Award recognizes customers leading the way in environmental initiatives in U.S. and Canada

Rochester, NY - The SONORA Plate Green Leaf Award, sponsored by Kodak, has announced its first  honorees in the United States and Canada, recognized for their outstanding efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of today's commercial printing industry. SONORA Plate Green Leaf Award winners Modern Litho in the U.S. and Sing Tao Canada are being recognized as users of KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates with robust environmental practices in place. These practices include the monitoring of energy and water usage in an effort to continuously improve efficiency.

"We want to congratulate our winners who have implemented environmental initiatives across their companies while furthering their pursuit of sustainability," said Rich Rindo, Kodak General Manager, WW Graphics Marketing, and Vice President, Graphics, Entertainment & Commercial Film (GECF). "The caliber and quality of the submissions we received for the award demonstrate the remarkable results that can be achieved by using SONORA Process Free Plates. Process free plates represent the next big shift in offset plate technology as printers look to simplify, reduce costs, and improve sustainability."

There is an increasing focus on environmental issues in the commercial printing industry and customers are demanding products that reduce their environmental footprint. The award is named for KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates, known for yielding dramatic environmental and economic benefits for customers without sacrificing quality and output.  SONORA Plates remove the need for the plate processor, which requires chemicals, water and energy while generating waste. Kodak is seeing rapid growth in SONORA Plate adoption, with more than 450 customers currently using SONORA Plates, while many more are waiting to switch to the product. Today, KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates are manufactured in Europe for distribution to customers around the world. Kodak plans to increase this capacity by manufacturing SONORA Plates at sites in Asia and the Americas.

SONORA Plate Green Leaf Award Winners:  

• Founded in 1978, Sing Tao Canada, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, publishesSing Tao Daily, the largest Chinese-language daily newspaper in Canada. Sing Tao Daily recently shifted to KODAK SONORA NEWS Process Free Plates to streamline platemaking operations while also reducing the company's environmental impact. Sing Tao Daily is a longtime Kodak customer and recently celebrated its 35th anniversary in the newspaper industry. The company actively promotes sustainability by adopting vegetable-based inks when appropriate, encouraging its employees to be environmentally responsible through a well-established sustainability policy, and incorporating environmental management topics into all employee training programs.
• Modern Litho based in Jefferson City, Missouri specializes in niche publication printing and marketing collateral for clients in 46 states.  Modern Litho made the shift to process-free plates this past year, choosing the KODAK SONORA XP Plates (video)in an effort not only to create a highly sustainable production process, but also to increase quality and efficiency. The company has earned multiple third party certifications through the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) and prints their materials with 71 percent Bio-Renewable Ink. Modern Litho also supports the generation of 132,000 kWh of wind power through their commitment to Ameren, Missouri's Pure Power Partners and new green power sources.