With the support of Tidningsutgivarna (Swedish Newspaper Publishers´Association) and Nutek, work began in 1998 at IMT/Framkom with developing environmental indicators to describe environmental impact for different kinds of newspaper industries. Significant environmental aspects were identified through the carrying out of detailed inventories by the participating companies. A great deal of work was put into producing common definitions for environmental impact measurements reflecting the significant aspects. Environmental impact measurements were then related to measurements for utilities (e.g. tonnes of products and turnover).
After the research projects had come to an end, work with the environmental indicators continued, through financing from the companies. Innventia annually updates inventory and calculation tools and a database, as well as scrutinizing and compiling the inventory data. Mint comprises the common environmental indicators of the trade and an environmental network for the newspaper industry. At present 20 companies make an inventory each year.
The concept includes two meetings per year. The first consists of presentations and discussions about the year’s environmental indicators. The second is more purely a network meeting, where relevant topics are dealt with.
A basis for improvements, employee motivation and company image
The overall aim of Mint is to increase the staying power of individual newspaper companies and to strengthen the environmental image of the specific company and the trade. Environmental indicators provide knowledge about the companies’ own operations; a knowledge that provides a basis for environmental improvements, employee motivation and company image.
Using benchmarking with mean values for the different groups of companies and the company’s own values from year to year, a company can easily identify its options for making improvements and measuring the results of its environmental work.
Results to communicate
The environmental indicators describe the aspects that have the most significance, from an environmental point of view for the newspaper industry. As a result, they are suitable for communicating to customers, the public, authorities and employees.
Mint was awarded an honourable mention by SIS (the Swedish Standards Institute) Indicator Competition 2004 for the best environmental indicators in Sweden.