Environmental Indicators
The following EPA Indicators were used in the scorecard
to determine winners in the demanding category of
Most Environmentally Progressive Printer in Canada
(1-49, 50-99, and 100+ employees). Judging of the other
categories also relies on the same indicators, but with
different weighting to better reflect the environmental
concerns of said category.
Formal Environmental Policy
Past Environmental Record
Presents a clearly defined program
or set of principles under which a
printing company will reduce its
impact on the environment. This is
a primary indicator for driving other
indicators, such as an internal
environmental committee.
Provides credibility for achievements
in current period of eligibility, while
also supporting potential success of
short- and long-term environmental
plans, as well as short- and long-term
technology implementation plans.
HIGH WEIGHT
Pollution Prevention Plan
(Source Reduction)
Internal Carbon
Footprint Plan
Environmental Committee
Environmental Marketing
Program
Recognizes source reduction of
harmful inputs and emissions as
the primary PPP indicator, far
outweighing the other two PPP-based
indicators, neutrality recycling/reuse)
and waste management/disposal.
Involves Life Cycle Assessments or
audits to determine a total set of
greenhouse-gas emissions, while
assuming carbon-footprint (once
better organized) is to become a
major green-accountability model
for the business world.
Empowers a specified group of
employees – ideally from various
departments – to find and enact
sustainable green development, while
working from a clear mandate and
reporting to management and all
staff.
Presents a printing company’s
environmental initiatives in a clearly
defined plan to reach out to the
market place, moving well past the
commonplace positioning based
on paper certifications or similar
third-party initiatives.
Pollution Prevention Plan
(Source Neutrality)
Recognizes management systems for
source neutrality of harmful inputs
and emissions, which translates as the
recycling and reuse of waste materials
in the production process. A less
effective environmental position than
source reduction.
Pollution Prevention Plan
(Source Control)
Employs waste management
systems to ensure environmentally
responsible disposal of waste
materials, typically through the use
of third-party services. This is the
least effective position for pollution
prevention.
Environmental Report/Audit
Employs metrics and statistics to
outline the year-over-year environmental progress of a printing
company, typically including results
from associated technology projects
and similarly green-minded capital
investments.
EH&S Compliance
Divides EH&S targets into A- or
B-level indicators. Level A includes
primary targets such as Certificate
of Approval for air/noise and munici-
pal sewer-use-bylaw compliance.
Level B focuses on ISO and similar
certifications.
Facility Design
One of the more difficult EPA
Indicators to reach: Relates to
direct investment into building or
expanding a facility with specific
environmentally progressive attributes, commonly acknowledged
through accreditations like LEED.
Energy Use Initiative
Lessens a company’s dependency
on harmful and costly energy
consumption in favour of green
alternatives as applied directly within
the facility, including heat reclamation or similarly process-minded
projects.
Employee Awareness
Program
Informs the entire staff, beyond the
internal environmental committees,
of a company’s environmental
initiatives, while also encouraging
employees to participate in the
fulfillment of a formal environmental
policy.
Client Awareness
Program
Provides more specific and detailed
information to educate clients about
a printing company’s environmental
initiatives, including seminars or
literature, while often also linking to
a formal marketing plan.
Short-term Environmental
Objectives
Outlines environmental goals to be
achieved in the next 1-2 years, highly
dependent on the presence of a
formal environmental policy and an
internal environmental committee –
to carry out objectives and determine
success.
Third-party Carbon
Footprint Plan
Involves the use of public calculators
(typically online) to estimate a
company’s carbon usage relative to a
specific part of production. This
indicator also recognizes third-party
carbon offset providers.
Short-term Technology
Implementation Plan
Outlines technological investment
plans to be achieved in the next
1-2 years, highly dependent on the
presence of a formal environmental
policy and an internal environmental
committee, as well as ROI scenarios.
Enviro Certifications
Divides certifications into A- or
B-level indicators. Level A, for a
printing company, includes primary
certifications like LEED or PIA’s
SGP, while Level B recognizes less
important certifications (for a
printer) like FSC, SFI and PEFC.
Long-term Environmental
Objectives
Outlines environmental goals to be
achieved in the next 3-5 years, highly
dependent on the presence of a
formal environmental policy and an
internal environmental committee –
to carry out objectives and determine
success.
Participation in Enviro
Community
Recognizes the efforts of a company,
or individuals within a company, to
directly participate with the mandate
of an external non-profit environmental organization, not necessarily related
to the direct benefit of printing.
Long-term Technology
Implementation Plan
Outlines technological investment
plans to be achieved in the next 3-5
years, highly dependent on the
presence of a formal environmental
policy and an internal environmental
committee, as well as ROI scenarios.
Community Programs
Considers internally developed
programs to promote progressive
environmental practices in a defined
community – potentially within the
printing community, if operated as a
not-for-profit program.
Impact Calculations
Distribution Management
Supply Chain Initiatives
Environmental Branding
LOW WEIGHT
Considers the effort taken to use
public environmental calculator
conversions, such as determining
tress saved based on the use of a
particular stock, but plays a trivial
roll in the progress of environmental
practices.
Initiatives to improve the logistics
of transporting finished printed
material to clients, which is likely
to hold more significance as better
alternative fuels come to market and
the price of petroleum rises.
One of the more difficult EPA
Indicators for printers to reach:
Considers how a printing company
has taken clear steps to influence
their suppliers to adopt more progressive environmental practices.
Acknowledges the strategic efforts
within a marketing plan to brand a
specific component from within a
company’s overall environmental
initiatives, so that company can
better approach the market place.
