PRINT INTERVIEW
The Sustainable Green
Printing Partnership
Gary Jones inspects the shop towel management procedures
of a facility to ensure it meets requirements and is minimizing
the amount of waste being generated.
Gary Jones of the Printing Industries of America answers the most common questions printers ask
about the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership
(SGP). The well-researched industry certification is the
first logical route for North American companies to understand environmentally progressive printing. It is also
a very manageable route, beyond of course the allocation, investment in technological and human resources:
application fees range from $295 to $595, depending on
membership status, while there is an annual renewal fee
of $150 to $300 and an audit certification fee costs between $1,500 and $3,000. Jones, largely responsible for
building the SGP framework, is director of Environmental Health & Safety Affairs for the PIA.
What is the difference between the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Sustainable
Forestry Initiative and the SGP Partnership?
Gary Jones: Unlike FSC or SFI Chain of Custody Certification programs, the SGP Partnership program is a
holistic approach to sustainability. Where as FSC or SFI
concentrates on the use of forest products, SGP looks at
the entire print production process, the facility and
grounds, and staffing and human resources. Consumers
and print buyers are asking for printing companies to
be truly sustainable and to have proof that they are sustainable businesses.
What is the first step a printer needs to take to get
involved in the SGP Program?
The first thing the applicant should do is download the
SGP criteria document. Then they must choose between
applying as a Candidate Pending Verification or SGP
Printer. Candidate Pending Verification (CPV) is appro-
priate for facilities without a sustainability management
system in place or if no real preparation has been done
toward a sustainability program. The CPV level provides
a 12-month window that allows companies the opportunity to be recognized on the Website as serious about
sustainability, while allowing time for development of
their program to meet the SGP Printer criteria.
To enter the program and be listed on the SGP Partnership website as a CPV, a company needs to be in
compliance and have a sustainability policy document
completed. It is not necessary to have an entire management system in place.
Becoming certified as an SGP Printer is more involved. In addition to the CPV requirements, the
printer must have an environmental management system in place. After applying as an SGP printer, the facility is listed on the site as SGP Pending Verification.
The facility must become fully certified within four to
six months of applying. Once certified, then the facility is listed on the Website with full company and contact information.
What are the requirements of the SGP Partnership
program?
Regardless of the status being sought, there are several
common criteria that need to be met and they are a
commitment to EPA and OSHA regulatory compliance,
development of a sustainability policy, and embracing
the Guiding Principles. The criteria for a Sustainable
Green Printer builds upon the core criteria and require
a sustainable management system, choosing and working on one improvement project annually, adopting the
mandatory best management practices, and meeting
the corporate social responsibility elements.
How involved is the application?
The application itself is not very long and if you have all
of your compliance information and sustainability policy available, completing the application should be
straightforward. Completing the application is a 4-step
process: Register online to set up an account and establish a password; complete the application, upload your
written sustainability policy, and pay the application
fee. CPV applicants do not need to take any additional
steps. SGP Printer applicants will complete a longer online application and will be required to describe their
sustainability management system and the selected preliminary continuous improvement project.
Why were Environmental Protection Agency and
Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance requirements incorporated into the criteria?
For this to be a credible program, applicants must first
be committed to being in compliance, because that
means they’re committed to doing what’s right. The
stakeholder group that developed the program was very
clear in setting compliance as the program’s baseline.
There are no universal compliance requirements, so the
printer will need to meet the requirements established
by their local and state requirements as well as any applicable federal ones
The Sustainable Management System seems very
involved, is it really necessary?
The management system is really the core component
of the program. While EPA and OSHA compliance is
the starting point, the Sustainability Management System provides the pathway to sustainability. Those printers who have achieved success with their customers
