Inside Iowa State

Oct. 24, 2008

Live Green!

Printing gives you ways to go green

by Diana Pounds

Eighty-two percent of the paper used by ISU printing and copy services is recycled. Even so, there are times when you may not be able to use recycled paper on your job. It may be too expensive. You may not find recycled paper that fits your needs. Or there may not be enough of it around. (Recycled supplies can only meet about 35 percent of paper needs in the United States.)

However, with a little help from printing services, you still can be green, even when you can't publish your brochure on recycled paper. The solution is to print your work on paper that comes from well-run, sustainable forests.

Eighty-five percent of ISU printing's production paper comes from forests that meet the stringent standards of the Forest Stewardship Council or similar organizations. In FCS-certified woods, forestry must be environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable.

Assistant manager of printing Steve Weigel anticipates that printing services and ISU's central stores soon will be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. That allows use of the "FCS" symbol on publications printed on FCS-approved paper.

Earth-friendly

Here are some of ISU printing service's other earth-friendly ways:

• The standard copy paper in all of ISU's copy centers contains 30 percent recycled fiber.
• 94 percent of its offset printing inks are soy- or vegetable-based, a green alternative to petroleum-based inks.
• Printing services has been recycling waste paper for years. In cardboard alone, it recycles more than 1,000 pounds each month.

ISU Printing services offers paper and ink alternatives to help clients make eco-friendly choices.