Pictura Graphics, Pratt Certified as First Sustainable Green Printers

Pictura Graphics in Minneapolis has been certified as the first nationally verified “Sustainable Green Printer,' under the program set up by the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP). Nearly 40 companies offered their facilities to the SGP for evaluation and 11 were selected as beta test sites. Of the companies in the beta test group, Pictura earned the honor of being the first to achieve certification by the SGP.

“Pictura Graphics believes that sustainability is an integral business practice. We strive to achieve continuous improvements in all areas of environmental stewardship within the visual-communications industry,” says Paul Lilienthal, president of Pictura. “It is Pictura’s mission to take the lead in exemplifying environmental responsibility through innovative product technologies and resources that provide sustainable results for our clients.'

As part of its commitment to sustainability, Pictura recently launched its ecoImages line, featuring products that are recyclable, biodegradable, and that use inks free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Also SGP-certified is the Pratt Corporation in Indianapolis. Pratt has been a leader in the use of eco-friendly materials and processes for permanent as well as promotional graphics, and uses lean enterprise systems to help retailers provide the signs, literature, and displays needed for each store– eliminating wasted signs, reducing total costs, and increasing program compliance, the company reports.

'We are excited about creating a sustainability model and roadmap for our company as well as others,' says Dan Pratt, Pratt CEO.

Meanwhile, the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership has officially opened the application process for print providers to become registered SGP Printers. Registered printers will be listed on a registry for print buyers and customers to use when searching for sustainable green print shops. There are two categories of registration now open for applications: Candidate Pending Verification (CPV) and SGP Printer. The CPV category gives a facility a 12-month time frame in which to meet all criteria for being an SGP Printer. Facilities that already meet the criteria for being an SGP Printer may bypass the CPV category and apply directly for recognition under that category.

The criteria for being listed on the SGP registry as a green and sustainable printer are listed on the SGP Partnership registry website (www.sgppartnership.org). Once accepted as meeting these criteria and verified, a printing facility will be considered a Sustainable Green Printer, receive recognition on the website, and be permitted to display and use the SGP logo.

The SGP officially opened the application process for printers to be verified on August 28; to date, more than 700 inquiries regarding the program have been received. “Based on the level of interest printers of all platforms have expressed thus far, we expect there will be a huge response to the opening of the application process,' says Marci Kinter, vice president of government and business at SGIA. 'In the future, we expect that the SGP Partnership website will become an important resource for print buyers wishing to place projects with green print service providers.”

SGP
www.sgppartnership.org

PICTURA GRAPHICS
www.picturagraphics.com

PRATT CORPORATION
www.prattcorp.com