For the environment has now truly arrived on printers’ already jam-packed agendas. Along with questions relating to alcohol and solvent consumption, Drupa 2012 will also be the backdrop to numerous discussions about energy use, carbon emissions, waste recycling and a range of other hot environment topics. 

"We’ve certainly seen environmental considerations become more and more a standard feature on tender documents over the past four years," says Screen Europe vice-president of solutions and technology Tim Taylor. "People are asking what the CO2 emissions will be and what the kW hours are and that’s not something we’ve instigated. I think there will be more environmental questions asked by visitors this year."

Luckily, Drupa officials are confident that the environment has also been steadily rising on manufacturers’ priority lists, and that this year’s show will reflect this.

"The manufacturers and the component suppliers have made a lot of effort over the last few years to reduce emissions, energy consumption and waste on machines," says Roger Starke, technical specialist and managing director at PrintPromotion, the print arm of engineering association VDMA and collaborators in organising Drupa. "So now is the time for us to promote these achievements," he adds.

Such a rallying statement might bring to mind images of Drupa stands festooned with green signage and flashy environmental learning hubs. But increased focus on the environment will actually manifest itself, according to Starke, more subtly.

"What we don’t expect at Drupa is that there will be any single stands for green printing," says Starke. "If you look at Heidelberg, for instance, there won’t be a single stand for its ‘HEI Eco’ theme, as there was at past Ipexes and Drupas – it will be integrated into all discussions of products. The environment is now a standard topic to cover along with speed, quality and maintenance."

Money matters
Of course, the environment is such a standard concern because it is strongly linked with the criteria at the very top of printers’ wish lists: saving money.

With energy prices soaring and printing becoming an increasingly competitive business, it’s no surprise ‘lean manufacturing’ is on everyone’s lips – or that Drupa will host a special PrintCity/WPCF Lean & Green International Environmental Conference on 10 May.

So what technologies will promise to deliver the leanest and greenest printing environments? Promotion of reduced energy consumption, high printing speeds and reduced makeready and changeover times will feature on all Drupa stands.

More specifically, though, reducing energy consumption and bills through heat recovery and low energy cooling will be a key technology theme this year. Heidelberg will be showcasing a DryStar Combination dryer, which feeds back into the fresh air supplying the dryer, while Goss will draw crowds with the natural air flow design of its Colorliner CPS compact newspaper press tower.

Reducing energy consumption through new drying lamp technologies is also something manufacturers will be keen to promote. EFI, KBA Komori, Heidelberg and Ryobi will be among those highlighting the environmental benefits of their various low-energy technologies, with LED and H-UV curing very much the technologies du jour.

But environmental discussions won’t be confined to presses, printers and auxiliary press equipment. This year’s Drupa, predicts Starke, will see more finishing manufacturers promoting environmental credentials.

Intelligent Finishing Systems joint managing director Tony Hards explains that because finishing systems now often integrate more than one process in each pass, the back-end of the production line is now also doing its bit for lean manufacturing. 

"Customers who invest in integrated bookletmaking and saddle stitching systems, for example, obviate the need for separate folding and trimming kit," he explains. "Each process in the bindery requires materials for set-up and so, by eliminating this waste, the carbon footprint is immediately reduced."

Also set to feature more heavily on people’s green agendas this year – as well, of course, more generally at the show – will be software.

"I expect we will see more emphasis on how software solutions can save on waste this year," says VDMA’s Starke. "Workflow systems, colour management and quality control have become ever-more important, because if you make the printing process more stable, you also reduce waste and energy consumption."

But where there is a prominent technology trend at a show, whether that be low-chemistry plates or optimised workflow, there will also be a volley of competing claims for printers to get to grips with.

One debate visitors must engage with this year will be an extension of the old digital versus litho conundrum. With digital technologies taking more show space than ever before, there will inevitably be arguments over which delivers the best solution in a given scenario, but also on which is the more eco-friendly.

"It all comes back to efficiency and the choice between digital and litho," explains Heidelberg service director Ian Wilcock. "If you’re printing 100 copies, digital might be more eco-friendly, but if you’re doing 500, it’s not necessarily the case. There are also many variables to consider, such as the toner or ink used, and the fact it’s hard to recycle some digitally printed products."

When comparing any environmental claims, then, there’s often more to be taken into account than first meets the eye.

Compare and contrast
This is why Starke is advising Drupa visitors to compare the relative environmental merits of two technologies and to ask for detailed explanations. He says the fact that manufacturers have now incorporated ‘green issues’ into all product demonstrations, rather than cordoning them off separately, suggests that printers will get some helpful answers.

"It’s not an easy task to understand complex environmental issues and you can’t always compare features exactly, as they might well be measured in different ways," says Starke. "But it does make a lot of sense to explain environmental aspects, together with the technology – otherwise you can’t understand what it all means."

Also on-hand to help printers navigate a potentially baffling array of environmental credentials will be the VDMA and PrintPromotion’s green tours. Visitors can join a tour around some of the VDMA’s member stands in order to see demonstrations on technologies such as biodegradable film-wrapping and chemical filtration systems.

Or they can visit the Media Mundo Sustainable Production Hall in Hall 6, stand B6, or swing by the VDMA’s booth, Hall 15, stand B9, to be directed towards technology that matches both their printing needs and all of their environmental demands. 

Of course, uncovering the right technology to make your print operation greener is only half the game; printers are also increasingly keen to make sure their equipment is running as efficiently and greenly as possible. And so this year’s Drupa will see an increased focus on environmental consulting schemes, such as the Heidelberg Printshop Energy Efficiency Program.

More of these types of programmes have cropped up of late, explains Heidelberg’s Wilcock, because people are surfacing from recession and are ready to invest in schemes that will save money in the longrun.

"Unfortunately, I believe the recession slowed that focus down to some extent because many companies were looking at survival," he says. "But people now are saying ‘I need to take my business forward – how do I do it?’ Lean manufacturing is definitely the way, and more customers are looking for expert guidance on this in the form of a programme."

And, if the services on show at Drupa 2012 are anything to go by, it’s not just environmental issues that printers are beginning to seek outside advice on. Launching an Essential Business Builder Mentoring Program at Drupa, Canon will be hoping that more and more printers will turn to manufacturers for advice on a whole range of business issues. Similarly, Ricoh will be showcasing its next generation Business Driver Programme.

So with such a wide variety of guidance on-hand, Drupa 2012 should be a chance to invest in new, environmentally friendly kit, and also to learn about streamlining a print business more generally.  It seems that 2012 might be the year, then, for printers to ensure that they are at the helm of lean, mean – and green – printing businesses.

ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENTS SINCE DRUPA 2008

2008
UPM launches carbon footprint calculator… Agfa Graphics wins Business Commitment to the Environment (BCE) Leadership award… Europoint Display launches ‘substrate impact calculator’… Fujifilm designs tool to assess environmental impact of platemaking… NAPM study shows public unclear on environmental impact of paper… Sappi, UPM and M-real promote environmental PrintCity report… UPM wins Best Practice in Supply Chain 2008… WasteCare launches waste collection instant quote service… Advisory Committee on Packaging (ACP) produces booklet with the intention of dispelling packaging waste myths…

2009
Stora Enso included in the Global 100 sustainable companies list... Arctic Paper signs up to NAPM’s Two Sides campaign… Zarwan Partners launches a study into the environmental impact of printing plates… BPIF launches carbon calculator… Océ launches ‘Green Services’ environmental auditing scheme… Tullis‘s Naturalis brand gains FSC certification... Océ UK and Ireland sites secure ISO 14001 … James McNaughton Group 38th in Sunday Times 60 Best Green Companies 2009… Mitsubishi HiTec Paper’s Bielefeld site awarded Eco Profit certification… Antalis joins Green Achiever Scheme… PrintIT! adds  environmental modules...

2010
Two Sides launches greenwash campaign… James McNaughton launches environmental guide for pulp and paper production… BPIF launches EcoPrint London environmental certification scheme… Biodiversity tool launched by Two Tomorrows and Biocensus… Mondi comes top in WWF eco ratings… KBA UK first press manufacturer to join Two Sides… Saxon Recycling provides Spillage Control and Duty of Care training and open day… Arctic Paper teams up with Swedish Standards Institute to establish water footprint standard… Two Sides boosts global presence with Domtar Corporation sign-up… J&G Environmental launches empty toner cartridges recycling scheme… Arjowiggins Graphic achieves EU Ecolabel certification for recycled paper stocks… Antalis McNaughton receives FSC Global Partner Award for promoting FSC… Government announces energy bill with a ‘Green Deal’ scheme…

2011
Antalis McNaughton wins Carbon Trust Standard… Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS), Kodak and Komori join forces for a ‘print efficiency event’… Clear Channel and Curb Media team up on greener outdoor adverts… Ricoh launches wind and solar powered digital eco-billboard… Direct Marketing Association signs an agreement with Defra to reduce the industry’s environmental impact… Two Sides gains support of 35 companies for the launch of Two Sides US… MMS seminar on global warming marks the signing of the ‘Charter on Responsible Printing’… Konica Minolta is awarded a Green Apple Award for its OPS Green Audit Process… Print industry waste management specialist J&G Environmental expands into Scotland, opening a Stirling facility… Fujifilm launches its new Brillia HD PRO-T3 processless plate… Agfa launches Energy Elite Pro plate with recuced chemistry levels…

2012
Trade printer RCS takes delivery of the UK’s first privately owned rapid-charging station for electric vehicles… HP’s FB225 wide-format UV Scitex ink meets indoor use criteria… Duplo opens new headquarters featuring 500sqm of solar panels, energy efficient lighting and heating systems and a rainwater collection system… At the World Economic Forum, Ricoh is awarded the status of being one of the 100 most sustainable businesses in the world…

Take a stand-by-stand look at Drupa's environment and knowledge products here