(July 30, 2008) PacBlue Digital Imaging, Inc. - Vancouver's premier digital imaging and reprographics company - announced that beginning August 1, 2008, it will deliver all reprographics projects on paper containing 30% post-consumer waste.

A printing company aimed at reducing its environmental impact and that of its clients, PacBlue Digital will convert more than 20 million square feet of paper used annually for building plans, engineering drawings, and spec books to recycled paper for its architectural and engineering customers.

"From our building you can see 17 cranes towering over construction projects in downtown Vancouver; each of those projects required pounds and pounds of paper for plans, drawings, and spec books," said Jonathan Colley, President, PacBlue Digital Imaging. "Twenty million square feet of paper is equal to a ribbon one-foot wide that would reach 6,096 kilometres, nearly the full length of the continental Canadian/US border. We will convert all of that to paper containing 30% recycled post consumer waste."
 
While Canadians recycled less than 50% of all paper consumed in 2006, more than 80% of consumers surveyed think that using recycled paper is a high-priority environmental solution, according to a 2007 survey sponsored by Markets Initiative (marketsinitiative.org).
 
Recycled paper not only reduces solid waste that would end up in landfills but saves water and energy over making paper from virgin fibres:

    •    Recycled paper saves 60% of the energy needed to produce virgin paper (Centre for Ecological Technology)
    •    Recycled paper generates 95% less air pollution (Centre for Ecological Technology)
    •    Recycling of each ton of paper saves 17 trees and 7000 gallons of water (US EPA)
PacBlue Digital, currently working toward their Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain-of-Custody certification, offers substrates ranging from FSC-certified papers to new Bio-flex 100% biodegradable PVC for banners. In 2007, the company's recycling program diverted nearly 1000 cubic yards of paper cores and cardboard and nearly 475 cubic yards of paper trimmings and cutoffs from land fills.