SGP certified printers lead the way in growing profits through sustainability initiatives
The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), the leading authority in sustainable printing certification for print manufacturers, is pleased to announce findings from the first year of the SGP Impact Tracker. The dashboard tracks metrics in sustainability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness for SGP certified printers, and has begun to document significant monetary and environmental accomplishments.
Digital Color Concepts (DCC), a fully integrated graphics company based in New Jersey, was SGP certified in 2016. The organization targeted and eliminated waste at all levels, making zero landfill waste its first continuous improvement project. Driven by a strong sense of corporate responsibility and concern for employee and environmental health, the organization achieved zero landfill status in 2018. As an added benefit, Digital Color Concepts (DCC) earned $146,327 from recycling. Though some training was required to ensure proper sorting of office recyclables, Digital Color Concepts (DCC) Director of Quality Assurance Bon Wan says the transition to zero waste did not cause significant changes in the production workflow and the results have been overwhelmingly positive both financially and ethically.
Similarly, Dprint, a print-on-demand manufacturer of decals, auto wraps and signage located in Florida, has uploaded sustainability data going back to 2012 into the SGP Impact Tracker. The organization’s incredible improvements include:
34% reduction in VOCs
21% reduction in water waste
33% reduction in total waste
14% reduction in energy consumption
36% reduction in natural gas consumption
Not only are these achievements impressive in their scope, but they have also led to significant cost savings at Dprint’s facility.
The SGP Impact Tracker, powered by Sustainability Dashboard Tools, LLC, helps SGP certified facilities like Dprint and Digital Color Concepts monitor sustainability performance and benchmark efforts against other facilities. It launched in 2018 and as more data is added, the tracker will serve as a valuable asset for the print community as well as for brands that are committed to working with more sustainable suppliers.
The Impact Tracker is particularly useful for measuring progress on SGP’s required continuous improvement projects. These yearly initiatives ensure that SGP certified facilities deliver the most sustainable, profitable print solutions the industry has to offer. As part of continuous improvement, SGP printers have developed unique partnerships with suppliers to monetize recycling, incorporated higher quality substrates and inks into the printing process, and reduced emissions, energy and water consumption along with other operational expenses. As a result, the average certified facility saves $43,000 a year, with many sustainable leaders saving far more.
To start turning sustainability into profit with SGP certification or to learn more about working with our printers to reap the benefits of a more sustainable supply chain for your organization, contact the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.sgppartnership.org.
