IN THIS SECTION Wind energy, etc.

Every decision we make, from the choice of ink and paper, to the shipping of finished products, to the handling of printed waste, has upstream and downstream implications for the environment.

Our policy is to continually reduce our environmental impact and demonstrate that environmental responsibility is a sound business practice. In the process, we serve as a positive example for our industry.

Sandy Alexander committed itself to the prevention of pollution and the reduction of waste before it was fashionable, establishing an Environmental Management System to ensure rigor and accountability.

In 2002, we were one of the first U.S. printers to receive formal certification to the international standard, ISO 14001. Today, our lithographic, direct mail and digital are all registered to the standard.

In addition, Sandy Alexander is tri-certified to handle Chain of Custody projects, which demonstrates our commitment to sustainable management of the world’s forests. We hold certifications from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and the European Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC).

In 2006, we became the first printer in the country to power operations with 100% wind-generated electricity. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership, in 2007, Sandy Alexander was the country’s 2nd largest consumer of green power in the printing and publishing sector.

We are a leader in color management, applying our expertise to reproducing the most demanding color on paper with high recycled content. This ability, combined with our ISO 14001 and Chain of Custody certifications and renewable energy commitment, provides our customers with a clear choice when they need a partner capable of producing environmentally responsible marketing materials.

Carbon Neutrality

As a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Climate Leaders Partner, we have pledged to reduce our GHG emissions by 11% by 2012. This will be a milestone on our journey to carbon neutrality.

• Green by Design Brochure
• Greenwashing Brochure

We believe that any claim of carbon neutrality must be

• Qualified by a clear understanding of the specific boundaries of that claim (i.e., does the claim include all primary manufacturing processes? Business travel? Employee commuting? Suppliers?)
• Seen in the context of a program targeting the measurable reduction of actual environmental impacts (i.e., reduced electrical consumption and replacement of fossil fuel, high-carbon energy sources with low carbon alternatives)
  
• Completely transparent (i.e., public reporting of strategy, tactics, successes and failures)

Transparency

It is easy for a company to claim green practices without providing proof. To assure customers of our commitment, Sandy Alexander communicates the details of our efforts in as transparent a manner as possible. In our Environmental Responsibility Reports, we report not only what we are doing well but also where we need to improve. In this manner, we – and our industry – are held accountable.

As is well known, conventionally available electrical power is comprised of a variety of non-renewable components, including coal, oil and natural gas. The by-products of burning these fossil fuels include large amounts of carbon dioxide, the primary source of human-generated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and smaller amounts of many other greenhouse gases such as nitrogen and sulfur dioxide as well as other pollutants.

In contrast, Sandy Alexander utilizes a 100% renewable resource, the wind, which results in zero pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Our purchase of 16,500,000 kWh of Renewable Energy Certificates (REC’s) from Pennsylvania based www.newwindenergy.com Community Energy replaces 100% of the electrical energy we use at all of our manufacturing facilities. We made a seven year commitment to purchase this energy commencing in 2006.

Sandy Alexander was named New Jersey Green Power Purchaser of the Year in 2006. And according to the U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership, Sandy Alexander in 2007 was the countries 2nd largest consumer of green power in the printing and publishing sector.

The environmental benefit accruing annually from Sandy Alexander’s use of 100% renewable wind energy is equivalent to:

• preventing the emission of over 22 million pounds of CO2
  
• planting over 9,000 acres of trees
  
• eliminating 25 million miles of automobile travel.

The emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is a significant cause of global warming. As forests play a vital role in the absorption of carbon dioxide, we at Sandy Alexander support our clients’ efforts to ensure that only paper from responsibly managed forests is utilized.

Sandy Alexander’s multiple certifications guarantee accurate documentation of the unbroken chain-of-custody from certified forest to mill, to merchant. An independent third party audits the CoC inventory management system at each facility annually. Clients who order chain-of-custody paper can rest assured that the printed job we will deliver is printed on stock from legal, well-managed, renewable sources.

Sandy Alexander is “tri-certified” to handle Chain-of-Custody Projects with certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the European Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC).

All of our sheetfed non-UV 4C process inks are low-VOC inks made primarily from renewable materials. These inks have 75% fewer VOCs than conventional inks.

These sheetfed inks use the highest possible percentage of vegetable oil content. They maintain outstanding color stability on press, which also contributes to energy and paper savings.

By contrast, the maximum vegetable-oil content can be only about 10% in the heat-set inks we use on our web presses, but over 99% of the VOCs generated are eliminated by the use of state-of-the-art thermal oxidizers.

Sheetfed UV-curable inks emit virtually no VOCs.

As important as using paper from certified sources is using paper with recycled content. Paper fiber is a renewable resource, which can be recycled and reused five to seven times.

At Sandy Alexander we offer a wide range of paper grades and finishes, with up to 100% recycled content. Many of these papers have the added credibility of being Chain of Custody certified. We are also proud of the fact that we recycle nearly all our paper waste. In 2007 alone, we recycled 17 million tons of paper!

As U.S. Environmental Protection Agency WasteWise Partners we also recycle wood, aluminum, plastic, ink, press wash, even cell phones, while also working to reduce the amount of waste we generate in the first place. This is not only good for the environment but makes good business sense as well.

For more details about Sandy Alexander’s recycling programs download a copy of our Environmental Responsibility Report.

Increased energy conservation and carbon footprint reduction
as a member of the EPA’s climate leaders program

• reduce GHG emissions by 11% by 2012 while working
  towards carbon neutrality

Waste reduction and expanded recycling

• reduce, reuse or recycle materials being currently land-filled
  while working towards “zero landfill”

3rd Party Certification for all environmental claims

• carbon neutrality of our eSA Solutions digital facility
  is Green-e Climate certified
• 100% wind energy is 3rd party certified
• Tri-certified for Chain of Custody Sustainable paper
  (FSC, SFI, and PEFC)

Increased communication and education

• publishing annually a transparent Sustainability Report
• provide environmental benefit calculations on all
  customer job quote letters

Sustainability Report 2007

Sustainability Report 2008