MAN Roland Shows How Environmental Sustainability Also Sustains Printers’ Profits

WESTMONT, Ill.—MAN Roland is taking the lead in informing the graphic arts industry that environmentally sound practices are not only good for the planet, but are good for business as well.

In a new educational campaign that is driven by advertising, public relations, direct mail, and a how-to guide, MAN Roland is providing printers with an action plan that they can use to improve the environmental sustainability of their operations, while winning new customers.

“Whatever your thoughts are on climate change, one fact is certain: The less resources and energy we waste, the more our economy will expand,” says Vince Lapinski, CEO of MAN Roland Inc. “In other words, you can save the planet and grow your business at the same time.”

Customer Driven
Lapinski points out that print buyers are at the forefront of this business- friendly approach to environmentalism. “They’re realizing the value of projecting an eco-friendly image on their packaging and sales materials,” he says. “But to do so, they need to work with a printer who runs an environmentally sound pressroom.”

MAN Roland technology can help facilities achieve that standard of sustainability. All MAN Roland presses are designed to reduce waste and optimize uptime. “That means every time you print on a MAN Roland system, you’re conserving resources—paper, ink, consumables, energy and time — and that makes you an eco-friendly printer and a more profitable one as well,” Lapinski says.

Recycling Profits
Contributing to the effort, MAN Roland’s printcom program now offers components that make it easier and more profitable for a pressroom to be greener. One of the newest is a line of Solvent Recyclers that clean used blanket and cylinder wash-up fluids for safe and cost-effective reuse.

An off-press self-contained process, solvent recycling separates spent wash-up fluid into its component parts: solvents that can be put back to work on press, distilled water that can be safely drained, and waste debris that require no special disposal process.

The rewards: No harmful chemicals are released into the environment, solvent disposal costs drop to virtually zero, and solvent purchases are reduced by 90 percent.

Greener Marketing
The MAN Roland educational effort also tells printers how they can reap the marketing rewards of going green. The first two steps are to ensure that their technology is environmentally sound, and then let their prospects and customers know about it.

MAN Roland has published a how-to guide that provides specifics. Entitled “How to make your pressroom more eco-friendly,” the publication spotlights six key areas where printers can improve production practices that could affect the environment.

The campaign also instructs printers on how to differentiate their businesses by becoming members of one or more environmental certification groups. The best known is the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Its Chain of Custody Certification will register a printer as a responsible user of paper-based products. An advantage is that certified printers can affix the FSC logo to all their work to identify themselves and their customers as eco-friendly companies.

Facilities that print packaging also might consider joining the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC). Here again, member printers have use of the SPC logo, which will associate their facilities and their clients’ brands with environmental sustainability.

High Power Strategy
Another recommendation is for printers to consider asking their electric utility if it offers a 100 percent renewable energy program. If the utility does, printers should sign up to add sustainable windmill or hydro power to their list of environmental advantages, and affix another environmental stamp of approval to their work.

MAN Roland’s eco-friendly program is open to all North American printers, regardless of what’s in their pressrooms. A PDF of the how-to guide, other downloads, and useful web site addresses can be obtained at a special landing page, which was created the support the educational effort – manroland.com/eco.