Green Policy

GFX International, Inc. is committed to protecting the environment by creating and maintaining an environmentally friendly atmosphere within our organization. As a reflection of our commitment to sustainability, we take great care to reduce our environmental footprint by conserving energy, reducing waste and promoting recycling across the organization.

Waste Management/Recycling
GFX International believes in the importance of recycling and works continuously to improve its recycling program. Employed six years ago, GFX’s recycling program has been implemented in multiple departments across the organization.

Purchasing
Many of the raw materials purchased by GFX are recycled. Specifically, board and foam type products contain 20-30% recycled material. Per client request, GFX can purchase recycled materials whenever possible.

Digital & Screen - Material
Nearly every product printed at GFX is recyclable, including scrap from presses, off cuts, and make ready. In 2006, GFX recycled nearly 400,000 lbs. of styrene. GFX also recycles polypropylene and corrugated materials.

Ink
After printing, all standard ink is pulled from screens and recycled back into their respective containers. Smaller, leftover amounts of custom colors are dumped into a 55-gallon drum. Once filled, it is sent to an ink vendor and remixed into black ink.

Screen Room
Screens are cleaned with reusable "printer rags". Rags are sent weekly to be washed; all waste-water from the cleaning process is recycled.

Shipping & Receiving - Pallets
Pallets are recycled in two ways; non-damaged pallets are reused; damaged pallets are sold to a pallet recycling company.

IT
When possible, GFX recycles old computers and components through one of several recycling services. GFX also disassembles older PCs/Macs and reuses various parts internally. Company provided cell phones and pagers are also redistributed or recycled.

Office Stationery
All GFX letterhead, envelopes and marketing collateral are manufactured with 100% post-consumer fiber.

An ink-jet recycling program for all desktop inkjet printers has also been implemented.

High-Efficiency Lighting
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lighting accounts for as much as 10-15% of energy expenditure. By taking advantage of lighting technologies, GFX has been able to significantly reduce its energy consumption.

Instead of relying on incandescent bulbs, GFX has installed high-efficiency fluorescent fixtures throughout each of its warehouses and office locations. Fluorescent bulbs are used for overhead lighting and all of GFX’s display light boxes.

GFX also utilizes automatically controlled indoor and outdoor lighting. Manual switches and timers have been implemented to reduce unnecessary energy consumption and increase the period between bulb replacements.

Employee Environmental Education
GFX promotes its Green Policy and its benefits through mandatory annual training sessions. GFX also offers environmental education sessions throughout the year for new hires.

Recognizing that employees play a leading role in implementing and contributing to GFX’s environmental efforts, GFX focuses on the following topics during environmental education:

• Green Statement
• Recycling programs and initiatives
• Benefits to staff and clients
• Continuous improvement
• Open discussion

For More Information
For more information on our Green Policy, please contact our Quality Department at 847.543.4600.