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Green Business Council: Omaha Print: 150-Year-Old Company Keeps Itself Fresh with Green Commitment

Green Omaha Coalition

Omaha Print: 150-Year-Old Company Keeps Itself Fresh with Green Commitment

Tuesday, July 28, 2009


Business Member Spotlight
Interview with Chuck Kinzer, President/COO by Wendy Harrison, HDR, Inc.

Tell us about Omaha Print's history.
Omaha Print was established in 1858 as the Omaha Republican Newspaper. We became Omaha Printing Company in the 1880s. In 1995 we sold our office products division to focus solely on commercial printing. Our community commitment and involvement has been recognized, as Omaha Print is a recipient of the Golden Spike Award and the River City Round-up Heritage award.

How many employees do you have?
We currently have approximately 100 employees.

Where does Omaha Print have facilities?
Our manufacturing facility is in Omaha. We have sales offices in Des Moines, Atlanta and Dallas.

Describe Omaha Print's commitment to sustainability.
Being environmentally conscious is part of our belief in being accountable to our actions. We have earned the Chain-of-Custody certification from the U.S. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forest Initiative (FSI). These certifications ensure our clients that the paper we use comes from an environmentally and socially responsible source.

Our other sustainable practices include reducing the emissions of reactive organic gasses, printing with inks that contain 30 percent vegetable oil, ongoing maintenance of catalytic converters to eliminate pollutants, waste minimization and off-site recycling of numerous products.

What do your customers look for regarding sustainability?
Customers are looking for printers that are committed to practices that ensure the sustainability of our planet. Questions that need to be asked by marketing professionals or any printing customer include:
1) Is the medium a renewable resource?
Paper is made from wood, a resource that is being renewed on a daily basis. In contrast, electronic devices are made of plastics and other non-renewable resources.
2) Is the product being recycled?
Sixty percent of all paper is recycled, while only 18 percent of electronic devices are being recycled. Additionally, paper is biodegradable, while e-waste currently represents our single largest toxic waste export.
Quote from Jonathan Porritt, Chairman, UK Sustainability Commission, “There aren’t many industries that can aspire to becoming genuinely sustainable. The pulp and paper industry, however, is one of them. It is inherently sustainable.”
Why is Omaha Print a member of the Green Omaha Coalition?
As a strong supporter of environmental initiatives, joining the GOC gives Omaha Print the opportunity to support local projects and network with other concerned organizations, which leads to a sharing of best practices.





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posted by ktorpy @ 10:04 AM

Mission

Create a network of businesses interested in sharing sustainable practices and recognize leading green businesses in Omaha.

Background

In support of the Green Omaha Coalition (GOC),  an alliance of organizations pursuing a common goal of a “Green Omaha,” the Green Business Council (GBC) will establish a collaborative network of businesses implementing sustainability programs to improve the environmental performance of their operations.

Focus

The GBC will engage interested businesses from all industries to improve the sustainability of their operations.  The GBC will address a wide variety of environmental programs, including but not limited to: procurement, resource efficiency (energy and water), waste reduction (solid and hazardous), climate change, and green building.

The GBC seeks to involve two business groups: (1) those already implementing sustainability programs and (2) those interested but lacking the resources to pursue and implement sustainable strategies.  Ultimately, the GBC will become a centralized resource for businesses to share, learn, and promote sustainable business practices.

Alliances

The GBC recognizes the importance of collaborating with existing organizations to more effectively and efficiently reach businesses to provide educational and networking opportunities. The following provides a preliminary list of strategic alliances the GBC will pursue:

  • Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce (GOCOC)
  • Neighborhood Business Associations
  • Flatwater Chapter, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
  • WasteCap of Nebraska (WasteCap)
  • Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA)
  • International Facility Management Association (IFMA)
Objectives

The GBC has identified four primary objectives to establish a coalescing network of sustainable businesses to share environmental best practices and assist emerging green businesses in identifying better environmental strategies through education and networking with other businesses. A detailed description of the objectives described below are including on the following pages.

Interested in joining or learning more about Green Business Council email: greenbusiness@greenomahacoalition.org

Green Business Council Brochure (PDF)

Figure 1 | Objectives of the Green Business Council

Short Term Long Term
Objective 1
Establish a Framework for Ongoing Leadership of the Green Business Council. 		Objective 2
Provide Networking and Education Opportunities to Businesses. 		Objective 3
Develop, Maintain, and Distribute a Green Business Directory. 		Objective 4
Establish an Awards Program to Recognize Green Businesses.
Establish a leadership team and organizational guidance to manage day-to-day functions of the GBC Collaborate with alliance organizations to provide networking and training opportunities to Omaha-area businesses.  Compile a directory of individuals responsible for managing sustainability programs for Omaha-area businesses. Establish a framework for recognizing businesses for exceptional environmental performance.