SGIA rewards environmentally-conscious companies

SGIA members Cellotape Inc., California, USA, and North American Decal, Ontario, Canada, received SGIA's 2006 Environmental Recognition Award. The award program, in its sixth year, highlights essential environmental management systems used by the specialty imaging industry.

Cellotape, a fifth-time winner of the award, reduced hazardous chemicals going into its waste stream and is working toward eliminating the company's filtration system, said Jennifer Doman, Cellotape's quality and environmental consultant. 

The company's EMS, 'increases the level of comfort we have, not just as a compliant system, but also an environmentally-friendly one that integrates seamlessly with our ISO 9001 system,' Doman said.

Cellotape provides labels, nameplates and other products to primarily the medical and electronics industries. 
North American Decal, a second-time winner and screen printing company specializing in decals, reduced the volatile organic compound emissions its production facility released year-over-year by 66 per cent, said operations manager Mehul Upadhyaya.

'The environment is everybody's business,' Upadhyaya said, crediting North American Decal's alternative ink and screen reclamation systems for the VOC reductions. 

'SGIA is proud to honor member companies that committed to strong environmental performance. They prove that being mindful of your impact on the environment is actually good for business,' said Marisabel Torres, SGIA government affairs associate.