ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Kodak named China-based Beijing Shengtong Printing Co. winner of the inaugural SONORA Plate Green Leaf Award for the Asia-Pacific region. The award recognizes companies that are committed to minimizing the impact of commercial printing on the environment. The award was presented on Friday, November 14, to Shengtong Printing at the All in Print China trade show in Shanghai.

Founded in 2000, Beijing Shengtong Printing serves customers in the book, journal, and pharmaceutical packaging markets in China and Europe. Through Beijing Shengtong Printing’s adoption of KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates, the company has seen immediate improvements with consistent color reproduction, less environmental impact, as well as time and money savings. The company impressed judges with its end-to-end sustainable approach that includes green initiatives throughout its material procurement and production systems, along with its notable list of certifications, including the Environmental Management System Certification (ISO14001) from the International Organization for Standardization and the China Environmental Labeling Product Certification.

“We are thrilled to select Beijing Shengtong Printing as our first Asia-Pacific SONORA Plate Green Leaf Award winner,” said Evandro Matteucci, General Manager, Graphics Business and Vice-President of Marketing, Asia Pacific Region (APR) . “Throughout our time working together, they have demonstrated an enthusiasm for innovating toward greener practices. We look forward to continuing our work with the company to further its environmental goals.”

Rich Rindo, General Manager, Worldwide Graphics Marketing, and Vice President, Graphics, Entertainment & Commercial Film added, “Sustainability is very important to Kodak, and with this award we are recognizing the important work that our customers, such as Beijing Shengtong Printing,  do to further sustainability in the print industry.”

“For us, green printing is a fundamental social responsibility. Sustainable practices secure the future of our business as well as the environment,” said Li Yanqiu, General Manager of Beijing Shengtong Printing. “We are proud to be among the earliest adopters of KODAK SONORA Plates in China, proving that process-free plates – as part of a holistic green approach to commercial printing – can deliver both high quality and serious environmental benefits. We know that many other printers in the region are now making plans to follow our lead.”

Beijing Shengtong Printing Co. and Kodak have a long-time working relationship and in addition to the KODAK SONORA Plates, the company also uses KODAK PRINERGY Workflow, KODAK TRENDSETTER and MAGNUS Platesetters, among other KODAK Technologies.

The SONORA Plate Green Leaf Award is named for KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates, which yield dramatic environmental benefits for customers without sacrificing quality or output. SONORA Plates remove the need for the plate processor, which generates waste and requires chemicals, water and energy. Kodak has seen rapid growth in SONORA Plate adoption worldwide, celebrating over 1,000 customers this year, and the company expects that more printers will continue to recognize the environmental and economic benefits of adopting KODAK SONORA Plates.