Reducing, Reusing, Recycling

Reducing

Through the years, Maple Press has been committed to efforts to reduce both our consumption and waste of materials. We have also been active in choosing those materials which have the least environmental impact. Our reduction efforts include the following:

• Annual performance goals requiring reductions in material waste began in the early 1990s creating a catalyst for many innovative and practical solutions.
• Digital technology has led to a dramatic reduction in water use, paper, chemicals, and film. Soft proofing has also become a common part of our workflow eliminating the need to generate hard proofs and saving the packaging and transportation costs associated with mailing.
• A wide range of real-time data is easily accessible to our customers via the Maple Press InfoNet. Increasing numbers of our customers now choose to work with electronic versions of such items as estimates and invoices which had previously been printed and mailed.
• Within our facilities, the vast majority of communication is electronic and we continue to expand the scope and functionality of our Intranet site.
• Energy consumption has long been a target for reduction. Energy efficient lighting has been installed throughout our manufacturing and distribution locations, greatly reducing our energy usage. We have also utilized the advice of technical experts as part of an EPA program to reduce energy.
• Through the years, Maple Press has focused on limiting our emissions. Our fountain solutions contain no chromium, and have been alcohol-free for decades. As noted, the new THINKTech® printing system has dramatically reduced our pressroom emissions.
  

Reusing

Maple Press looks to reuse materials whenever possible. This includes giving new life to cartons and unprinted waste paper by turning them into stuffers, and reusing pallets whenever possible. Corner boards are also reused on a consistent basis. The combination of these items removes a significant amount of material annually from our waste stream.

Recycling

Recycling is practiced by our employees on a daily basis. Our efforts create opportunities for other businesses to effectively utilize materials we discard.

• Waste paper is clearly the most significant materials recycled at Maple Press. Nearly ten million pounds of paper was sent out for recycling in the last two years.
• Used adhesives, inks, and oils are sent out for energy reclamation. Even paper dust has been put to use by a nearby company as an absorbent.
• Overall, we collect 28 items from our facilities for separate recycling. This includes glass, plastics, and aluminum among other commodities, leaving very little for the final waste stream.