Odyssey Press Inc. - Our Journey toward Environmental Sustainability

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 02/20/2008 - 00:00

2008-02-20 Since our founding in 1989, Odyssey Press has been dedicated to building a strong business while remaining respectful of our people, our customers, and the environment in which we all live. Protecting our environment means many different things to different people, however to us it means conducting our business in a socially responsible way to minimize our impact on our world.

At the very core of our belief, lies our fundamental business model. Odyssey Press Inc. The Original Ultrashort Run Printer clearly identifies our dedication to providing our clients with the opportunity to align their print production with actual market demand. By utilizing our ultrashort run and print-on-demand manufacturing methods, excess inventory never languishes in warehouses, books and journals need not be remaindered or recycled rather excess inventory is never produced in the first place. This is the most environmentally responsible form of print production possible.

In addition, Odyssey Press Inc. offers global distributed printing as an active member of the International Printer's Network (IPN). The IPN is a peer group of 65 members with over 150 locations around the world. Rather than printing a book or journal in one location and shipping the copies around the world, we provide publishers with the option of printing locally on each continent. This approach eliminates excessive carbon output from cargo ships and planes, while speeding delivery of our products and providing local employment near the point of final distribution.

Odyssey Press is an environmental leader in many other ways. The initiatives and actions below are fully embraced and implemented in our Gonic, New Hampshire production facility.

  • In 2007, Odyssey Press was certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). FSC Chain of Custody (COC) certification ensures that the papers used in our printing processes are mafe from the trees grown and harvested in a responsible manner to ensure the sustainability of the source forest. The COC allows us to trace our FSC paper to the paper merchant, paper mill, the pulp merchant, the timber company that harvested the trees and the forest location from which the trees were harvested. FSC certification ensures that the FSC identified publications we produce never contribute to the deforestation of the rainforests or other socially or environmentally deleterious logging and harvesting practices.

     FSC certification requires compliance to a rigorous set of rules and procedures, from receipt of FSC apper through storage   and handling work in process and marking finished goods. FSC certification requires the correct FSC paper identification and our COC number on allpacking slips, and the final invoice that is delivered to you. Through close adherance to this process, your publication is eligible to display the FSC logo and Odyssey's chain of custody identification number.

 

Odyssey Press offers a vairty of text and cover papers that address many environmental concerns. These include stocks that are manufactured with some of the following characterisitics:

  • Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification
  • 30-100% Post Consumer Waste (PCW)
  • Processed Chlorine Free/Elementally Chlorine Free
  • Totally Chlorine Free
  • Using Biogas energy in the paper making process
  • Acid Free

For every ton of out 100% postconsumer waste text stock we protect our environment by"

  • Eliminating the need to harvest 17 mature trees
  • Reducing solid wastes by 1081 lbs.
  • Reduscing the quantity of water used by 10,196 gallons
  • Reducing suspended particles in the water by 6.9 lbs.
  • Reducing air emissions by 2,098 lbs
  • Reducing natural gas consumption by 2,478 cubic feet by using biogas

In our traditional offset pringint manufacturing, we are also addressing our environmental impact. These initiatives include:

  • Use of Soy Inks
  • Recycling of all paper waste
  • Recycling of all press plates
  • All waste water is internally treated before being disposed of in the local waste water system.
  • All press washes, fountain solutions, and ink are disposed of through regulated hazmat companies.
  • We have been designated a Small Quantity Generator (SQG), having significantly reduced our output of hazardous materials.

Throughout our facility we have taken steps to reduce our energy consumption and to reuse wasste products within our operation. These include:

  • Installation of 277 volt lighting throughout our manufacturing facility
  • All corrugated shipping cartons are 30-50% recycled content. All corrugated waste is shredded and used as packing materials for outgoing shipments.
  • All digital presses meet Energy Star efficiency standard
  • The latest generation of digital presses make use of a new toner called Emulstion Aggrgation (EA), In addition to using 25-35 less energy per pound, less EA toner is required to create a printed page than conventional toner.  While a conventional toner cartridge will produce 13,000 images, an EA toner cartridge produces 23,000 images.
  • Whena toner cartridge is depleted, the canister is recycled and refilled for repeated use.
  • We are also evaluating the use of wind power as an alternative source of energy for our facility.

At Odyssey Press Inc, we are committed to our environment and to providing our clients with environmentally responsibly produced books and journals. We welcome your questions and suggestions as we continue on our journey.

About Odyssey Press Inc. (OPI):

Founded in 1989 Odyssey Press Inc. (OPI) is the original Ultrashort Run Printer servinf the scholarly, scientific, technical, and medical publishing industry. OPI is creating digital production workflows and systems that assist their clients in attaining their publishing goals.

Contact: Kevin Pirkey, Vice President at 717-225-9477 or via email at kevin@odysseypress.com