The Label Printers Wins An FTA Environmental Excellence Award

Online, April 4, 2012 (Newswire.com) - The Label Printers is this year's honorable mention award winner in the Flexographic Technical Association's (FTA) Environmental Excellence Awards. The FTA has given their Environmental Excellence Awards to flexographic printers since 2001. The Label Printers earned their honorable mention award for "...continually [evaluating] every aspect of purchasing, operations and waste generation. It's "Go Green, Save Green and Earn Green!" program is built on the premise that the company can not only reduce costs by being a better environmental steward, but that sustainability initiatives can also generate savings and revenue."

The "Go Green, Save Green and Earn Green"/L.I.F.E. team included George Tommasi, Gina Ries, Matt Slaughter, and Dawn Tesch. Tommasi, Director of Human Resources, The Label Printer's Illinois EPA Compliance Representative, and the L.I.F.E. team leader and senior executive on the team attended the FTA Awards Banquet and received the award. Tommasi explained what he felt was the critical point in the company earning this award, "Without the participation and support of every employee, it would have been impossible to achieve this. Through their efforts and support we have made a huge environmental impact in a very short period of time - and we've really only just left the starting gate."

The Label Printers tracks the progress of the "Go Green..." program through a Sustainability Dashboard that is published internally and on the company's website, along with the company's Sustainability Policy.

Lori Campbell, The Label Printers' Chief of Operations is very pleased that the company received this award, and applauds the team and all of the company's employees for a number of reasons. "There is a progressively greater benefit to our company to submit to the rigors of a [sustainability] program [like L.I.F.E.] - both in terms of reducing our environmental impact, and in terms of the increasing prevalence of customer requirements for doing business with companies whose manufacturing and business practices are certified as sustainable."

About THE LABEL PRINTERS:
The Label Printers, Aurora, IL, started in business in 1967, manufacturing simple label constructions in a 1,000 square foot space, with 1 employee, serving the local Chicago market.
Today, the company has evolved into one of the 100 largest converters in the United States. The Label Printers owns and operates two facilities in Aurora, Illinois, manufacturing and distributing labels and packaging products to thousands of customers in 25 countries around the world. The company's packaging products are certified to ISO 9001 standards, and their quality is backed up by their 99.6% Quality Acceptance Rating.
The Label Printers is a member of NASPO (North American Security Products Organization), CACP (Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy), TLMI (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute) and the FTA (Flexographic Technical Association).

About Flexographic Technical Association (FTA):
Founded in 1958, the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) is the world's leading professional society dedicated to the advancement of the flexographic printing industry.
FTA represents nearly 1,300 company locations encompassing all aspects of the flexographic printing supply chain. Our members include printers/converters, consumer products companies, prepress providers, suppliers, graphic design firms, consultants, educators and students. Together we provide a wealth of products, services and shared cutting-edge knowledge to the flexo industry. Join us.
Simply stated, FTA and its Foundation's (incorporated in 1974), primary goal is to provide a platform for flexographers to network, learn and exchange ideas - all in the name of advancing the art and science of the flexographic print process.
http://www.flexography.org/index.php

About the FTA Environmental Excellence Awards:
While the drive for workable, sustainable solutions for a cleaner environment may seem complex and even somewhat daunting to most of us, it is vital that we each do our part in contributing to a cleaner, healthier Earth. That is why FTA hosts the Environmental Excellence Awards. Through this awards program, the association honors companies and organizations that utilize environmentally sound resources and practices that contribute to a healthier Earth and a better way of life.

About the TLMI L.I.F.E. Program:
TLMI's (Tag and Label Manufacturer's Institute) goal in creating the L.I.F.E. (Label Initiative For the Environment) Program was to offer an audited certification process tailored specifically to the narrow web printing and converting industry. Examples of elements that companies address in undergoing the L.I.F.E. certification process include the recycle-compatibility of adhesives; the source and destination of liner materials and how narrow web companies are driving recycling programs for these materials; and material construction light-weighting (adopting thinner constructions that generate less waste). Front office issues are also addressed such as total energy utilization, where that energy is coming from and what a business is doing to actively reduce its overall carbon footprint.