Sustainability

All three plants are Tri-Certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) , Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) to supply environmentally sustainable materials to customers. An FSC®, SFI® or PEFC logo printed on a product is a signal that Trend, the publisher and the reader are collectively in support of sustainable forest management and the protection of our environment.

Our extensive recycling programs divert thousands of tons of waste each year from landfills by recycling virtually all production materials, from plates, inks and paper to office supplies and equipment.

Our commitment to the environment extends beyond awards and honors. We believe it’s the right thing to do.

What is sustainability?

Sustainability. You hear it everywhere. Everyone is talking about it, but many people are still debating what it really is. To Trend Offset Printing, sustainability is about responsible growth – reducing our impact on the environment, protecting the safety of our employees and customers, and supporting the communities where we do business, all while ensuring the growth and profitability of our company and yours.

We fully believe in our responsibility to deliver the triple bottom line for our customers – economic, social, and environmental performance. There is little debate that the interdependence of these elements will only become greater in the years ahead.

To help navigate this journey, Trend is offering education solutions and services to customers who want to be better stewards of the environment. From environmental service programs to the adoption of Tri-Certification in our three plants, Trend Offset Printing is your partner in achieving sustainable and profitable business growth.

What are the trends?

When it comes to the environment, the consumers of printed material do care. They’re actively trying to conserve energy, and they’re willing to make purchase decisions on brands that they perceive to be green.

Businesses large and small are making an effort to improve sustainability – by reducing consumption, implementing recycling programs, searching for alternative forms of energy and more. More importantly, many companies are increasingly realizing that going green provides new financial opportunities, and are creating sustainable strategies designed to maximize profits and to mitigate risk.

Many of our customers including major retailers have taken significant steps to reduce energy use at their stores. This translates into lower costs for running the business.

OUR INITIATIVES

We evaluate the environmental practices of our suppliers. Are they consistently active in their stewardship of their responsibilities in this area? For example, Trend purchases paper from companies that are certified by organizations known around the world for their dedication to sustainable forestry practices. SFI and FSC are two of the most well-known certifying agencies in the forestry industry. If your organization is interested in taking a leadership role in this way, please discuss this with your sales representative. We will be pleased to help you understand this process.

Our largest supplier of ink and other press chemicals has a long dedication to producing materials using renewable resources and doing so in a way that creates the smallest carbon-footprint possible. One innovative process in this area is the optimization of freight. By dropping off a trailer of full totes and picking up a trailer of empties in the same trip, the emissions from transportation are cut by 50% vs. traditional methods.

Additionally, our inks qualify for the highest marks in environmental responsibility. Our inks qualify for the ASA (American Soy Association) seal because of their content of soy oil.

Once we have procured sustainable materials in a responsible manner, we work hard to use them safely and efficiently, minimize waste, and take proper care of the waste that we do generate.

Trend recycles virtually 100% of the paper waste we generate. This material is marketed directly to consumers of recyclable paper where it is used to make products such as printing paper, cardboard boxes, and wallboard. As with our inks, we ensure the minimum carbon footprint applies to the transportation of all our waste.

Our used ink finds a home in two ways. First, we recycle some inks onsite (zero carbon footprint) for use in our printing process. We remanufacture some of our own black ink in this way. This saves on transport and outside recycling cost and lowers our cost to customers for a portion of the ink used in their print jobs. Then, we send the ink (and other press chemicals) that cannot be recycled to industry-leading disposal firms. One “end of life” home for this material is as fuel in kilns used to dry concrete and bricks. The high BTU value makes this an ideal use for our waste ink.

Our non-hazardous water waste is sent out in 5,000 gallon tank trucks (for efficiency, we hold our inventory on-site until it reaches full load quantities) where it is clarified, treated, and used in irrigation and dust control applications.

Trend is diligent in ensuring compliance with air quality standards at each plant. We enlist the services of industry experts in reporting and managing our air emissions. Every plant utilizes RTO “afterburners” that incinerate over 99% of the VOCs from our heat-set printing presses.

We recycle 100% of our aluminum lithographic printing plates.

Trend has implemented a Transportation Management System (TMS), which enables us to manage the movement of our finished product from our door to our customers with the highest efficiency possible. While the primary benefit our customers may see is sustainable low freight costs, one facet of this program is that it minimizes the carbon footprint associated with shipping our products. To further aid in this Trend can, by virtue of a “distribute and print” philosophy, print closer to the intended market for our national customers. For example, if an account wishes to distribute products in Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, we can print in all 3 plants and make shorter freight runs to each of the target markets.