A Sustainable Future - How we can be part of the solution? was the theme of the first technical evening for 2006 organised by the NSW division of LIA on Tuesday 28 March at the Five Dock RSL and Community Club.

Four industry speakers presented their thoughts on what is currently being done and what should be done to help promote a more sustainable future for the printing and associated industries.

The first speaker, Hagop Tchamkertenian Printing Industries Manager, Industry and Commercial Policy, gave an outline of the environmental initiatives Printing Industries has been involved with and stressed the commitment by the Association to the environment and the implementation of sound environmental practices had a long history.

He also discussed current Printing Industries projects including the Extended Producer Responsibility initiative for Office Paper and the development of an environmental labelling and accreditation system.

Mr Tchamkertenian began his presentation saying that Printing Industries had build up a valuable environmental resource which is available to industry participants. He encouraged attendees to contact Printing Industries if they had any environmental issues.

Second speaker, Phillip Lawrence, Environmental Manager of Stora Enso,  shared the findings of his thesis work. The thesis examines the global impact of current practices and the sustainability of current paradigms of business.

Mr Lawrence said that with 87 per cent of the industry comprising SME's, innovation propensity was low and very few printing establishments had become ISO 14001 accredited. He urged industry participants to deploy sound environmental practices in their businesses.

The evenings third speaker was Gwen Richetti, Brand Communication Manager of Sappi. The theme of Gwen's presentation was the importance of finding the right balance when it comes to environmental issues.

Her presentation had a series of "facts" which helped reinforce the point that the paper industry was environmentally sound and responsible. It was also spending large amounts of funds on environmental programs. Gwen highlighted the fact that the paper industry is a renewable and sustainable industry.

The evening's final speaker was Mitchell Mulligan, Managing Director of Bottcher Systems. He gave a technical and interesting presentation on best practices and global trends involving press room chemistry and consumables. The presentation focussed on ways of achieving positive environmental outcomes and bottom line results, whilst ensuring a sustainable future.

The take-away message from his presentation was that cost should not be a driver of consumable purchasing decisions. He said the cheaper product often ended up costing the company more. Such products could also have negative impacts on both the environmental and human health.

The evening ended with a Q/A session which demonstrated the growing interest of industry participants in a sustainable future.

Presentation on sustainability (ppt - 515.5 kb) Outline of the environmental initiatives and programs of the Printing Industries Association of Australia