Fespa recently hosted its inaugural conference in Sydney, with keynote speaker and author, broadcaster, campaigner and Australian of the Year 2010 NSW Jon Dee stressing the importance of getting sustainable to get more business. 

Dee said sustainability is much more than a vague ‘green sympathy’ adding that it’s about innovation, efficiency and long-term business planning. 

He said it involves taking a responsible attitude to people and the planet, but also making efficient use of precious resources which leads to long-term business success and improved business lines. 

“COVID has had a huge impact on everyone but what not many people realise is how sustainability can make us more resilient as we emerge from it,” he said. 

“To get more business, companies need to get sustainable. Positive change is happening far quicker than people realise. It is evident that there are early adopters in Australia, showing that businesses are resilient but this needs to trickle down to everyone.” 

Dee identified Tritium, a local company that is on a mission to electrify transportation, as an example of a business that’s leading the charge. 

“The best, and fastest electric car chargers are made here in Australia but not many people know that. It shows that Australia has the responsibility to take the lead on this. There’s no reason why Australia and the print industry here can’t take the lead on sustainability related matters,” he said. 

“We’re seeing a lot of digitisation of print so it’s really important that innovation is used to keep the sector relevant and growing. It needs to add value to print, and the potential to add value is enormous.” 

However, Dee said some issues arise when it comes to the conversation around sustainability. 

He said innovation has improved our quality of life, but is impacting the planet. 

“Climate change and human usage has resulted in the scarcity of resources, such as helium in the use of machines, for example. There is a need to make raw materials last longer and do it by refurbishing, reuse and recycling,” he said. 

“As humans, we need to be innovating to solve problems.”

Dee addressed the importance of partnering with people to bring about change, saying that companies need to be sharing success stories of how they have adopted sustainable practices. 

“The Verdigris Project is a useful resource as it’s a great initiative that shows success stories of companies in our industry,” he said. 

“Businesses need to be looking at resource alternatives and address what can they do to their products to reduce costs and get better outcomes. Sustainability’s not our first or second job, so partner with your customers for the best outcomes.” 

Dee also said companies need to be more efficient in getting teams on board with sustainability. 

“You need to address how you can do more with less? How can you reduce waste to landfill? A option is to get cheaper finance to upgrade equipment and get machinery that have been eco-designed to minimise the lifecycle,” he said. 

“Start by doing a 10-year cost of running an equipment. This is vital in implementing efficiencies in deliveries and inventory.” 

In addition, Dee spoke about the journey of going circular. 

“The print industry is known for recycling of paper, but it’s not only paper in the industry. So, find a way for core ingredients to be returned and reused or recycled. Think about your waste streams and think about if there’s someone else that can benefit from it – it can even be from other industries,” he said. 

“There’s also the conversation of refurbishing machines versus getting new ones.”

According to Dee, sourcing sustainable materials also involves supply chains to be more sustainable too. 

“But beware of greenwashing. Make sure you verify all your information first. Major companies are getting more serious about sourcing sustainable materials and being 100 per cent renewable on energy so if you want to get more business, get sustainable.” 

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