Sun Chemical releases 2011 sustainability report

Sun Chemical 2011 sustainability report

While Sun Chemical continues to be data-driven in its sustainability efforts by reporting the performance measurement for seven key sustainability metrics as outlined in its previous reports, the 2011 sustainability report expands on this commitment by citing specific examples of how its products, services and projects are helping customers improve their environmental impact.

"We're now going beyond providing meaningful data that will help meet customer goals," says Gary Andrzejewski, Sun Chemical's Corporate VP of Environmental Affairs. "We are showing concrete examples of things we are doing to help customers produce less waste and carbon dioxide, while at the same time improving the efficiency of their operations."

The report highlights Sun Chemical's leadership role in low migration technology. As the regulatory landscape in Europe around the use of printing inks on food packaging has changed dramatically, Sun Chemical was the first company to offer low migration inks and provide best practice guides to help printers comply with the regulations.

Other products and services mentioned in the report that have helped customers become more eco-efficient include: SunGraphics SunLite In-Position Printing Plates for corrugated carton printers, the Sun Chemical Dispenser Program for the commercial and label, narrow web market, the SunMag Synergy ink/fount emulsion system for publication printers, and SunClean/SunWash cleaner and wash technology for heatset printers.

The report continues to show data collected every year since 2005 from approximately 170 Sun Chemical sites in over 25 countries. The key sustainability metrics measured in the data include: energy consumption/conservation at production and non-production sites, the energy carbon footprint at the production sites, process waste reduction, water consumption, materials safety, and employee safety.

Providing a report that shows the ongoing management and monitoring of key sustainability metrics is an important part of Sun Chemical's sustainability policy.

"Our sustainability policy pushes us as a company to improve the eco-efficiency of our processes and products," Andrzejewski says. "Our R&D efforts are a pivotal part of this process as we provide our customers with solutions that will be both eco-friendly and save them money. These data-driven sustainability reports have played a key role in helping our customers achieve many of their eco-efficiency goals."

All of Sun Chemical's sustainability reports, along with the "Carbon Footprint Report 2010," which outlines the results from nine independent environmental analyses focused on quantifying the carbon footprint of its product lines, are available to customers and can be requested online at www.sunchemical.com/company/sustainability. Customers in the U.S. can also calculate the initial carbon footprint for their facility operations by visiting www.sunchemical.com/suncare.

About Sun Chemical's Sustainability Policy

Sun Chemical's sustainability policy stresses its responsibility to raise awareness about environmental issues in the graphic arts industry. Product stewardship and risk management are also important components of the policy with a commitment to take an analytical-based approach to its efforts.

Providing customers with enhanced sustainability of their processes and end products is the ultimate goal of Sun Chemical's sustainability policy. In order to reach that goal, Sun Chemical will use rigorous development processes and analytical tools to evaluate and improve the eco-efficiency of both its manufacturing procedures and products.

This data-driven approach in the policy means Sun Chemical will be able to set improvement targets for its processes on energy and water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and solid waste emissions as well as develop products with a structured approach that includes risk management and eco-efficiency improvements as criteria.

Focusing on "Getting More---Using Less-Eco-efficiency," Sun Chemical's sustainability policy underscores its proactive role in minimizing the life cycle footprint of its products and its customers' impact on the environment.

Source: Sun Chemical
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