco Printing Award were honored at a small ceremony at the Print Media Academy in Heidelberg. Dick Kouwenhoven, owner of Hemlock Printers, Canada, was presented with the environmental award for the most sustainable print shop, which comes with a prize fund of 30,000 Euro. Kazuhisa Yoshida, owner of Yoshida Printing in Japan, accepted the award for most innovative stand-alone solution and a check for 20,000 Euro. A five-member panel of international judges selected the two winners from 52 applicants. Together with judge Dr. Achim Schorb from the Heidelberg Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IFEU), Heidelberg board members Dr. Jürgen Rautert and Stephan Plenz handed over the two HEI Eco Printing Award sculptures along with the certificates and prize checks.
Most sustainable print shop - Hemlock Printers, Canada
As spokesperson for the panel, Dr. Achim Schorb explained in his award speech why they chose Hemlock Printers as the winner of the HEI Eco Printing Award. Hemlock Printers Ltd. in Burnarby BC, Canada, was chosen as a sustainable company in the area of sheetfed printing. It was back in the 1970s that the company formulated its first environmental policy, adopted environmental guidelines and set ambitious environmental targets, and it continues to monitor and expand these guiding principles today. The company fosters a comprehensive social commitment and endeavors to get all its 240 employees involved. It has also set up a working group that is dedicated to sustainability issues. This integral approach incorporates the entire printing process, administration, building management, transport logistics for goods and employees, paper and material selection, ongoing training and education, and disposal.
The company also supports social commitment, environmental groups and ecological initiatives. One such group has been established, for example, with the aim of verifying that sustainability criteria are met when sourcing pulp. Hemlock has developed its own paper policy, which encourages customers to opt for recycled paper or paper with the FSC seal. The company passes on its expertise in environmental protection and sustainability by holding lectures and seminars across America. For more information, visit: www.hemlock.com.
Most innovative stand-alone solution - Yoshida Printing, Japan
The panel unanimously voted Yoshida Printing from Nigata, Japan, as the winner of the most innovative stand-alone solution. The company’s “fresh print” concept, which facilitates production in smaller batches and speeds up print processing, has a positive impact on the environment and is seen as an impressive solution that can be applied to the entire print industry. This solution harmonizes the demands of industrial production with the increasing requirements for environmental protection, energy efficiency and waste avoidance.
“Fresh print” generates added value for customers through demand-based printing. For example, annual framework agreements are drawn up for company catalogs detailing the number of copies and overall price. The catalogs are only printed when the customer orders the requisite number of copies. This enables changes to products and prices to be updated at short notice and included in the next print batch with, at most, a minimum additional workload. This minimizes the paper waste caused by obsolete catalogs or copies that have become soiled through storage. The print shop benefits from satisfied and, therefore, loyal customers, while the environment profits from the reduction in paper consumption and waste paper.
In addition to its “fresh print” concept, Yoshida Printing has also been able to switch from a three- to two-shift operation without reducing the product output thanks to its rationalization strategies, changes to the way the work is organized, and technical innovations. These developments eliminate the need for employees to work nightshifts and are proven to cut energy consumption by 16 percent, thus making an important contribution to environmental protection. Yoshida has a workforce of 67. In cooperation with an ink manufacturer, Yoshida has also optimized ink drying speeds, thus cutting down on waste and shortening makeready times. For more information, visit www.ddc.co.jp.
