At Indie Printing Inc., “BEING GREEN” is far MORE THAN JUST INK AND PAPER. It would be unwise for us to simply abide by our industry's regulations. More importantly, we implement our own PERSONAL STANDARDS in order to satisfy our representation of being an ECO-CONSCIOUS PRINTING company.
Indie Printing’s commitment to the environment has lead us to become members of and/or support the following organizations, which keep us in close contact with the movement for a better planet, and help Indie Printing in being a socially conscious and “green” printing company.
Forest Stewardship Council
is a non-profit organization which ensures worldwide responsible forest management. Companies & products are certified to assure consumers that their products meet social, economic & ecological needs of present and future generations.
Green America
is the oldest, and most diverse network of socially and environmentally responsible businesses in America. Green America helps ensure corporate responsibility and promotes green and fair trade business principles.
Amazon Watch
works to protect the rainforest and advance the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin. We partner with indigenous and environmental organizations in campaigns for human rights, corporate accountability and the preservation of the Amazon's ecological systems.
Printing Industries Association Inc. of Southern California (PIASC)
is the trade association for the graphic arts community. PIASC is the largest graphic arts trade association in the nation, serving more than 1,600 companies in Southern California.
* Currently in the audit process and awaiting final membership approval
Feel free to read about the changes and progression at Indie Printing Inc. below. To learn more about our partners or environmental Stewardship associations, click on the logo of choice. A request to receive a copy of our sustainability policy or any inquires about the experiences, changes, and/or plans for the future at Indie Printing, can be directed to: Andy@indieprinting.com
BUILDING
Located in a co-occupied building in the South Park district of Downtown Los Angeles. Indie Printing was able to use sustainable and reclaimed building materials during the renovation process. Currently we are working with a consultant to figure out a more sensible and eco-conscious way for lighting and electricity usage, and continuously are investigating ways to walk the walk when it comes to the true meaning of a “green printing company.”
INTERNAL WORKFLOW - EMPLOYEE METRO PROGRAM
Any office generates a massive amount of paper usage on a daily basis. Our daily internal workflow has been transitioned to a more digital workflow, reducing paper usage by about 70%.
In addition to our office paper reduction, we raised the bar and challenged our employees to utilize the metro and/or public transportation. Indie Printing pays 50% of the metro costs our employees incur when deciding to use public transportation. Encouraging the use of public transportation cuts down on the use of petroleum, as well as vehicle emissions, not to mention the wear and tear of our employee’s vehicles.
PAPER
All too often you hear the term “recycled paper” coming from “green printers.” The truth of the mater is that it is much more complex than that. Most “eco-friendly” printing companies try to throw the term “printed on recycled paper” around in order to pacify the consumer. We realize there is much information to be passed on, and see an opportunity to educate both our customers and employees.
Below is some basic information about the paper we use for our standard products. To learn more about eco-friendly, green printing or recycled paper printing, visit our blog section. You will find much more information on what it takes to be a “green printer.”
Cardstocks — All standard card stock items are printed using FSC or SFI certified cardstocks, made with a minimum of 30% Post-Consumer Waste. We do have 100% recycled paper stocks available (standard cardstock items are: postcards, business cards, flyers, bookmarks, headshots, buckslips). Also available is a TREE FREE PAPER which you can read more about on our blog.
Bookstocks — All standard book stock items are printed using FSC or SFI certified cardstocks stocks, made with a minimum of 30% Post-Consumer Waste. We do have 100% recycled stocks available. (standard bookstock items are: brochures, posters, flyers, inserts, line sheets, sales sheets, etc.). Also available is a TREE FREE PAPER which you can read more about on our blog.
Large Format Stocks — All standard Large Format Banners are printed on a biodegradable banner stock, and are suitable for outdoor use. Movie Posters are printed on a photo gloss paper stock. (standard large format items are: posters, banners, signage, etc.). Also available is a TREE FREE PAPER which you can read more about on our blog.
INK & COATINGS
We use a combination of printing methods to produce our products. When it comes to inks, there are 3 different types we use.
Digital Printing = Dry Toner Ink: Typically used for quantities less than 1,000 pieces, and arguably the most environmentally friendly ink on the market, dry toner can be deinked very easily which allows the paper to be easily recycled. Dry toner inks produce virtually no VOC’s (volatile organic compounds), and do not require any type of chemical clean up.
Offset Printing = Soy Based Ink: Our offset inks are soy based, making them much less toxic, and easier to deink when recycling. Using soy based inks helps keep the V.O.C. (Volatile Organic Compounds) levels well below the regulated standard.
Large Format Printing = UV Ink: Inkjet UV inks are typically used for outdoor banners or in store displays. UV inks provide extra protection for durability, which ensures your print will have a long life span in the most extreme weather conditions. UV inks are not very environmentally friendly, but to offset the problem. We use a biodegradable banner material, which will degrade (if put in a landfill) almost 50 times faster than any standard vinyl banner material. Bio-Inks are just now hitting the large format market, rest assured that Indie Printing is investigating these options as they become available.
Matte, Satin & Gloss Coatings: All standard products come with the choice of matte, satin or gloss coatings. All coatings are water or toner based which allow our products to be easily recycled. Uncoated stocks are also available, but do not fall under our standard price lists, but can be quoted separately.
NO CHEMISTRY, NO FILM, NO WASTE!
Chemistry-Free Technology: Due to the modernization, and advancement of technology in the printing industry, the use of film has become obsolete, eliminating toxic chemicals from part of the production process. Thankfully we are now able to advance even further with the help of PressTek Computer to Plate technology (CTP).
Waterless CTP Plate Making simply means that imaging plates used to transfer your image from computer to paper, can now be made without having to contaminate water, and dispose of it through a third party recycling source. Waterless plate making is another technological advancement in sustaining our valuable natural resources.
Waste: In order to eliminate waste, we maximize our sheet space by tilling up your job several times on a larger sheet of paper. Usually leaving only about 1/8 inch of paper scraps per sheet. Our paper scraps are then sent off to recycling facilities where they will come full circle and become particles in manufactured paper products that use percentages of post-consumer waste material in their production.
DELIVERY VEHICLES
Indie Printing has been able to take advantage of alternative fuel vehicles. All of our local deliveries are done in a hybrid vehicle. fuel.