Sarah Willis

Due June 10, 2009

Eng 145 Paper 7

 

Serious about Sustainability

            Tables line the lobby of the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly, each with a different logo representing a leading print company. Students stand in line to check in while business associates snack on food and network. Soon, everyone files into a dimly lit room. There is a buzz of excitement as students and businessmen anticipate the lectures about to take place. Students’ pens are poised, ready to write down interesting facts and suggestions. Here, at the Business of Green Media Conference held at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, students and businessmen alike come together to discuss sustainability, the hottest topic in the printing industry. The World Commission on Environment and Development defines it as, “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Jedlicka 10). The Graphic Communication (GrC) department at Cal Poly is doing its best to be a leader in this area by including the topic in curriculum, teaming up with environmental organizations, and hosting events such as the Business of Green Media Conference to educate the public.

            It is important to the members of the Graphic Communication industry that the industry be sustainable. Why? Dr. Rong and Dr. Levenson agree that the industry has never been regarded as sustainable because of the waste and VOCs created during printing processes. VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are chemicals that vaporize at room temperature (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency par 104). In the 1970s, the EPA looked at paper mills and printing companies. The industry is still suffering from the hit it took after the numerous mills that were shut down during that time period because they did not pass the EPA’s environmental standards. The Graphic Communication community does not want to be labeled as an environmental enemy, so the community has decided to take action. Many companies now are fully dedicated to green printing, and most companies and organizations make significant efforts to be sustainable. Being sustainable has turned out to not only be good for the environment, but profitable as well. Some companies use their environmental friendliness as a successful marketing tool. In fact, “It has been argued that most consumers would rather choose a printer who is working to conserve the environment and minimize wastes” (Smillie 13-14) and according to David Weigel, Vice President of Marketing for Ecos Consulting, “it is actually becoming more evident that early adopters and companies with real sustainability in mind are now edging out the competition” (Smillie 14).

            The Graphic Communication department at Cal Poly wants students to enter the industry ready to be sustainable. Lessons in sustainability are built into lectures and labs. In Dr. Rong’s Substrates, Inks, and Toners class (GrC 211), she assigns a project about GrC’s impact on the environment. The assignment is to make a collection of ten different recyclable materials related to graphic communication products and write a report discussing the impact of GrC products on the environment, one’s own recycle habits, and what can be improved to protect the environment. This assignment forces students to examine their own sustainable, or unsustainable, practices. It also causes students to realize how much influence the Graphic Communications industry has in sustainability, especially the packaging industry. The GrC community should know how certain substrates and processes affect the environment and according to Dr. Rong, “It’s the responsibility of the industry to know” (Rong) how certain substrates and processes affect the environment.

            Dr. Rong teaches a sheetfed printing class with a lab and lecture. She uses the least amount of material. For example, in six press runs she uses less than 400 sheets of paper. She also saves one-sided sheets so she can print on the other side the next lab session. While most printers check a print after every fifty sheets, she will pull after every fifteen. Dr. Rong also makes sure that the students recycle all the leftover paper before leaving. She teaches sustainable practices by example that will become her students’ habits.

The Graphics for Packaging (GP) concentration at Cal Poly, in particular, focuses on the environment. The class description recognizes that, “This segment of the graphic arts industry faces environmental concerns related to non-biodegradable packages and issues of recycling packaging materials” (Graphic Communication: Cal Poly par 7). To address this, one of the focuses of the concentration is effects on the environment.

            Interest in the environment extends throughout the department and is encouraged by the department head, Dr. Harvey Levenson. Dr. Levenson is always trying to maintain the Graphic Communication department’s lead in sustainability. For example, when an environmental organization contacted him about hiring one of his students as an intern, he instead proposed collaboration. This organization, called eCycle Group, buys recycled cartridges from community groups like Girl Scouts and sells them back to manufacturing companies. Dr. Levenson offered Cal Poly’s testing facilities for toner testing and after eCycle visited the campus, eCycle group accepted the offer. The tests themselves are not about sustainability; the tests are to create international quality standards for liquid and dry toners. However, the tests are for the companies eCycle Group is involved with and shows Dr. Levenson’s and his department’s interest in being a leader in sustainability.

            Cal Poly’s GrC department also shows its dedication to sustainability by hosting SustainCommWorld’s Business of Green Media Conference, a full day event focusing on what the Graphic Communication community can do to address the issue of sustainability while simultaneously being profitable. This conference, “bring(s) together thought leaders on the production of sustainable media and the associated business challenges and opportunities that face the graphic arts community and those involved in media production” (SustainCommWorld par 2). At the event, three speakers talked about how their companies were promoting “going green” by offering certifications for different businesses and educating the public. The presentations were passionate and motivational. Dr. Levenson and SustainCommWorld are working on making the conference a road show in order to make it more accessible to the public.

            The road show would most likely be a hit because according to a survey given by Packaging Digest and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) in December 2007, “sustainability is a hot button for the industry, and its impact is likely to grow in the coming years” (Jedlicka 34). In the year leading up to this survey, Wal-Mart fully adopted the EU Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste, a set of sustainability standards. Such a large company formally adopting sustainable practices greatly impacts the entire industry by setting an example. It also lets the public know that the Graphic Communication community is serious about the environment. The rest of the industry would be wise to continue its intent to be sustainable, beginning with management. The head authorities of a company need to develop a plan that can be carried out throughout their business. Effective communication with employees and clients must follow to make sure the planned practices are employed. From there, it is just a matter of time before sustainability is a subconscious habit, not a conscious effort.

            The Graphic Communication department at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is serious about this transition from effort to habit. The department head, Dr. Harvey Levenson, as well as the other professors are making a significant effort to do so. By including lessons on sustainability in the curriculum, partnering with environmentally friendly groups, and hosting educational events, Cal Poly leads by example. If the industry continues to be rewarded for its sustainable efforts through public approval and monetary profit, it will not be long before the Graphic Communication world is regarded as sustainable.

Works Cited

Graphic Communications: Cal Poly. “Graphics for Packaging.” 20 May 2009 <http://

www.grc.calpoly.edu/major/index.html>.

Jedlicka, Wendy. Packaging Sustainability. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2009.

Levenson, Harvey. Personal Interview. 22 May 2009.

Smillie, Jillian Scott. “Sustainability in the Printing Industry.” Graphic Communications

            Department College of Liberal Arts California Polytechnic State University: 2008.

SustainCommWorld. “The Business of Green Media Conference.” 20 May 2009 <http://grci.

calpoly.edu/sustainability.html>.

Rong, Xiaoying. Personal Interview. 22 May 2009.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Glossary of Terms: Indoor Air: US EPA.” 25 Nov

            2008. 31 May 2009 <http://www.epa.gov/iaq/glossary.html#V>.