“Each of you can have an enormous impact on our environment – either for the betterment or detriment. This program will help you lay out an action plan to make a difference. With the gift of this knowledge also comes the honor of responsibility. You may not be able to change everything at once, but you must change some things. Even if all of us only contribute small changes, we can manifest a significant difference in the quality of our lives and future generations. When you specify and buy print in a sustainable way, you really do have a major positive impact on our planet.”

Suzanne Morgan, CEO and Founder, PCPI

NEW! Best Practices for Sustainability in Print Certification:

Getting Started:

Self-Study Course

Release date: available now!
Course materials: Printed study guide, learning resources and pass/fail test
Certification good for five years
Register for Best Practices for Sustainability in Print Certification Course Here!

Overview

The issue of sustainability has become an urgent topic for many organizations over the past nine months. PCPI is committed to supporting print media in a way that helps organizations buy print in a socially responsible manner. Whether you are far down the environmental path or just getting started, this certification will help you make the right choices for your company.

We are pleased to release this 300-page plus robust tool kit and study guide with a focus on the best practices for sustainability in print which includes over 100 pages of case studies from major buying organizations. This program will help you create print projects that are more sustainable while making the right choices for your company. If your company has environmental policies in place, this is the perfect resource to help you be accountable within your organization.

This advice is geared primarily to major print buyers and marketers, but it is also a valuable educational tool for print suppliers, who are more and more frequently asked to partner with their clients on sustainability programs.

It’s important to clarify that this Best Practices for Sustainability in Print certification is different from the other certifications that you’ll learn about in the guidebook and hear about in the industry. Our certification program certifies individuals on a level of knowledge about the environmental issues that impact the environment. We do not certify printers or buying organizations on certifications such as chain-of-custody with paper production.

Best Practices for Sustainability in Print is chock full of resources to help you effectively:

encourage sustainable print practices within your company
set standards for your print suppliers
rate how "green" your print projects and suppliers are

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will summarize in writing at least four main goals for sustainability in print and why Chain-of-Custody is important
Participants will list in writing 10 ways to measure a print project to track its sustainability
Participants will describe in writing five ways to make their print projects more eco-friendly

Table of Contents:

Purchasing Sustainable Print Projects

Our Research on Print Buyers and their Suppliers – plus, the fast-growing trends towards sustainability
Code of Ethics – reasonable, but an effective plan for print buyers and their companies
Terminology
In-depth Perspectives:
- Environmental Responsibility for the Paper and Printing Industries by Derek Smith
- “Greenwashing” vs. Making a True Difference by Greenpeace
- The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): Leading Forest Conservation and Market Transformation
- Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI): A Bold Approach to Sustainable Forest Management

Case Studies that give specific and actionable plans from major buying companies including:

Starbucks
Consumer Reports
New World Library
Society for Neuroscience
Harvard University Press
Office Depot
Temple University
Dell Corporation

Getting Started

What is Sustainability?
Creating Standards for Your Print Suppliers
Paper Technology and Sustainability
Ink Technology and Sustainability
Coatings, Laminates and Adhesives
Designing, Specifying and Buying Sustainable Print Projects
Creating a List of Standards for Your Company
“How to Green Your Copy Paper”

Tool Kit

How to Use our Tool Kit
"How Green is Your Print Project?" - Rate your print projects for sustainability
"How Green is Your Print Supplier?" - Rate your printers as an environmental partner
The WWF Guide to Buying Paper
The WWF Paper Scorecard Manual
FSC Fact Sheet 1 - Logo design rules and regulations
FSC Fact Sheet 2 - How to pick the correct FSC logo
FSC Fact Sheet 3 – Sample FSC logo placement guide
Sustainable Procurement of Wood and Paper-based Products

"Best Practices for Sustainability in Print" Exam

Resources and Print Samples

Upon Successful Completion of Certification:

Upon receipt of a “pass” test result notification, you will also receive a certificate suitable for framing and display attesting that you have successfully fulfilled the requirements awarding you a Best Practices for Sustainability in Print Certification from PCPI. A score of 80% or higher results in certification.
In addition upon passing, we will send you our customizable letter and press release templates announcing that you have been awarded this certification. The personalized letter and press release to promote your certification may be shared with your employer, peers, business associates, clients, friends and family.
PCPI also encourages the use of the BPSP designation following your name on business correspondence such as business cards and stationery to signify your certification.