Big Picture - April 2018 - 31

"When I joined the printing company, one of my jobs was
to empty the trash, so I became good friends with the garbage
man," Bolger says. "He told me one day that ink dripped out
the back of his truck when he drove away. Perfectly legal, not
a problem, but it triggered a light in my head. I began the
study of how our company and its supplies impacted the
earth. Ink was the first change and recycling our waste paper
was the next. This was the mid '70s so the recycling industry
was in its infant stage."
In more recent years, Bolger Vision (bolgerinc.com)
expanded on their existing sustainable practices and worked
toward certifications. After getting involved with a regional
green printing initiative and obtaining other certifications
including FSC, SGP was a complement to their existing
sustainability efforts, says Rick Kline, Bolger Vision's director
of compliance.
Under the SGP certification, Bolger Vision now measures
its air emissions and tracks the company's carbon footprint,
allowing them to see the reductions they have made in their
environmental impact. Inks and ink containers are recycled
whenever possible - or returned to the manufacturer for
recycling. And school classes and groups visit the facility to
learn about recycling and sustainability efforts.
Little things add up to make an impact, Kline says. Much
of the Minneapolis-based facility has made the switch to LED
lighting, which will result in $15,000 in energy savings over 10
years, according to Kline's calculations.

They even found corn-based - instead of plastic - disposable flatware for the break room, which can be recycled, Kline
says. Organic waste is sorted from other waste and the office
paperwork filing system has been adjusted to reduce the
amount of paper used, which has the added benefit of saving
space. Keeping the focus on sustainability in all aspects of the
workplace requires educating employees to get them on board.
"It's a cultural change, but people responded to it in a
positive way - they get it," Kline adds.
Partnering with local waste and recycling organizations
was one of the first steps Bolger Vision took toward reducing
the company's footprint - and something he suggests other
PSPs should explore as a first step toward going green. A
grant through the local chamber of commerce and Minnesota
Waste Wise helped the company pay for their recycling bins.
With increased recycling, there is less garbage to haul away.
By adding dumpsters for organic materials, the company
reduced its solid waste by four yards per pickup in 2017.
Bolger Vision also switched to UV printers for wide-format
printing and shifted to more energy-efficient and organic inks
for the other segments of their printing business. The company
was able to obtain a rebate for buying more efficient equipment.
Kline suggests PSPs research the opportunities in federal or
local grants and rebate programs geared toward sustainability
- it might make upgrading to new equipment more affordable.
"We've gained customers because we are finding that more
and more are environmentally savvy as well," Kline says.

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - April 2018