Lightning Source Paper Certifications: A Green 2009
Lightning Source is a company that is very conscious about the environment. We take care to select paper that is high quality and environmentally sound for the books we manufacture. The close collaborative relationship Lightning Source has with suppliers has enabled us to offer environmentally friendly paper, pushing the limits and standards of the digital printing process.
Lightning Source’s one-at-a-time book manufacturing offers significant environmental advantages over traditional offset manufacturing. Traditional offset manufacturing requires relatively large amounts of inventory to be printed in anticipation of sales. Often the books go unsold and are destroyed, usually after being shipped and handled multiple times. Wasted paper, wasted energy, greenhouse emissions, pulping, and landfill overflows can result.
At Lightning Source, single-copy books get printed only when a firm sale has been made or the books are printed in ultra-short runs. One-book-at-a-time manufacturing substantially lessens supply chain waste, reduces greenhouse emissions, and conserves valuable natural resources.
To build upon an already solid foundation of environmental stewardship, Lightning Source is actively pursuing “Chain of Custody” certifications with The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (”SFI”), The Forest Stewardship Council (”FSC”) and The Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (”PEFC”). We expect this audit process to take several months, and estimate receiving certificates in the 3rd quarter of 2009. Our certifications, when obtained, will permit Lightning Source to complete the custody chain from the stump, to the mill, to the paper, to the finished books we manufacture for you.
No papers used in Lightning Source books, now and after certification, are sourced from endangered old growth forests, forests of exceptional conservation value or the Amazon Basin.
To learn more about SFI, FSC and PEFC: