The issue of sustainability emerged in the 1970’s under the heading “ecology.” At that time, it gained a lot of attention, but only had a brief impact on the market. This time around, sustainability is here to stay. Sustainability is a “development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” according to Kim Rudnick, UGS Sustainability manager.[i] Sustainability is a growing trend, unlike anything else in the world. The media coverage of sustainable issues is constant. In relation to the Graphic Communication industry, sustainability is quickly becoming a staple in our everyday practices.

Graphic Communication is a broad industry; it is both an art and a science. It involves printing, publishing, and packaging,. Students in this major receive a foundation in these areas, while specializing in one of four concentrations: design reproduction technology, electronic publishing and imaging, printing and imaging management, and packaging graphics.[ii] The Cal Poly GrC Department is one of the best-known and most reputable programs of its kind in the nation. It is also the largest Graphic Communication program in the western United States. The GrC Department is largely supported by the industry with the majority of its equipment being donated. This includes several multi-million dollar presses. The GrC Department at Cal Poly has strong ties with the industry, especially in the area of sustainability. This was evident through the Green Media Conference, put on by SustainCommWorld this past January. According to the SustainComm website, “SustainCommWorld is focused on educating communication professionals from corporations, institutions and government agencies about how to develop sustainable green workflows and supply chains to lower their carbon footprint.”[iii] For a week, industry leaders took part in all-day conferences discussing how to be sustainable in the GrC Industry, while still being profitable.

Before entering the major at Cal Poly, I had no idea the emphasis the department had on sustainability. The importance of sustainability became apparent to me through two classes I’ve taken this quarter, during my second year: GrC 211 – Ink, Toner and Substrates and GrC 324 – Bindery and Finishing. In GrC 211, we learned about low-VOC (volatile organic compound) ink and types of recycled paper. The professor, Dr. Rong, is interested in sustainability and created several assignments in which we would collect samples of recycled materials and discuss our own recycling habits. This quarter, in GrC 324, I participated in a web run to print the Mustang Daily. While observing, I was informed that the newspaper is printed with soy-ink, that I had previously learned about in Dr. Rong’s class.

Soy ink is becoming increasingly popular because it has several advantages over conventional ink. Conventional ink contains volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), which are comprised of harmful chemicals that are emitted in the form of a gas. The Environmental Protection Agency notes that VOC concentrations are up to ten times higher when used indoors, as is the case with ink.[iv] Soy ink is made from soybean oil, which comes from the renewable source of soybeans. Soy ink is naturally low in VOC’s and its use can reduce emissions that cause air pollution. Other benefits of soy ink include its vibrant colors and lower rub-off. Rub off refers to the ink that is transferred to one’s hands when holding a printed piece. Greater rub resistance is especially important in printing newspapers like the Mustang Daily. Soy ink is also cost-effective because the soybeans are widely available at a low cost. Soybean agriculture uses 0.5% of the total energy needed to manufacture soy ink. Also, almost half of all soybeans in America don’t need irrigation, which further reduces costs. The price for soy ink is competitive with conventional ink. In conventional ink, the majority of the cost comes from the pigment. Because soy ink provides more intense color, more can be printed with less ink, thus further reducing costs.[v]

University Graphic Systems (UGS) is an all-student run printing company within the GrC Department that has been a leader in promoting sustainability. During the beginning of this year, the UGS became Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. Becoming certified is a lengthy process with many guidelines. Certification ensures that your company complies with the highest environmental standards. Once certified you can place the FSC logo on all printed products. According to Carly Irion, UGS Lean manager, the FSC certification “…has broadened our customer base and allowed us to offer our customers what they want: sustainable printing.”[vi] UGS has also become FSC Chain of Custody certified which guarantees that each process, from the paper-making to the driver’s vehicle who transports the paper to stores, is environmentally friendly and complies with FSC guidelines.[vii]

Although the FSC Certification was a huge accomplishment for UGS, they are now looking for ways to be more sustainable in the future. Kim Rudnick, the Sustainability Manager of UGS, believes in streamlining the processes of prepress, printing, and binding in order to implement a more sustainable environment. In an emailed interview, she wrote,

“As far as prepress is concerned, changing from film plates to CTP [Computer to Plate] is reducing the amount of materials we use, as well as the amount of carbon dioxide released into the environment. Even something little like reducing the amount of bleeds on a document, or putting no bleeds, will reduce waste. For printing, reducing makeready, choosing post-consumer recycled paper, and using a lower-VOC solvent are …many things you can do. In binding, accuracy is key so you don’t have to cut more products than necessary.”

 

She also notes that sustainable practices can be enforced in the office environment as well. Printing on both sides of a piece of paper, using less ink when possible, switching lights to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL’s) and using recycling bins properly can make a difference. Kim is also the president of the Green Printing Club, which is trying to determine the carbon footprint of our sheetfed press. They arealso interested in visiting a green printing facility called Greener Printer in Berkeley, California. Since this is only the second year in which there has been a Sustainability position in UGS, Kim isn’t sure how much the GrC’s environmental activism is affecting the rest of the University, but campus-wide awareness is a goal for next year’s Sustainability Manager. Another goal for next year is ensuring each production manager is informed about their equipment. Kim believes that knowing how to run the equipment as efficiently as possible is the best way to reduce waste.[viii]

Sustainability will continue to be a hot issue industry-wide, but especially in Graphic Communication because of our direct correlation with large amounts of paper and energy used. I look forward to the progress Cal Poly makes in terms of sustainability during my next two years at the University. We need to maintain a way of life, sustainably, for future generations.