For dcc, Corporate responsibility means taking care of our environment. We are always looking for new and better ways to manage our use of energy and materials, and do more while using less. We are proud of our successes.
DCC recognizes that single use packaging, whether plastics or paper, currently exerts an impact on ecosystems at the resource extraction point, during production and in disposal. Addressing this requires a wholistic approach that doesn’t increase pressure on one globally vital ecosystem (e.g. forests) in order to reduce the pressure on another (e.g oceans). It is both imperative and possible to create changes in packaging use, sourcing, production and end-of-product-use management to support the shift away from single-use plastics and enable conservation of ancient and endangered forests concurrently.
Therefore, we, as a supporting partner of Canopy’s Pack4Good Initiative, commit to:
Ensure the paper-based packaging we use does not include fibre sourced from Ancient and Endangered Forests[i] by end of year 2022.
Prioritize innovative packaging design to reduce overall material needs.
Give preference to paper-based packaging with high-recycled content, specifically post-consumer waste content.
Encourage our suppliers that are found to be sourcing from Ancient and Endangered forests to change practices and/or re-evaluate our relationship with them.
Work with innovative companies and Canopy to continuously expand the availability and development of next generation solutions with a focus on agricultural residues[ii] and post-consumer recycled content.
Source forest fibre from forests certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system, including any plantation fibre, when recycled fibre and agricultural residue fibre is unattainable.
Request that our suppliers recognize, respect and uphold human rights and acknowledge the right of Indigenous People and rural communities to give or withhold their Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).
Support conservation solutions and seek opportunities to inform the public on these issues and solutions through our marketing and communications.
Adopt specific targets and timelines by the end of 2020 to track and report on our progress.
We became certified and part of the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership in December 2015.
The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership was formed as a collaboration between the Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF), the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA), and the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) with primary goals of defining sustainable green printing and identifying steps to help the printing industry establish manufacturing and business practices that are more environmentally sustainable.
SGP certification demonstrates dcc's use of best sustainable printing practices and commitment to continuous improvement. We believe that sustainability is an essential ingredient for our long-term success as it strengthens our trust and reputation with our clients and the community.
Employee health and safety along with the climate change of the environment is of the utmost concern to us. SGP certification provides the tools and support to ensure we meet these goals and stay at the forefront of this important journey within the printing industry.
The main items dcc produce's involve printing and bindery, making the use of water in the production process minimal. Any water discharged from dcc's’ facility are all directed to local municipal water treatment plants where they are treated and recycled through the municipality
Through this policy Digital Color Concepts is positioned as an environmental leader in the global printing and communications industries and will work in partnership with other companies, our suppliers, customers, and Canopy to promote sustainable forest management, the protection of ancient and endangered forests[i], eco-paper development and responsible environmental practices.
Digital Color Concepts recognizes that in order to maintain business leadership and long-term success must consider the environment, including the world's forest ecosystems. Digital Color Concepts is positioned to influence both supply and demand in the paper market, and thus contribute to the development of environmental solutions that conserve our climate, protect ancient and endangered forests and restore natural forests. Digital Color Concepts fully supports responsible forest management practices that protect biodiversity and ecosystem integrity, to provide long-term social and economic benefits to communities and build a climate of operational certainty.
Digital Color Concepts supports the development and use of papers that do not come from ancient and endangered forests. Recognizing that the number of high quality and affordable eco papers have increased substantially, Digital Color Concepts will collaborate throughout the supply chain and advise it’s customers to ensure continued support and creation of paper made from low footprint sources.[ii]
In addition, Digital Color Concepts will support initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions where feasible and will play a role in mitigating climate change by participating in initiatives to reduce the loss of high carbon value forests.
Thus, Digital Color Concepts is committed to following this Ancient and Endangered Forest Stewardship model and implementation goals for paper procurement, and to applying this model and principles to all corporate paper use. This policy addresses the entire paper lifecycle, and supports principles that result in long-term environmental, social and economic benefits.
Our Implementation Goals
Protect Ancient and Endangered Forests
Digital Color Concepts recognizes the impact of paper use and production on ancient and endangered forests and the environment and therefore the need to support and encourage the adoption of environmentally and socially responsible practices to ensure that fiber used in our paper is sourced from well-managed forests, and that land use choices and management practices contribute to the conservation of natural resources and in some instances additional environmental protection. Digital Color Concepts will use reasonable efforts to influence our paper supply chain to use environmentally responsible practices.
Digital Color Concepts will work to eliminate the use of fiber from ancient and endangered forests in places such as: the Canadian Boreal Forests[iii]; Temperate Rainforests of British Columbia, Alaska and Chile; and the Tropical Rainforests of Indonesia[iv] and the Amazon. In portions of Canada’s Boreal Forest and the Great Bear Rainforest[v] where visionary agreements are currently being implemented, Digital Color Concepts will work with Canopy to identify opportunities to support and encourage these initiatives.
Digital Color Concepts will work to ensure that the paper we source does not originate from endangered species habitat. If we find that any of our papers do contain fiber from such habitat, we will engage our suppliers to cease operations in that area or eliminate that supplier.
Conservation of Ancient and Endangered Forests and Protection of Biodiversity and Ecosystems
Digital Color Concepts will give preference to suppliers that work toward conservation of ancient and endangered forests and the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems contained within these forests. Digital Color Concepts also recognizes that certain regions have been identified as priority regions for forest conservation and biodiversity by the conservation science community and other stakeholders, and will work toward phasing out and finding suitable alternatives to any fiber sourced from these regions.
Forest Certification
Digital Color Concepts will give purchasing preference to paper originating from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified operations.
Avoiding Controversial Sources
Digital Color Concepts will presently reduce, and by 2022 eliminate, our purchase of paper products from other highly controversial sources including: companies that are logging forests illegally[vi]; forests that comprise habitats of threatened, endangered, or imperiled species[vii]; intact[viii] and old growth forests; tree plantations[ix] established after 1994 through the conversion or simplification of natural forests[x]; or areas being logged in contravention of First Nations/tribal/indigenous peoples’ rights. We will make every effort not to do so in the future. Furthermore, we will work with and communicate to our clients and customers to encourage these same responsible choices.
Plantations
If applicable, Digital Color Concepts will source paper with fiber originating from FSC certified well-managed, longstanding plantations or from new fiber plantations established on degraded agricultural or pasture lands. Digital Color Concepts will encourage paper suppliers to abandon the practice of conversion of natural forests to plantations.
Illegal Logging
Digital Color Concepts is committed to working with certified paper suppliers and other stakeholders to ensure that illegally sourced fibers are not used in the manufacture of paper we purchase.
Reduce Greenhouse Gas Footprint
Digital Color Concepts will strive to reduce its greenhouse gas footprint and consequent impacts on climate change. Towards this end, we will implement the following strategies:
Support protection of high carbon value forest areas;
Give preference to paper manufactured by suppliers that use effective strategies to actively reduce their greenhouse gas footprint.[xii]
Maximize Recycled Content
Industry supported life cycle analysis (LCA) shows sourcing recycled fiber can reduce overall pressure on forests and other important natural resources like water, as well as reduce the carbon footprint of the paper, especially when fibers from post-consumer waste are used in paper production.[xiii] Therefore, Digital Color Concepts will:
Give preference to paper and packaging with high-recycled content and specifically post-consumer waste content, and to progressively set targets to increase recycled content while meeting the physical and performance demands required for the individual product;
Encourage our suppliers to continuously improve and expand the availability of recycled content in papers;
Work to maximize the overall recycled fiber content of our papers to a minimum average of 50% with in 3 years.
Develop Agricultural Residue Fiber Sources
Digital Color Concepts will work with suppliers and Canopy to explore and encourage the development of agricultural residues and fibers[xiv] as a commercially viable fiber source for paper. We anticipate this will be an area of rapid advances over the next few years, and will keep abreast of new developments and potential opportunities in this area. Therefore Digital Color Concepts will:
Ask our mills to trial North American sourced agricultural residue pulps for appropriate applications;
Source papers from alternative fibers such as wheat straw or other agricultural residues, when possible;
Support research and development of commercial scale production of pulp and paper from alternative fiber sources. We may also offer press time for trials with appropriate papers.
Increase Paper Efficiency and Decrease Consumption
Digital Color Concepts is committed to reducing its paper consumption as measured annually through the following measures:
Improving efficiency in paper use, including efforts to reduce waste from material handling, inefficient job layout, pressroom, binding and finishing, shipping and receiving and miscellaneous waste.
Promoting continuous technical advances in paper basis weight reduction and design and printing methods to minimize process waste.
Supporting the use and development of appropriate technology platforms that help reduce paper consumption. (is this a technology that exists or do we need to purchase?)
Closing the loop on paper use in North America, and supporting local paper recycling initiatives (such as selling waste and scrap paper to recyclers and recycled paper makers, advocating for recovered paper to be sorted rather than mixed into a “single stream” system where this is available).
Prevent Pollution
Paper manufacturing is a resource-intensive process that can lead to air and water emissions that impact overall environmental quality.
Digital Color Concepts will give purchasing preference to paper that is chlorine free and has been processed utilizing responsible bleaching technologies such as Chlorine Free (ECF, PCF and TCF) bleaching.
Digital Color Concepts will give preference to suppliers that monitor and reduce overall emissions by adopting the latest technologies and practices to minimize air and water pollution.
Setting Benchmarks, Timelines, and other Accountability Mechanisms
Digital Color Concepts will establish benchmarks, timelines, and other accountability mechanisms to implement this policy, and to review this process annually.
Involving all Stakeholders in the process
Digital Color Concepts will involve employees, suppliers, shareholders and customers in the implementation of its Ancient and Endangered Forest Friendly paper procurement policy.
Working with Incumbent Suppliers
Digital Color Concepts will work with current suppliers to encourage them to supply information so that their practices can be compared to this policy. Digital Color Concepts will work with suppliers on identified compliance matters.
Promote Industry Leadership
Digital Color Concepts recognizes the benefit of creating environmental awareness among its customers, employees and peers. As implementation progresses:
Digital Color Concepts will note the post-consumer content of the paper and/or use the Ancient Forest Friendly logo where appropriate if approved by the customer / end user.
Digital Color Concepts will publish this policy on our website and electronic forums as appropriate.
Digital Color Concepts will initiate campaigns that help promote Ancient Forest Friendly initiatives (such as advertisements, displays, etc.)
Digital Color Concepts commits to promoting ancient and endangered forest friendly paper procurement policies with other printers and paper buyers, suppliers, customers, and advertisers.
Digital Color Concepts will work with suppliers, Canopy, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders in protecting endangered and ancient forests, improving forest management and production practices, and reducing demand on forests.
ANNEX I – IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES
To fulfill the preceding commitments, Digital Color Concepts will:
Execute an action plan encompassing essential measures and other actions needed to implement our Ancient & Endangered Forest Conservation Vision and Eco-Paper Procurement Policy.
Educate and train relevant Digital Color Concepts staff about our Ancient & Endangered Forest Conservation Vision and Eco-Paper Procurement Policy, its implementation measures, and action plans.
Conduct an initial supply vendor audit with Canopy to:
Benchmark our purchases and usage of paper products;
Determine the forests of origin for these paper products; and
Identify any paper products purchased and sold by Digital Color Concepts that may contain inputs from ancient and endangered forests and/or other controversial sources.
Conduct an audit of Digital Color Concepts purchase and usage of paper products to benchmark the company’s use of certified paper, post-consumer recycled (PCR) and chlorine-free paper, and alternative/agricultural residue fiber papers, if any.
Develop and implement an action plan to achieve the implementation goals above for:
Increasing the purchase and usage of certified paper products;
Increasing the purchase and usage of PCR and chlorine-free paper;
Increasing Digital Color Concepts’ efficiency in the use of paper products;
Exploring opportunities to increase the usage of papers containing agricultural residue fibers.
Establish an internal monitoring and feedback system to identify progress in meeting Digital Color Concepts’ Ancient and Endangered Forest Conservation Vision and Eco-Paper Procurement Policy commitments, and to enable improved implementation of this initiative. The system should require progress reports to be prepared annually.
Maintain our targeted goals and objectives in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines as they relate to Forestry Issues:
Include plans to communicate with paper suppliers, and advise them that to retain Digital Color Concepts’ business, they must phase-out paper from ancient and endangered forests and other controversial sources per the requirements of Digital Color Concepts’ Endangered Forest Conservation Vision and Eco-Paper Procurement Policy.
If the suppliers manage forests, then they must commit to identifying and protecting ancient and endangered forests under their management, as well as commit to seeking leading certification as described above in the policy.
Include plans for conducting third-party supply vendor audits for proposed new paper products, to confirm the sources of those products are not endangered forests and/or otherwise controversial.
Include plans to require all forest product suppliers to submit annual performance reports detailing their progress in meeting the requirements of Digital Color Concepts’ Endangered Forest Conservation Vision and Eco-Paper Procurement Policy; and.
(we are hoping to not have to hire a 3rd party, instead we would propose we review annually with our paper merchants during our normal annual review
Include plans to consult with conservation organizations, including Canopy, and independent scientists if assistance is needed in identifying endangered forests, other controversial sources, and/or products from these areas.
Explore opportunities to develop pilot projects and partnerships that can stimulate the market for environmentally responsible products, such as those containing recycled content or agricultural residues
Produce an annual sustainability report per the preceding commitments using the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines or similar and participate in Canopy’s Annual Blueline Rankings.
ENDNOTES
[i] Ancient and endangered forests are defined as intact forest landscape mosaics, naturally rare forest types, forest types that have been made rare due to human activity, and/or other forests that are ecologically critical for the protection of biological diversity. Ecological components of endangered forests are: Intact forest landscapes; Remnant forests and restoration cores; Landscape connectivity; Rare forest types; Forests of high species richness; Forests containing high concentrations of rare and endangered species; Forests of high endemism; Core habitat for focal species; Forests exhibiting rare ecological and evolutionary phenomena. As a starting point to geographically locate ancient and endangered forests, maps of High Conservation Value Forests (HCVF), as defined by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and of intact forest landscapes (IFL), can be used and paired with maps of other key ecological values like the habitat range of key endangered species and forests containing high concentrations of terrestrial carbon and High Carbon Stocks (HCS). (The Wye River Coalition’s Endangered Forests: High Conservation Value Forests Protection – Guidance for Corporate Commitments. This has been reviewed by conservation groups, corporations, and scientists such as Dr. Jim Strittholt, President and Executive Director of the Conservation Biology Institute, and has been adopted by corporations for their forest sourcing policies). Key endangered forests globally are the Canadian and Russian Boreal Forests; Coastal Temperate Rainforests of British Columbia, Alaska and Chile; Tropical forests and peat lands of Indonesia, the Amazon and West Africa. For more information on the definitions of ancient and endangered forests, please go to: http://canopyplanet.org/solutions/ancient-forest-friendly/the-science-behind-the-ancient-forest-friendly-brand/
Fiber from FSC certified tenures (no controlled wood from controlled wood tenures)
[iii] Canada’s Boreal Forests contain the largest source of unfrozen freshwater worldwide and are part of the world’s largest terrestrial carbon sink – equivalent to 26 years worth of global fossil fuel use. Canopy is committed to working collaboratively on the establishment of new protected areas, the protection of endangered species and the implementation of sustainable harvesting in Canada’s Boreal Forest.
[iv] Indonesia experiences the second highest rate of deforestation among tropical countries, with the island of Sumatra standing out due to the intensive forest clearing that has resulted in the conversion of 70% of the island's forested area (FAO Forest Assessment 2010; Margono, B.A. et al. 2012). Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) and Asia Pacific Resources International Ltd. (APRIL) have been criticized by local and international groups for being implicated in deforesting important carbon rich peat lands, destroying the habitat for critically endangered species and traditional lands of indigenous communities, corruption, and human rights abuses (Eyes on the Forest. 2011. http://www.eyesontheforest.or.id/). Both APP and APRIL have put in place promising forest policies; tracking implementation will be key to understanding these policies offer lasting solutions for Indonesia’s rainforests.
[v] The Great Bear Rainforest is located in coastal temperate rainforests that originally covered 0.2% of the planet, and where now less than 25% of the original forests remain. The historic Great Bear Rainforest Agreements were finalized in 2016 between environmentalists, logging companies, First Nations and the British Colombia Government, and includes the creation of a new land management regime called Ecosystem-Based Management. Now more than 13.4 million acres (5.4 million hectares) are off limits to logging and new lighter touch logging regulations are applied outside of conservancies.
[vi] Legal forest management is management that complies with all applicable international, national, and local laws, including environmental, forestry, and civil rights laws and treaties.
[vii] A good source to identify endangered, threatened and imperiled species is NatureServe’s Conservation Status rankings for imperiled species that are at high risk of extinction due to very restricted range, very few populations (often 20 or fewer), steep declines in populations, or other factors.
[viii] An Intact Forest Landscape (IFL) is an unbroken expanse of natural ecosystems within the zone of current forest extent, showing no signs of significant human activity, and large enough that all native biodiversity, including viable populations of wide-ranging species, could be maintained. http://www.intactforests.org
[ix] Plantations area areas that have been “established by planting or sowing using either alien or native species, often with few species, regular spacing and even ages, and which lack most of the principal characteristics and key elements of natural forests”. Plantations prior to 1994 are often FSC certified. Source FSC International Generic Indicators:https://ic.fsc.org/en/document-center/id/335
[x] The goal to ensure no fiber comes from tree plantations established after 1994 through the conversion or simplification of natural forests is under review pending our ability to procure sufficient paper supplies without it and having a credible verification system in place with our supply chain partners
[xii] Rolland Enterprises and Leipa are examples of mills with credible green house gas reduction initiatives. There is significant scientific evidence that burning biomass for energy is not carbon neutral.
[xiii] Paper Task Force Report and Environmental Paper Network Paper Calculator. “The scientific basis for these conclusions is the analysis of the Paper Task Force, a three-year research project convened by Environmental Defense and involving Duke University, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald's, Prudential Insurance, and Time Inc. The Paper Task Force examined environmental impacts through the full lifecycle of paper, along with economic and functional issues across major paper grades. Its findings were extensively peer-reviewed by scientists, academics, environmental experts, and government and industry representatives.”
[xiv] Agricultural Residues are residues left over from food production or other processes and using them maximizes the lifecycle of the fiber. Fibers include: cereal straws like wheat straw, rice straw, seed flax straw, corn stalks, sorghum stalks, sugar cane bagasse, and rye seed grass straw. Where the LCA (life cycle analysis) shows environmental benefits and conversion of forestland to on purpose crops is not an issue, kenaf and other on purpose crops can also be included here. (Agricultural residues are not from on purpose crops that replace forest stands or food crops.)
dcc is working with not-for-profit Canopy to encourage governments and the forestry sector to support and advance protection of the world’s ancient and endangered forests. We are committed and proud to contribute to the creation of conservation legacies in these landscapes of hope.
We are conscious of the impacts of fibre sourcing decisions on endangered species, high conservation value forests, communities and climate, in places like the Boreal, Coastal Temperate rainforests and Indonesian rainforests. dcc is working closely with not-for-profit Canopy on policy implementation to ensure we carefully assess our fibre sourcing to avoid ancient and endangered forest regions.
Second Harvest: dcc is committed to the conservation of the world’s ancient and endangered forest ecosystems. As part of that commitment, we strongly support the North American commercial scale development of pulp, paper and packaging alternatives that are derived from agricultural residues like wheat straw as a way to diversify the fiber basket and meet our continued need for high quality, cost effective products.
Please visit www.canopyplanet for more information.
dcc is conscious of the impacts of sourcing decisions on endangered species, high conservation value forests, communities and climate, in places like the Boreal and the Broadback Forest, Coastal Temperate Rainforests and Indonesian Rainforests. We are working closely with not-for-profit Canopy on policy implementation to ensure we carefully assess our fibre sourcing to avoid ancient and endangered forest regions.
dcc is committed to the conservation of the world’s ancient and endangered forest ecosystems. As part of that commitment, we strongly support the North American commercial scale development of pulp, paper and packaging alternatives that are derived from agricultural residues like wheat straw as a way to diversity the fiber basket and meet our continued need for high quality, cost effective products.
We use vegetable based inks in our printing facility as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional inks. We also recycle our waste materials such as solvents, inks, resins and all chemicals used in the process of printing ink on paper. Our goal is to recover, refine and recycle these solvents for beneficial reuse. The environmental benefits are important. The product life-cycle of solvents is significantly improved since they can be used repeatedly after proper recycling. Our carbon footprint improves since recycled solvents require less raw materials, energy and green-house gases to produce and market, and we reduce the overall reliance on crude oil from foreign sources as the main raw material in the manufacture of solvent products.
We became a Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC)-certified printer in 2007, meeting the global standard for responsible forestry. Our certification is managed by Rainforest Alliance, to be sure that our use of resources is environmentally responsible.
In January 2010, we installed 675 rooftop solar panels to our printing facility, the first printing plant in New Jersey to do so. These panels should yield 187,569 Kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable, clean energy every year. The carbon emissions saved from this production is an estimated 296,974 lbs of CO2, the equivalent of taking 25 cars off the road or conserving 15,290 gallons of gasoline each year. The solar panel project allows us to obtain 15% of our energy from sustainable resources.
These links will take you to the NOVEDA site that show how we're doing in real time:
Carbon FootprintGreenhouse Gas EmissionsGreen Performance Cluster
