FORT WORTH – March 6, 2016 – Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2016 FTA Sustainability Excellence Award. This award is bestowed on companies for their outstanding efforts in developing innovative processes, products and management approaches that have had a positive impact on the three pillars of sustainability—people, planet and profit. This year, FTA presents Kendall Packaging of Jefferson, WI as the winner and Specialty Printing of East Windsor, CT as an honorable mention.
Kendall Packaging is an independently owned and operated company that prints flexible packaging. It has been a member of FTA for 22 years. The Jefferson, WI facility began an initiative to decrease its carbon footprint and waste streams through reductions and recycling. All of the converted materials that are scrapped, are baled and recycled. Adding to the third pillar of sustainability, the company reported, “We even receive money from our current vendor while saving big money keeping it out of our dumpster.” Some of Kendall’s accomplishments included installing sky lights in work areas; high efficiency lighting throughout the building while generating a rebate from the State of Wisconsin; installing new air conditioners to reduce energy costs and keep employees comfortable; sending out still bottoms to be repurposed for road material; putting in two retention ponds to reduce the plants water runoff; and continuously working with customers to down gauge films thereby lowering its material footprint.
Family-owned Specialty Printing LLC specializes in printing pressure sensitive labels and has been a FTA member since 2003. The company’s mission is to “produce high quality products in a safe and environmentally responsible manner, always striving to continuously improve cost effectiveness and operational performance while meeting the needs of internal and external customers.” Specialty Printing LLC has been committed to sustainability for many years, and has the accomplishments to show for it. In 2010, the company won the FTA Environmental Excellence Award and has been showcased in FTA publications. In October of 2014, the company took the next step in its sustainability journey by becoming certified by the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP). The SGP certification program guides printers to become more sustainable by completing continuous improvement projects in their facilities. Specialty Printing’s program was also to reduce its carbon footprint through a reduction in energy consumption and increase system reliability thus creating a safer work environment for employees. Their Lean to Green Program found ways to decrease runtime, reduce power and water consumption and reduce ink inventory, among other things.
Additional information about these two outstanding companies will be found in the April issue of FLEXO Magazine.
# # #
About FTA: Flexographic Technical Association (FTA), chartered in 1958, is a professional society dedicated to bringing all members of the flexographic printing community—printers, suppliers, consumer product companies, institutions, prepress houses and others–together by providing opportunities for the free exchange of technical ideas and discussion of mutual concerns. It is a proponent of maintaining and advancing quality standards and includes 1,650 member sites that represent more than 1,400 companies and 60,000 individuals. Foundation of FTA, founded in 1974, is the educational arm of FTA and is dedicated to supporting and advancing the flexographic printing industry.