Phone 800-229-1164
Fax 919-755-1442
gogreen@barefootpress.com

We like to help environmental non-profits. When you support Barefoot Press with your green printing orders, you should know that some of our profits are being directed to these organizations. We recently received a request for help from a website called OurEarth.org, and we think you should check them out.

This is how the group describes it’s mission: “The OurEarth.org website began as a simple idea to make it easier for the public to find environmental information. There are outstanding environmental programs, activities, initiatives, ideas, and grassroots efforts across the country but it can be difficult to sort through all of the websites and information available. As a result, important natural resources, energy savings, and pollutant reductions are lost each and every day, causing unnecessary damage to our planet.”

Here is a tip from the site: “Look for products marked with “Post-Consumer Content” and “Recycled Content” Computer printer paper, notebooks, paper towels, toilet paper, plastic products, and many other household items can be found that are made from at least partially recycled materials.”

It’s important that we all work together for a healthier planet. Order green printing on 100% post-consumer recycled papers, and eco-friendly marketing materials, and don’t forget that we also offer many post-consumer recycled products like the ones listed above.

We are happy to report another step toward sustainable, green printing has been finalized here at Barefoot Press. We reported earlier on our transition to process-free Fuji plates. The plates are in full production and it was one of the easiest transitions we have made.

As I was filling out a waste-water survey form for the City of Raleigh the other day, I realized that with this move, we have totally eliminated all waste-water from our process! The only water that goes down a drain at our plant is in the bathroom. Green Printing can’t get much more eco-friendly than this.

We are happy to confirm that another step toward sustainable printing has been accomplished here at Barefoot Press. We reported earlier on our transition to process-free Fuji plates. Well, the plates are now in full production and everything went like clockwork.

Because these plates use no water, developer, or any other chemistry, they have totally eliminated all remaining environmental issues in our prepress department. We simply laser-image the plates on our Fuji DART platesetter and hang them on the press. The plates fall into register quicker, roll up to color quicker, and so far we have had no plate remakes due to a quality issue. Because they are made from a high grade aluminum they are just as recyclable as our last plates, but have none of the waste disposal issues related to the plate processor.

We are always looking for ways to improve our eco-friendly printing process. This is a big step toward sustainability, and it wasn’t inexpensive to implement. But the results are worth the investment and effort, and we are pleased to say we have the cleanest prep department a green printer can have. We are offering demonstrations, so if you are interested please drop us a line.

You can’t imagine how much relief your green printer feels upon learning that global warming was actually just a hoax perpetrated by a handful of agenda-driven, mad scientists intent on ruling the planet. We’ve been following the unfolding story of emails uncovered by the intrepid, “fair-and-balanced” reporters at FOX News. It’s hard to believe these “junk” scientists managed to pull off such a large-scale deception. But I have to tell you it’s a load off our shoulders.

I think everyone here at Barefoot Press is sick of that scratchy, 100% recycled toilet paper in the staff restrooms. Not to mention those stinking recycling bins cluttering up the loading dock. The company Toyota is cramped, and I always felt intimidated on the highway. I’m really tired of tending that garden in the front.

For 23 years we’ve been laboring under the belief that green printing is important, that it was our duty to do our part. We’ve used recycled papers, pushed our suppliers to develop low-VOC chemistry and soy inks, implemented comprehensive in-house recycling programs, offset our carbon emissions by supporting green energy, donated profits to environmental groups (THAT was a waste!)… The effort has been exhausting. Happily, we now know it’s just not necessary.

I don’t feel imtimidated on the highway any more, because our new company car is a Hummer! Our increased margins allowed us to buy it new. These vinyl-based inks smell really strong, but they dry super-fast. We put a huge dumpster where the recycling bins used to be, and the scrap paper gets burned once a week in the parking lot.

But the coolest thing is that we now have a lot of awesome, cheap, virgin-fiber paper choices. Most of these sheets originate from the rampant, unregulated logging in the rainforests of Indonesia and the “developing” world, so there’s no “fair labor” or regulatory costs to pass on to you. It’s much easier to print on too, having never been through the repulping process. As our International Paper rep told us years ago, “old growth trees make a fine sheet of paper!”

Yes, happy days are here again, and our collective conscience is clear. Things are cheaper and easier now. Our profits are better than ever. And we finally have some soft toilet paper.

You might recall our post about Kimberly Clarke’s penchant for deforesting the world in order to bring you ultra soft toilet paper. Well, we received some feedback about how expensive it is to purchase recycled toilet paper at your local grocer (if they even carry it), and decided to do something about it. After researching several sources, we have found a good price on case quantities. We understand that 96 rolls is a lot of TP to buy at one time, but this stuff doesn’t go bad folks. We’ve been testing it here at the offices of the original green printer in Raleigh, NC, and find it quite adequate for the purpose intended.

So here’s the deal: 96 rolls is $67.20 + shipping. That works out to just $.70 per roll. At 16.5″x16.5″x25.5″, a case of the stuff will take up less than 4 cubic feet of storage space in your home or office. Even the carton is recycled, and you can feel good about purchasing a product that is manufactured here in the USA. To order just drop us an email at gogreen@barefootpress.com, or call us at 1-800-229-1164.

We’re committed to help you “green up” your home or office. It’s a great way to help save the planet – one flush at a time.

We’ll have information about our paper towels in an upcoming post, so keep an eye on this column, or subscribe to our RSS feed!

Don’t forget to check out the Green Jamboree this weekend at TLC’s Irvin Farm. Hosted by the Triangle Land Conservancy, the Jamboree is the organization’s annual meeting and festival. The Bluegrass Experience will provide the music, and there will be food, beer, hiking and family activities. The festival starts at 3pm this Saturday, June 20. TLC’s Irvin Farm is a 269-acre haven of farmland and forest in Orange County west of Carrboro, NC. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the gate. More information on the TLC website: http://www.triangleland.org/greenjamboree/

The postcard announcing this event was printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, processed chlorine free, using soy inks. Triangle Land Conservancy is committed to eco-friendly printing for all of their materials.

The Lemur Center at Duke University is a little known jewel in the Triangle. Established in 1966, the center is the world’s largest sanctuary for rare and endangered prosimian primates, including the smallest primate ever discovered. The center occupies 85 acres in Durham’s Duke Forest, and according to their website, houses roughly 250 animals, including 233 lemurs encompassing 15 species, along with lorises from India and Southeast Asia and bushbabies from Africa. The Center does not engage in any invasive or harmful testing of the animals, and focuses primarily on behavioral studies in hopes of preserving these unique creatures.

The Lemur Center’s stated mission is “to promote research and understanding of prosimians and their natural habitat as a means of advancing the frontiers of knowledge, to contribute to the educational development of future leaders in international scholarship and conservation and to enhance the human condition by stimulating intellectual growth and sustaining global biodiversity.”

Marketing Director Lari Hatley is committed to conservation of the species, and also the planet upon which they live, and therefore has made it a priority to produce all of their printed material, from brochures to newsletters, on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. To make sure the Center was getting the most eco-friendly printing, Lari got in touch with the original green printer in Raleigh, NC. We use only soy inks and water-miscible, low VOC chemistry in production. The graphics were freshened up by Raleigh designer Heath Murray.

Barefoot Press was proud to have been contracted to produce the monument signage at the facility as well. These signs are made from locally harvested pine and recycled aluminum, and for a long, fade-free life, were lettered using outdoor vinyl cut on our plotter and applied by hand.

To protect the animals, the center is open to the public by appointment only. More information on the facility and how to book a tour is available on the facility’s website.

Remember to do something nice for mother earth today.

The New York Times today reported in their Environment section that American’s love of fluffy toilet paper is a major cause of worldwide deforestation. The toilet paper industry consumes millions of trees harvested in North America and in Latin American countries, and most brands of tp even contain some percentage of trees from rare old-growth forests in Canada.

While toilet tissue can be made at similar cost from recycled material, it is the fiber taken from standing trees that help give it that plush feel, and most large manufacturers rely on them. James Malone, a spokesman for Georgia Pacific (the maker of Quilted Northern) claims that customers want soft, comfortable toilet paper and he does not believe it is possible to make soft toilet paper from recycled fiber.

Environmentalists are increasingly making toilet tissue manufacturers the targets of campaigns. On Monday, Greenpeace issued a national guide for American consumers that rates toilet tissue brands on their environmental soundness. Download the guide.

“No forest of any kind should be used to make toilet paper,” said Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist and waste expert with the Natural Resource Defense Council.

According to the New York Times: “In the United States, which is the largest market worldwide for toilet paper, tissue from 100 percent recycled fibers makes up less than 2 percent of sales for at-home use among conventional and premium brands. Most manufacturers use a combination of trees to make their products. According to RISI, an independent market analysis firm in Bedford, Mass., the pulp from one eucalyptus tree, a commonly used tree, produces as many as 1,000 rolls of toilet tissue. Americans use an average of 23.6 rolls per capita a year.

“Other countries are far less picky about toilet tissue. In many European nations, a rough sheet of paper is deemed sufficient. Other countries are also more willing to use toilet tissue made in part or exclusively from recycled paper.”

Click here to read the entire New York Times article.

Your green printer recommends making the switch to recycled toilet paper. Don’t let your home become a forest dispenser!

Chatham County developer Nathan Wieler has kicked off the marketing campaign for Harvest, a residential community that is centered around an organic farm situated on 213 acres of forest and farmland on the Haw River. The project takes the concept of Community-Supported Agriculture one step further, by putting it right in your back (or front) yard. There are 19 lots available for reservation ranging in size from 10-11.5 acres.

We love this project, and were impressed with the natural beauty of the land and the down-to-earth presentation organized by Nate and his awesome staff at the grand opening event on July 12. Nathan Wieler describes his unique project: “Harvest maintains a commitment to environmental protection, conservation of resources, and green design standards. The most sensitive areas of the property are protected by extensive buffers, large and well-configured lots, limited impervious areas, highly functional low impact design techniques, and connectivity of ecologically important areas. Green design standards will inform all community architectural designs, while diversity in design will enhance the residential character of the project. Water and energy conservation are just a part of this effort to make the project reflect sustainability at Harvest…”

The farm, which is to be run as a separate, for-profit company, is not supported by HOA dues. The idea is to create a self-sustaining enterprise that benefits the community without creating a financial burden on residents. There is a central barn that serves dual purpose as both a center for operations and a meeting place for the community. As an amenity, residents will receive a share of produce from the harvest. Should you have the pleasure of chatting with the folks involved in farm operations at Harvest, it will quickly become apparent that they are experienced in the business of organic farming and committed to making it a success. Harvest is the type of creative and sustainable development that we hope to see more of in Chatham County.

Read more from the website at: www.liveandgrowatharvest.com

Wieler contracted Raleigh’s green printer to produce the brochures and postcards to kick off the campaign. In keeping with the spirit of the development, all of the promotional material is produced to the highest green printing standard. 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper was used: 80# text for the brochure, 80# cover for the postcard. Soy inks were used throughout.