Beijing Printing Association Briefing Explains Japan’s Green Printing Standard: GP Certification and Offset Services Rules

Green printing continues to gain momentum in China. To help printing companies draw on practices from developed markets, the Beijing Printing Association hosted an event in Beijing on April 26 to explain Japan’s green printing standards and promote green printing technologies. What is worth noting about the Japanese standard? The following overview breaks it down.

The standard is called the Offset Printing Green Standard (Services) Guidelines. It is a printing industry standard established by the Japan Printing Industry Federation in 2001 and revised in 2006. According to the organizers, Beijing Longda Printing and Packaging Group obtained the standard through Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Printing & Packaging Machinery, Ltd. and paid RMB 20,000 to commission the Beijing Printing Industry Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Station to translate it. At the meeting, Li Zushan, general manager of Beijing Lingzhong Printing Machinery Technical Service Co., Ltd., walked through the 2006 revision and introduced Japan’s Green Printing Certification System. Some printing equipment and material suppliers also presented environmentally friendly equipment, processes, and materials.

Green Printing Certification System (GP Certification System)

The GP Certification System was created alongside the revision of the green standard. The certification body is the Japan Printing Industry Federation. It certifies printing companies that seek to reduce environmental impact in line with the Federation’s “Printing Services” green standard, using objective evidence as the basis.

Printing factories and enterprises certified under the system (hereafter “GP-certified factories”) may use the Green Printing Mark (GP Mark) to demonstrate that they are environmentally aware printing factories and business sites (hereafter “printing factories”).

In addition, under the Green Printing Product Certification System, “printed products” made by GP-certified factories that meet the green standard may also carry the Green Printing Mark (GP Mark).

(2) Development of the System

The first step of the Green Printing Certification System was the April 2006 launch of the Green Printing Factory Certification System, which certifies printing factories that meet the Japan Printing Industry Federation’s Offset Printing Services green standard.

Then, in October 2006, the Green Printing Product Certification System began: GP-certified factories may apply the green mark to their printed products in accordance with the green standard. Going forward, there is consideration of extending the mark to printing equipment and materials.

Relationship Between the JFPI Offset Printing Services Green Standard and the GP Certification System

Overview of the JFPI “Offset Printing” Green Standard (Services)

The standard defines offset printing services as paper-based offset printed products and a related chain of services, including operations, planning, design, plate making, plate processing, printing, surface finishing, binding and finishing, and delivery.

Meanwhile, the content of the green standard has been upgraded in line with how individual companies and organizations implement it, and it includes certain independently set criteria.

(1) Scope of Application

The JFPI “Offset Printing” Green Standard (Services) applies to offset printing services carried out by companies and offices under member organizations of the Japan Printing Industry Federation.

(2) Positioning and Composition of the Standard

The standard addresses material procurement, processes, and environmental protection by participating companies, and sets out “Green Principles for Implementing Environmental Load Reduction Activities” and “Specific Standards of the Green Principles.”

The first edition, issued in August 2001, positioned the standard only as a signal of the industry’s target direction. After the standard was introduced, it became increasingly widespread among printing companies over about four years. At that stage, encouraging more printing firms to take a more active role in reducing environmental burden became especially important, which led to changes in how the standard was positioned.

Meanwhile, the content of the green standard has been upgraded in line with how individual companies and organizations implement it, and it includes certain independently set criteria.

(3) Integration with Other Standards

Although the JFPI “Offset Printing” Green Standard (Services) is a guideline for printing-related companies based on the printing industry’s business activities, its development fully took into account alignment with other standards, including specified procurement items under the Green Purchasing Law, eco-label product certification standards, and the Green Purchasing Network’s green purchasing guidelines. As a result, if a company’s business activities conform to the JFPI “Offset Printing” Green Standard (Services), they also conform to other relevant standards.

The JFPI standard also includes independent criteria not found in other standards. For these, the Environment Committee and the Green Purchasing Research Group of the Japan Printing Industry Federation, which developed the standard, set the content and target values after thorough discussion.

(4) Perspectives of the Standard

Broadly, the standards and criteria were discussed from four major perspectives before specific content was developed. This approach is based on the Green Purchasing Network’s “Basic Principles of Green Purchasing,” covers the full cycle from raw material extraction to product disposal, treatment, and final disposal, and examines issues at each stage.

Explanation of the JFPI “Offset Printing” Green Standard (Services)

1. Material Procurement

From an environmental standpoint, materials used in printing products should minimize environmental burden as much as possible, and such materials should be selected during procurement. Even when a customer specifies materials, it remains important to propose alternatives with lower environmental impact. This section defines the standard for “material procurement” as a component of printing products circulating in the market.

① Use recycled paper made from recycled resources; ② requirements for whiteness; ③ requirements for coating usage; ④ use pulp treated without chlorine; ⑤ be free of harmful substances; ⑥ requirements for improving factors that hinder waste paper recycling; ⑦ procure raw and auxiliary materials from companies committed to recycled paper manufacturing.

(3) Surface Finishing Materials

(4) Adhesives for Binding

(5) Management of Material Producers

— This article is reposted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-362130.html