Heidelberg’s Free Environmental Self-assessment Tool Available Online

A new, free, online self-assessment tool from Heidelberg helps printers understand their environmental performance and could help them identify additional areas for improvement. The Environmental Self-Assessment is the latest building block in Heidelberg’s many sustainability initiatives, which also include a CO2 Calculator (to determine the CO2 footprint of any print project); CO2 neutral equipment; and special “Eco” product lines of the Saphira Consumables range; in addition to equipment choices and upgrade offers.
 
For easy accessibility, the Self-Assessment is divided into three areas, following the set-up and terminology of the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP):
 
1. “Product” (i.e. the design aspects, substrate choices and material management to create the finished item).
 
2. “Process” (i.e. the manufacturing steps involved in converting input materials into a finished product).
 
3. “Envelope” (all manufacturing support activities and functions, including building, grounds, utilities, employees).
 
In considering the environmental impact of a business, Heidelberg’s Environmental Self-Assessment could take a printer one step closer to reaping the benefits of running a greener business: using fewer resources in a smarter way to save money and/or appeal to new, potential customers. The assessment is comprehensive and easy to complete, taking into account a wide range of factors, from overall environmental management to daily decision-making. These include:
 
• Level of consultancy with customers about minimizing the overall environmental footprint of a project.
• Knowledge of environmental impact of your substrates and consumables.
• Recycling initiatives.
• Color management procedures and certifications.
• Manufacturing process efficiencies.
• Building certifications in general, and pressroom environment in particular.
 
Once completed, Heidelberg’s Environmental Self-Assessment provides a general grading, as well as more detailed information in all three sub-segments. Using this information, each participant should be able to identify possible next steps.