SFPNA customers want to know that they are specifying printing papers from a responsible company.
SOURCE:Sappi Fine Paper North America
DESCRIPTION:
The printers, graphic designers, advertising agencies, publishers, marketing communication managers and others are held accountable by their own management, clients and general public. SFPNA’s stance is to support them by being transparent and forthright in our environmental practices and educational in our communications.
eQ Journal and Online Tool
SFPNA’s eQ Journal and microsite have developed a reputation for being the go-tosource for the latest and most trusted information on sustainability in our industry. This multimedia platform is intended to elevate readers’ environmental knowledge with stories, blog posts, videos, interactive infographics and insights from foresters, conservationists, customers and academics.
Recently, eQ Journal 004: Taking the Guilt Out of Paper was nominated for the 2012 Pulp & Paper International Awards. This issue debunked the myths and guilt associated with paper use by providing evidence of how sustainable forestry results in healthier forests and thriving wildlife.
Sappi etc. and More Excellent paper is just the beginning of SFPNA’s service to customers. We are committed to keeping customers abreast of innovations in the realm of print and paper technology, graphic trends, new marketing approaches and environmental development. Creative professionals in the field are well aware that the everchanging world of print, especially in the digital age, demands continuous education and training. Sappi has responded to that need with an ongoing program we call Sappi etc., which stands for education, training and consulting. Through seminars, webinars, training workshops, technical roundtables and general consulting, we cover a range of topics that impact those in the business. This program is led by Daniel Dejan, SFPNA Print and Creative Manager, and Laura M. Thompson, PhD., Director of Technical Marketing and Sustainable Development. Their in-depth knowledge of all aspects of print communications has made them two of the most respected experts in the industry. Recently, Sappi etc. has been rebranded with a new logo and in January,
Sappi etc. will be launched as a microsite, where customers can readily access the kind of information normally covered in Sappi seminars and in-person consultation. Included on this site will be a blog called Sidebar, with regular postings by Mr. Dejan on design, printing techniques and resources.
For the last five years, SFPNA has also produced an informative guide to designing for print with useful tips, techniques and methods for achieving optimum printing results. Entitled The Standard, this publication presents a treasure trove of visual ideas on how to use printing creatively. Volume 5, issued in 2012, focuses on special printing effects such as lenticular, flocking, sculpted dies, sandpaper coating and other techniques that make printed pieces more tactile, dimensional and interactive.
The Standard 5 drew its theme from 826 National, a network of nonprofit tutoring and writing centers for under-resourced youth, ages 6—18. Each 826 center adopts an imaginative theme, from Pirate Supply Store to Time Travel Mart and Bigfoot Research Institute, for its streetfront retail space. These zany retail concepts make 826 centers a “cool” place to go, where young students flock to learn to write short stories and poems, which 826 publishes into books. A two-time recipient of Sappi’s Ideas that Matter grants, 826 National was a perfect match for demonstrating special effects. In turn, The Standard 5 raised awareness for the nonprofit and helped to enlist graphic designers as volunteers.
This year, SFPNA sponsored a ten-city lecture tour on The Standard 5, with Kit Hinrichs, the design director for all five volumes of The Standard, presenting the backstory of how the special effects were achieved and a student from 826 reading an original work. The opportunity to support the good works of 826 National and demonstrate the incomparable qualities of paper at the same time made The Standard 5 campaign an outstanding success.
Industry Collaboration
SFPNA believes that we can make greater strides toward sustainability by collaborating with others on issues related to policy and advocacy. Collaboration also provides opportunities to share best practices and benchmark progress. Our corporate sustainability goals are gauged to meet and exceed those set by the industry. We have long been active in the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA). We are proud of the fact that our industry association has established a strong set of forward looking sustainability goals under the banner of “Better Practices, Better Planet 2020” and prepares a comprehensive sustainability report every two years. The industry-wide goals address water usage, paper recovery, greenhouse gas emissions, energy usage, fiber procurement sources and other environmental concerns. AF&PA reports its member companies made impressive progress on all fronts. For instance, paper recovery in 2011 rose to 66.8 percent, nearly doubling the industry’s rate of paper recovery in 1990. The AF&PA program is credited with setting one of the most extensive collections of quantifiable sustainability goals for a major US manufacturing industry.
As a leading manufacturer of coated printing paper, SFPNA shares the interests of other members of the graphic communications supply chain, including forestry, pulp, paper, inks, chemicals, pre-press, press, finishing, publishing and printing, graphic designers and printers. We are a founding member of Two Sides, an initiative started in the UK and launched in the US in 2012. SFPNA has representation on the board of Two Sides US as well as the Sustainability and Marketing committees. Together, we seek to promote the responsible production and use of print and paper and to dispel widely held environmental misconceptions about print on paper by serving as a source for accurate, verifiable information.
SFPNA is also a founding member of the GreenBlue Forest Products Working Group (FPWG), formed in October 2011 with diverse representation across supply chains and companies that rely on paper, wood and forest products. GreenBlue brings together leading forest products buyers and sellers to develop innovative solutions addressing challenges that affect all members of the supply chain. In 2012, efforts focused on developing a guideline for sustainable procurement, use and recovery of paper products. Work is also under way to identify and address some of the barriers to expanding the growth of certified forests. The American Forest Foundation (AFF) works on-theground with families, teachers and elected officials to promote stewardship and protect our nation’s forest heritage. AFF is the parent organization for both the American Tree Farm and Project Learning Tree. In addition to financial support, we are active participants in New England and the Great Lakes region for both of those programs, with employees serving on the state steering committees, as Tree Farm inspectors and as Project Learning Tree facilitators.
To read the full report, please download a PDF from our website link: 2012 Sustainability Report.
KEYWORDS: People, Social Action & Community Engagement, Sappi Fine Paper North America, SFPNA Sustainability Report, customers, customer council, Engagement
