It’s no secret we as a society have a greater awareness of our impact on the environment now than ever before. One effect of this heightened awareness is an increasing variety of ways that we can make a difference. At Leatherback, we have embraced this development. Our growth as a company over the last decade has been marked not just by a focus on improving our practices, but also on finding the greenest options for what we do.
This is in large part why we chose our newest offset press from Komori’s G series – so named for its emphasis on ‘green’ technology – in 2014. It was also an important factor in our decisions to purchase two Hewlett-Packard machines – a new latex roll-to-roll printer in 2013 and a new digital press in 2009 – because both HP machines were developed to meet and exceed specific eco-criteria. You can find more information about these specific machines on our Services pages, but the one thing they all have in common is a proven track record of achieving high standards for eco-friendliness in printing technology.
But our environmental sensibilities extend beyond our equipment purchases. As part of our focus on environmental accountability, we participate in a Green Procurement Program (GPP) that ensures full compliance with laws and regulations regarding toxic chemical substances. The updated list of banned substances we maintain confirms we are using environmentally-safe materials and supplies. In addition, all Leatherback employees are trained and tested annually as part of an ongoing environmental education process. The GPP process keeps everyone at Leatherback aware of any new information that can help minimize our overall effect on the environment.
However, we don’t believe it ends with eliminating harmful substances; our efforts also focus on the sustainability of our everyday material use. As with many printing companies, our two principal materials are paper and ink. Over 90% of our paper consumption is manufactured using recyclable materials, and the vast majority is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. Our inks are almost entirely water-based – a safer alternative to solvent inks – due to our line of eco-friendly equipment. Incidentally, our recent equipment upgrades have dramatically reduced our “make-ready” times; this improved efficiency has a huge impact in minimizing overall waste.
At Leatherback, our conscience dictates we do our part to protect the environment for future generations. We’ve made it a priority to support companies like Komori and HP due to the advancements they have made in this area. We similarly support suppliers whose materials are produced through sustainable means. And we will always continue to look inward to see if there is more we could be doing. While we feel the printing industry as a whole gets a bad rap as wasteful, we know there are improvements to be made. We at Leatherback strive to set an example of how it should be done.
