Big Picture - October 2016 - 26

As the 23rd largest metropolitan area in the US, and with a population of nearly 2.5 million, you might not expect that Portland's residents, businesses, and local government could come together to promote a low-carbon economy and a natural environment that's integrated into the cityscape, but they're doing just that. And more. "What else can we be doing? How can we use less to make more?" asks Juli Cordill, owner and COO of Premier Press, a family-owned and -operated printer known for digital, wide-format, and offset printing. Employees call her their "Chief Zen Officer," and rightly so. When her sustainability coordinator, Chip Chipman, told her how much waste was being generated by employees using plastic cups and bottles at the shop's drinking fountains, Cordill went out and purchased reusable aluminum bottles for the entire staff. Sustainability can be about becoming part of the larger community, as well as social responsibility for the individual, the company, and the place they call home. BIG PICTURE October 2016 Above: A Falconboard sustainable booth by Vectra Visual | PhotoCraft Portland at GlobalShop, a visual merchandising tradeshow. Right: A production team member at Premier Press in Portland checks client art quality. 26 CR E ATING INSPIR ED CH A NGE TIPS FOR SUCCESS & GETTING HELP Ready to make a difference but not sure what the next step is? Remember the old adage: It takes a village. There are organizations out there that are dedicated to helping you and your business become more sustainable. "The teams at SGIA and PIA are especially helpful," says Grant. "You're definitely not alone. Get connected with either group and they'll help guide you through the process. The peer-to-peer group environment they offer is a value-add." Chipman says SGIA and PIA gave him the advice to reach outside of his local community to the national stage to purchase energy credits for their 100-percent windpowered business, which has saved their company thousands each year. It can be as simple as sending fewer printed proofs, which not only cost time and energy in the paper itself, but create a large carbon footprint in order to get them to the client by courier or air travel. Or consider dumpster diving in your own trash - ask yourself what can be recycled instead of sent to the landfill. Premier Press was able to reduce waste by as much as 80 percent when they began taking a long, hard look at what Through its parent company, Taylor Corporation, Vectra went into their trash bins. Visual is a coast-to-coast print production powerhouse with Back in Kansas, Bisel suggests asking vendors about three national locations; the Portland office is the first to lifecycles - for products, equipment, materials, and more. become SGP-certified, further showcasing the company's Suppliers will also begin to offer more eco-friendly products if commitment to sustainability. you just ask. She also suggests getting involved with other Additionally, Ireland is continually challenging his sales like-minded recycling efforts in your area. "We were printing team to offer clients more sustainable options for substrates and inks. From their press room to finishing, the company has labels for a sheltered workshop for people with disabilities on these barrels they used for collecting and recycling holiday purchased new materials and equipment and moved toward lights. We loved the idea so much that we volunteered to add lower VOCs and better safety features, all in an effort to decrease their environmental impact. That drive toward being more barrels to our town and help them out. We collected over 750 pounds of lights for a win-win sustainability event." green extends to the staff as well, as the company has been Going green isn't an overnight process, and your commitable to reduce waste in their facility to a single trash bin that's collected once every other week, with recycle bins for sorting ment level is entirely up to you. Maybe this year it's recycling more. Next year, it's environmentally friendly materials. You paper, plastics, metal, and glass. "If you're doing it [sustainability] just to get clients, it still has decide. "We look at it as if it's the new three P's," says Cordill. "It used to be People, Product, and Plan. Now it's People, its benefits," says Ireland. "But if it's the desire to be green driving you, and not the bottom line, it makes everything easier." Product, and Planet."

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - October 2016