Verdigris, the global environmental initiative from Digital Dots, the graphic arts research group, has announced Kodak as a founding sponsor.
The digital giant joins Agfa Graphics, Canon Europe, drupa, Fujifilm, HP, Ricoh, Screen and Unity Publishing in their support for the project.
Verdigris is a not-for-profit research initiative designed to understand the environmental impact of print. The goal is to evaluate the carbon footprints of a wide range of media products from the point of file creation via prepress to final output on paper or screen to disposal.
"Sustainability is an important initiative for our industry, our customers, and the community," says Rick Mazur, VP Global Commercial Segment Marketing, Kodak's Graphic Communications Group. "We are pleased to become a founding member of Verdigris, who will help provide a platform of education and research created from an industry partnership committed to improving the competitive position for all stakeholders in the business of print in a way that continues to reduce our collective impact on the environment."
Laurel Brunner, managing director of Digital Dots, says: "It is exciting that Kodak has agreed to be a founding sponsor. Verdigris is an important initiative and having the support of a company of Kodak's standing reinforces that. We are looking forward to working together to provide the printing industry with the high quality information it needs to make informed decisions on environmental issues."
Verdigris differs from other environmental initiatives in that it develops and provides free content to global industry publishers on a regular basis. By participating in the Verdigris project, industry magazines can further educate the printing community to help raise print's positive profile. Content development is independently managed by people who know and understand print technology and are working closely with specialists. Verdigris is the only initiative of its kind to operate globally and in partnership with industry and media.
Verdigris articles will analyse the issues facing publishers and printers who want to minimise their carbon footprint, while continuing to conduct a profitable business. The environmental impact of a newspaper, a magazine, a package, a direct mail piece and a website will be examined in this context including offset and digital press based production. A series of articles will be made available to partner magazines worldwide, effective immediately. The first Verdigris Guide will be available in 2009.
The Verdigris website, due to go live later this year, will provide a single point of reference, not only to access Verdigris data and other environmental developments, but to link to other useful environmental web sites. Companies will also be able to get clear guidelines on gaining ISO 14001 certification.
For more information about Verdigris, how to support the initiative and receive Verdigris articles please email Laurel Brunner lb@digitaldots.org or call +44 (0) 1435 883565
