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

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.

We just wrapped up the new PRINT edition of the Raleigh Quarterly. The journal, published online by Billy Warden and Greg Behr, is a collection of short stories, poetry and art. The first print edition was designed by Katie Nordt.

The first edition is a fine example of green printing from cover to cover. With a finished size of 5×7, it is saddlebound, 40 pages + cover, and printed entirely on 100% post-consumer recycled paper using soy inks. Raleigh’s original green printer is proud to support the RQ.

The print edition is available in local bookstores for $5. To view the website: www.raleighquarterly.com.

You may have noticed that little green rhino seal. It’s starting to pop up everywhere! We designed this eye-catching “bug” for our customers to use as an unobtrusive way to show their commitment to green business practices. It is normally printed in brown and green, but the colors are flexible and can be changed to suit any design.

What does the little green rhino mean? When it appears on your brochure or envelopes it means that your marketing material is the most eco-friendly printing available. In most cases it means that the paper is made from 100% post-consumer recycled fiber. It means that the inks used are made from soy or other vegetable oils. It means that the sovents used during production are water-miscible and low VOC. It means you have chosen to work with a company that is committed at the deepest levels to running a small business in the most ecologically conscious way possible.

Why should you make sure that the green rhino is displayed on your printed material? To show your customers that you have a strong green marketing program in place, and to reinforce that you support green printing and green business practices. It shows that you have a commitment to making the world a healthier place to live, and reducing your impact on the planet.

If you don’t want to display the green rhino just let us know – we promise we’ll still be proud to print for you. If you do decide to add our bug to your job, we want to thank you for supporting the best green printer online, and helping us to spread the word that you are committed to operating your business in an environmentally responsible way!

Your favorite online green printer has been selling an excellent alternative to cheap Asian coated papers for a long time. Here is yet more evidence that choosing this recycled, elemental chlorine-free paper is a better alternative for green printing:

Coated paper is paper that has been treated with a thin coat of clay or other compound on one or both sides, giving it tremendous versatility for countless products. It is one of the fastest growing segments of the world’s paper industry and, in the last few years, its production in developing countries has expanded exponentially. Since 1990, the Chinese paper industry alone has accounted for fifty percent of overall growth in the market for coated paper.

While U.S. and Canadian manufacturers have the capacity to fulfill North American coated paper requirements, China, along with South Korea and Indonesia, currently comprise about 40% of the North American coated paper market, evidence of which can be found in the substantial weight and space taken up by Asian sourced coated paper in the world’s 90,000 container ships.

Last month, the Los Angeles Times reported that tug boats and tankers using inexpensive dirty “bunker” fuel emit more soot than previously acknowledged and contribute to thousands of deaths from particular pollution annually. In another article, the Los Angeles Times noted that in response to these findings, California has instituted the planet’s toughest pollution laws for ocean going vessels. Over the protests of Asian carriers, beginning in July 2009 oil tankers, cruise ships and container ships coming within 24 nautical miles of California will be required to burn low-sulfur diesel or face stiff fines. Hopefully, other states along the Eastern and Western Seaboards and the Gulf of Mexico will follow suit and force everyone to play by a set of rules that will benefit us all.

The health hazard of unnecessary ship pollution is just one of the many reasons to keep an attentive eye on the source of paper products you and your company use. It’s often difficult to trace the source of paper coming from outside the U.S., but a bit of probing tells wholesalers and retailers that these are issues that may affect their business. We’ve developed an “ISSUES” series to keep you current with the risks of imported paper.

Read more at: http://papertellsastory.com/

A brief mention in the News and Observer from Billy Warden and Greg Behr. In an essay on corporate responsibility, the writers recognized your green printer for our purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (REC’s). Read the entire story here: http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1200944.html

Please help us get our message out, and go to www.youtube.com and search green printer, green printer online, green printing or eco-friendly printer and click on our video. Jamie did a great job explaining the history of our company and our mission to provide the best green printing available today to our online and local users in Raleigh, NC. We hope you will check out this five minute video and post your comment on You Tube or on our site here. We appreciate your support and look forward to helping you further your company’s green marketing mission.

Well, not exactly, but the Renewable Energy Credits we just purchased to offset our electricity usage for the rest of 2008 has the same effect. In an earlier post we talked about the Carbon Offset program we are participating in, and we wanted to share the comparisons outlined in our energy audit.

Your green printer uses approximately 105,200 kWh of electricity per year producing the fabulous eco-friendly printed materials our customers order. Our Impact Summary states that by offsetting this usage, we are helping to avoid up to 71,694 pounds (32.52 metric tons) of carbon dioxide emissions from being emitted into the atmosphere.

This action has an equivalent impact as:
Planting 295 trees, or
Not driving 73,157 miles, or
Taking 6 cars off the road for one year.

We especially like the planting of 295 trees comparison. I bet we don’t use that many trees worth of paper in our green printing program, since almost everything we print is on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. What virgin fiber we do consume is FSC-certified, so at least it is responsibly managed and harvested. It’s awesome that we can “virtually” plant trees to replace what we do use!

Why is Toyota, a company that can make a car that gets 55 miles per gallon today, fighting a 35 mpg standard? In a pointed entry in The Huffington Post, blogger and Prius owner Laurie David writes about her disappointment with Toyota’s decision to lobby hard for reducing CAFE standards for automakers. She writes:
“Over the years I watched the Prius go from a weird nerdy car everyone thought you had to plug in to THE car to drive. Friends traded in their SUVs and Jaguars and soon the Prius was everywhere. We all reaped the benefits — customers enjoyed the gas savings, the earth enjoyed the lower carbon emissions, and Toyota enjoyed the limelight. The company deserved all the rewards it garnered for its vision and leadership. Yet now here comes Toyota, fighting to derail a sorely needed increase in fuel economy standards. Toyota’s current actions are unacceptable, depressing, and just plain morally wrong.”

The Natural resources Defense Council (www.nrdc.org) explains the situation this way:
For several years the Toyota Prius has been the car of choice among environmentally conscious consumers, and has helped add more than a touch of green to the company’s reputation. Toyota was miles ahead of other car companies when it introduced the Prius hybrid, which combines outstanding gas mileage with style and comfort — a feat that Big Auto insisted couldn’t be achieved. So Prius fans might be surprised to learn that Toyota is trying to move America backward on fuel economy.

Congress is negotiating an energy bill that could raise the fuel economy standard to 35 miles per gallon, a move that would save America 1.2 million barrels of oil each day by 2020 — more than we import from Saudi Arabia. But Toyota has joined forces with General Motors, Ford, Chrysler and other automakers in an attempt to derail what would be the first improvement in fuel economy standards in nearly 20 years.

Read more and follow the links to send a message to Toyota’s management at: http://beyondoil.nrdc.org/news/toyota.php

When New Jersey-based letterpress stationery artist Robin Dubin decided to launch a line of eco-friendly wrapping paper, she did some internet research on green printing and landed at Barefoot Press in Raleigh, NC. Robin and her partner/husband Dave Dubin at Robin Beth Designs wanted to produce their designs, consisting of earth-friendly artwork and messages, in the most responsible way. Our house uncoated 70# offset, containing 100% post-consumer recycled fiber processed chlorine free, fit their criteria perfectly. We printed 28×40 press sheets in four color process using our house soy inks, and trimmed them to a flexible 27″x39″ size. In addition, Robin designed a brochure showcasing many other designs, which we printed on 80# cover stock, also 100% pcw recycled paper.

Dave and Robin introduced their designs at the National Stationery Show in New York City on May 19, and the debut created a buzz in the industry. They are currently talking to a UK distributor about exporting to Europe, and are in negotiation with a large North American retailer as well. Stay tuned for big news about this ambitious start-up company.

You can contact the company, and see examples of Robin’s beautiful letterpress wedding invitations at www.robinbeth.com. Dave writes a blog focusing on issues he is passionate about, including the environment, at his site: www.aliveandkickn.com.