How Publicide Approaches Sustainable Printing

Because printing can be a complex process with many variables, at Publicide, we don’t think using soy ink on recycled paper always leads to the most environmentally friendly outcome. To ensure that we are producing each project as sustainably as possible, we take a considered approach that accounts for the following:

Sourcing the Best Paper

We seek out sustainability innovators within the industry and work with suppliers who make renewable papers from bamboo, sugarcane, hemp, straw, and eucalyptus and even ones who produce paper from recycled T-shirts. Where and how paper is made matters, too: We have relationships with local vendors like Mohawk, which uses less petrochemicals to transport paper 150 miles to our NYC studio and buys its power with wind credits, and ones like GMUND, which generates 75% of its energy via water power from the river outside of its mill in Germany. One of our most eco-friendly paper options: using what we already have on-site to avoid buying anything new.

Minimizing Waste

Efficiency with materials is built into our business. Because we mix all of our inks in-house, we can create a custom shade to perfectly match your logo—and we can also make only the amount of a color we need to produce your job. When we buy a roll of red foil for stamping projects, we use that roll until there’s nothing left. We apply our creative thinking and problem-solving to using our supplies to their fullest, and, of course, any paper scraps or other materials that we can recycle, we do.

Considering Print Techniques and Volume

Some print processes necessitate more chemicals or make-ready paper for set-up by their very nature, and we can walk you through the lowest-impact options that will suit your job. Foil-stamping, for example, has no press wash, and we use a recyclable copper plate. Though it might be unsustainable at an industrial scale, it could be quite sustainable for 200 invitations. Letterpress requires little ink and minimal paper for set-up, and we also use a copper plate, not a plastic one—eco-friendly all-around. If you're looking to print 100 posters, silk screenprinting, which is water-based, could be your answer. When it comes to books, though a hardcover requires laminate, we’ll use the thinnest layer possible to get the job done. 

Being Transparent With Clients

We’re here to help you align your vision for your print project with your sustainability goals. If you have your heart set on a process that will involve 30 pounds of plastic, we’ll raise the “Do you want to really do that?" flag so that you can make informed decisions (perhaps we can substitute a technique that uses plant-based ink instead of digital-printing toner). Navigating complexities is the Publicide way.