Westamerica

Did you know that more than 63% of the paper used in the US is recovered for recycling?  That compares to 35% for metals, 23% for glass, and only 7% for plastic.

ChoosePrint.Org is helping to dispel some of the myths about paper and sustainability.  The organization has created a YouTube channel to share video content that is both interesting and compelling.  Check out one of their recent videos:

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Every decision to communicate has some impact on the environment. For example, whether we email or send a letter, we consume energy and resources. There are environmental tradeoffs in every choice we make, and there is no simple “right answer”. Effective stewardship requires a careful examination of the larger picture that compares the entire lifecycle, from raw materials to energy use and end of life, to fully understand the impact and performance of both electronic media and paper. The facts may surprise you.  READ MORE...

Learn more facts at PRINTEGR8

Most paper now comes from sustainable forests. These forests are essentially “tree farms,” where trees are grown as a crop, just like broccoli or wheat. When these trees are harvested, new stocks are planted. Print on paper gives landowners a financial incentive to renew forests rather than convert them for other uses, such as agriculture or development.  READ MORE...

Learn more facts at PRINTEGR8

There’s a lot of misinformation out there about the environmental impact of printed media. “Save a tree – don’t print!” “Print is bad for the environment!” “Print is killing the forests!” We’ve all heard these types of thoughts before. However, none of them are true.
The truth is, print is recyclable, renewable and responsible. Let’s examine the facts: READ MORE

I sometimes get emails that contain the footer “Think before you print”.  This misconception is based on the myth that paper is somehow causing deforestation and other environmental issues.  In fact, the OPPOSITE is true.  Print is one of the most environmentally sustainable and “neutral impact” communication mediums available today.

According to J. Albert Maddox, Chairman PGAMA:  "In a world bombarded by electronic images and media, many forget the value of print to our society. It contributes in economic, social and environmental ways that have not been clearly represented to the public. ’Print Grows Trees’ concentrates on the environmental, because the misconception that if we stop using print we’ll save trees, has had a critical impact on not only the print industry, but also on the private landowners who are the keepers of America’s trees. We just want people to make their communications’ decisions based on facts."  Read more at PRINTGROWSTREES.

April is Earth Month.  You can help the environment by actually using more paper.  How's that?  By using more paper, you're helping to keep forests growing and responsibly managed.  Roughly 600 million trees are planted each year by the paper and forest products industry, far surpassing the amount harvested.  Improved forest management and regeneration of forest areas have resulted in a net uptake (sequestration) of carbon over the past 20 years.  Many climate experts believe that the responsible management of forests offers one of the least expensive and best ways to fight against climate change.  Nearly 60% of all paper in the US is recycled.  In comparison, less than 20% of US electronic devices are recycled.  Do you really want to help the environment?  How can using paper lead to MORE trees?  Find out more by reading here.

Sustainability is defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  At Westamerica Graphics, we are committed to innovative business practices that minimize our impact on the environment.  Whenever possible, we seek to reduce waste and reuse or recycle production material.  Following are some of the steps we’ve taken to be a responsible, sustainable resource.

• We collect and recycle all suitable paper waste in the production cycle, including pre-production trimmings from paper cutters, and post-production waste from printing and binding operations.
• Solvents and other chemicals used in manufacturing are certified “Clean Air”, with exceptionally low VOC emissions that fall below current SCAQMD guidelines.
• We use soy-based inks manufactured from 15% renewable resources.
• Direct-to-plate technology has been in use for several years, eliminating the need for film and film processing.  Used metal printing plates are collected and recycled by outside sources.
• Used printer ink and toner cartridges are recycled throughout the company.
• Styrofoam coffee cups have been replaced by reusable ceramic mugs.
• Office coffee is purchased “green” directly from Rwandan coffee cooperatives, and private-roasted exclusively for our company.  It’s the best office coffee you’ve ever tasted, and its helping improve the lives of impoverished coffee growers in Rwanda.
• Recycling containers are used for plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
• Office thermostats are controlled by timers and energy-efficient fluorescent lighting is controlled by motion-sensors to ensure that energy is not wasted during off-hours.
• Office copier/printers have double sided printing capability to reduce office paper consumption.
• Electronic File Transfer (FTS) is widely used for receiving client art files, helping to reduce paper, travel time, and impact on our local environment.
• We actively promote the use of recycled and FSC certified papers in the marketplace.

Westamerica Graphics is a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified company.

The Forest Stewardship Council is the global benchmark for responsible forest management.  FSC’s mission is to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.  Through this system, the forests that are harvested, the logging companies, the paper mills, the paper merchants, and the printers each become a link in the chain of custody.  Each link must go through a certification process, and all are subject to audit to ensure that the chain of custody is not broken.  When you select an FSC certified paper for your project, you can be assured that it has originated from FSC certified, well-managed forests.  Although FSC papers are available to all printers, only FSC certified printers are approved to print the FSC logo on your documents.

Have you heard someone suggest that by using less paper you can “save a tree”? The fact is, that when the demand for paper declines, tree farming also declines, taking all of the important ecological impacts like clean water and wildlife habitat right along with it. So if you decide to decrease your use of paper, don’t think you’re going to save a tree. The reality is that decreasing paper use may well cause a forest somewhere to be replaced by development.

Wood is a renewable resource. It provides useful products while preserving the environment and maintaining the social and cultural values attached to forests. Consider these facts:

• Every day the forest products industry plants more than 1.7 million trees in the US.
• Today, there are 12 million more acres of forests in the US than in 1987.