Welcome!

ImageWelcome to Verdigris. This site provides information about environmental initiatives for the international printing community. It has a range of articles and reference links for printers, publishers, technology providers and anyone else who’s interested.

Articles cover all sorts of topics from explaining the basics of carbon footprinting for printers, to describing how individual printing companies are doing their bit to minimise their impact on the envrionment. This is an educational site that includes reference material and links to industry associations and environmental organisations around the world.

Why you need a sustainability officer

Mon, 20/03/2023 - 08:58

Laurel-2018.jpgThe Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner

We’ve got CEOs, CTOs, CMOs, CFOs and CPOs so why are there so few CSOs in printing and publishing? Chief Sustainability Officers, tasked with managing sustainability of a company, have an extensive and interesting job description. On the one hand you’d think they just worry about the environmental dimension of a company. But their responsibilities may also extend to the overall health of the business, and of ensuring its sustainable future. Which one takes priority and by how big a margin, depends on the starting point.

ISO 22067-1 is published

Mon, 06/03/2023 - 08:08

medium_laurel2015.jpgThe Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner

Following yet another tortuous and lengthy gestation period, the first part of ISO 22067 – Requirements for communication of environmental aspects of printed products, was finally published on the 4th October 2022. This first part of the series covers general printing requirements and is relevant for most print applications, apart from textile and ceramic printing. It is hoped that printing companies will find ISO 22067-1 a useful tool in their communications with customers, so that all parties can share a common set of criteria in their sustainability conversations.

Doing more across boundaries

Mon, 20/02/2023 - 08:08

medium_2015_Laurel B.jpgThe Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner

It’s generally agreed that the planet is in dire shape and that more needs to be done to cut emissions. Industry and science lead the way in all sectors, including printing and publishing where we have seen impressive advances in energy efficiencies and consumables recyclability. But technology is only part of the solution to our climate crisis. The much bigger part is the part that requires organisations to work together on cutting emissions.

A leaner book publishing sector would be a greener one

Mon, 06/02/2023 - 13:17

Laurel-2018.jpgThe Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner

Decades ago George Orwell, he of Animal Farm fame, bemoaned the state of British book publishing. He said something along the lines that there were far too many books published and that only one in ten were any good. If he were around today he might want to consider upping that ratio to one in one hundred. There has never been such a volume of books published, but so many are trashed that the whole business model is surely something that should be reviewed in the interests of the planet.

Time to achieve net zero

Mon, 23/01/2023 - 09:03

medium_laurel2015.jpgThe Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner

Sounds daunting? Well fear not because ISO has recently published a document to help you make a start. ISO Net-zero Guidelines comprises a series of recommendations and guiding principles. These are all about achieving net-zero global carbon dioxide and other polluting emissions in 2050. Net-zero Guidelines has an enormous scope covering everything from which basic principles to follow, through to communications transparency. The document aims to align all interests across industry sectors, nations, regions and cities, so it is globally relevant.

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