In 2012 Green Life was formed as a joint project between two established Thai printing companies, H.N. Group and Print City. The objective behind Green Life is to promote green printing practices and to offer an environmentally responsible solution for those customers looking to reduce their impact on the environment. Green Life’s clients are ecologically orientated and include the government sector for whom Green Life prints a range of commercial print jobs including books, calendars, flyers, brochures and catalogues.

Heidelberg Thailand worked closely with Green Life on the purchase of a Speedmaster SM 102 four color printing machine. “Our press is one of the great Heidelberg CO2 neutral machines,” said Mr. Praphan Jiramongkol, President of Green Life Printing. “Heidelberg is the only supplier to offer a carbon neutral press. Our mandate is to reduce our use of natural resources and reduce waste. Everything in our plant is bought with this philosophy in mind. If it’s not ‘green’ then we won’t use it, so the Heidelberg press fits in with our strategic direction”.

Heidelberg is a leader in environmental sustainability and has been committed to developing practices and solutions to reduce the industry’s environmental footprint since the early 1990s.  As a manufacturer Heidelberg’s commitment extends from the design of its products through to the production of the machine itself. In line with the current scientific knowledge, Heidelberg has chosen to focus on the reduction of greenhouse gases, namely CO2 in manufacturing.

Adhering to international eco-balance standards Heidelberg and the technical University of Darmstadt have formulated a method for precisely calculating the CO2 footprint of printing presses. The CO2 footprint of the printing press is calculated according to cradle to gate and additionally the transport to the customer. Depending on the equipment, approximately 149 tons of carbon dioxide are generated during the manufacture of this Speedmaster SM 102-4, as an example. The largest CO2 component does not come from the steel, but from the electronic components.

Emissions generated during the manufacture of a Heidelberg printing press are compensated by the company purchasing climate protection certificates. The emission credits or certificates are attributed to specific climate protection projects. Heidelberg has chosen to obtain the certificates of the Project Togo, in Togo West Africa, which supports a reforestation project. All unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions based on material used in the manufacturing process and the transportation are compensated. All Heidelberg products which are Carbon-neutral are identified by the CO2-neutral symbol, which identifies the carbon-neutrality of the machine and illustrates the ecological commitment of the print shop assisting in its differentiation. All Prepress, Press and Postpress from Heidelberg are available as CO2-neutral.

Mr. Jiramongkol said the company’s measures its CO2 emissions in line with the industry standard and is continually working towards reduction across the business. “We believe we can have our CO2 emissions in the future and the Heidelberg press allows us to go to market as the first Carbon Zero Printing company in Asia. We are very proud of our objectives for Green Life, which include producing the first Carbon Zero Book - “Mha Phan Thang” - printed by our Heidelberg CO2 neutral press. And all revenue from this book will be given to His Majesty the King”.

The Heidelberg SM 102-4 press is eco-friendly in operation as well as origin, with its high level of automation and low running costs. The SM 102-4 enables fast make ready, reduces waste and raises productivity. The new press has been installed at Green Life’s Bangkok plant where the company employs a staff of 50.

Dr. Teerapol Techavichian, CEO & Chief Sustainability Officer of Green Life, is impressed with the overall environmental solution offered by Heidelberg. “We have the confidence to go to the market with our Think Green offer because we have Heidelberg’s support and can access their expertise in environmental matters”. Heidelberg also offers a range of eco-friendly consumables under the Saphira Eco brand as well as other equipment and solutions designed to reduce a company’s environmental footprint across the production stream.

Green Life’s catch cry - “Think Green, Think of Us. We are happy to support and fulfill Think Green Concepts for your product” positions Green Life apart from other print companies and Dr. Techavichian believes this differentiation will give the company a clear market advantage.

“There is growing concern for the environment across all businesses and industry sectors. We have a unique solution to offer our customers and we are pleased to work with them to realise their environmental goals. It is an exciting time for our company and we are positive for the future,” he concluded.