“We know what’s good for the environment is good for business, too.”
NATALIE HAHLEN
Director of Environmental Health & Safety
Download Full Report
Building On Our Legacy
Environmental
Quad has always been committed to being a more sustainable business. Our journey has taken on new momentum as environmental narratives and needs change.
Protect Forests
Through 2030, Quad commits to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
We are convinced that many environmental challenges can be reduced or solved, given the right knowledge and a commitment to creating a better way.
Quad thinks about being responsible and being regenerative.
We look at the connections between our clients, the consumer, Quad and our vendors. We are establishing the chains of custody, evaluating interplaying impacts, and working to align with clients’ and communities’ environmental initiatives.
Our Stance
50 Years of Action and Advocacy
Environmental
Environmental SDG Commitments
Quad’s environmental efforts most closely link to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets. We use these goals to create a better way for our shared planet.
Increase Recycling Rate
Quad commits to increasing the recycling rate of solid waste at all facilities through 2030, after which we will evaluate benchmarks and seek ways to further improve our solid waste recycling rate.
Reduce Hazardous Waste
Through 2030, Quad commits to reducing the amount of hazardous waste generated by unit of production.
Read the full report
Reduce Carbon Emissions Intensity
Through 2030, Quad commits to reducing our overall carbon emissions intensity.
ESG Home Environmental Social Governance
Download Full Report
ESG Home
Environmental
Social
Governance
ESG Home Environmental Social Governance
Download Full Report
ESG Home
Environmental
Social
Governance
Building on Our Legacy
For 50 years, operating sustainably has been an integral part of our purpose. Accordingly, Quad has been recognized as a leading environmental advocate and innovator.
*hover and click images to learn more
Our Sustainable Journey
Environmental Responsibility
Energy & Emissions
Learn More
Recycling, Reusing, Reducing
Learn More
Responsible Materials
Learn More
Clients expect us to make their printed products and packaging more sustainable. We choose our suppliers with care, look for reliable chains of custody in our suppliers and challenge ourselves to discover more sustainable materials and responsible sources.
Quad reclaims materials and diverts them from the landfill through industrial and office recycling programs. We’ve successfully reduced the use of plastics and hazardous materials and even upcycle some manufacturing process byproducts into consumer products.
We know greenhouse gases are a leading cause of climate change, and we are working to reduce emissions from our operations. Our most effective method: lowering Quad’s energy intensity across our enterprise. Through ongoing energy management programs, spanning nearly two decades, we have made contributions to lowering our energy consumption and reducing greenhouse gases.
How We calculate emissions
Dept. of Energy Partnerships
Energy-Efficient Technologies
Solar Energy
In Wisconsin, we are investigating participation in state-approved energy and solar programs that encourage companies to partner with the regional utility for renewable energy projects.
We are looking at the feasibility of investing in various solar installations at our Lomira, Wis., facility, and in a smaller phased/expandable solar system for other facilities.
•
•
As demand for energy grows, clean solar energy is proving to be an effective option for helping reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Quad is pursuing several solar infrastructure projects and partnerships to help power our production facilities during cycles of peak demand and generate renewable power that can be transmitted back onto the local utility grid.
Solar Energy
High-speed, high-output printing presses were installed at our Saratoga Springs, N.Y., plant in 2021 and our Sussex, Wis., plant in 2019. These presses use 41% less electricity and 33% less gas per printed page compared to older presses.
Five plants adopted a new method for prepping printing plates, cutting CO emissions in 2020 by roughly 1,270 metric tons at the five plants (Hartford, Lomira, Sussex and West Allis, Wis., and Saratoga Springs, N.Y). This reduction was expected to total 2,100 metric tons in 2021.
2
•
•
Retiring old equipment and investing in efficient next-generation alternatives are proving to be one of our most effective strategies for reducing energy consumption.
Energy-Efficient Technologies
Better Plants Program: Quad is proud to be a founding partner of the Better Plants program, established by the U.S. DOE in 2009, to improve energy efficiency and competitiveness in the industrial sector. In March 2020, we renewed our commitment to energy conservation with a pledge to reduce energy intensity by 20% through 2029.
50001 Ready Energy Management: Quad’s Hartford and West Allis, Wis., and Saratoga Springs, N.Y., plants are recognized by the U.S. DOE for having a 50001 Ready energy management system through creating sound energy policies, establishing objectives and building structured improvements to generate deep, sustained energy savings. Additional Quad plants plan to join the program.
•
•
From the beginning, we have realized environmental challenges cannot be tackled in isolation. Our industry partnerships and collaborations with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) show how we are working together on a national scale to create a better way.
Dept. of Energy Partnerships
We calculate Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon dioxide and equivalent emissions using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change greenhouse gas methodology, and emissions factors from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Center for Corporate Climate Leadership — Emissions Factors for Calculating Greenhouse Gas Inventories. All emissions data are verified by an independent third-party.
In 2020, Quad emitted 0.6322 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions per million pages produced in the United States.
•
•
Quad uses a carbon footprint calculator to identify the amount of emissions related to key company activities. This allows for conscious management and reduction efforts.
How We calculate emissions
Recycling Operations
Regenerative Energy
Replacing or Reusing Plastics
Reducing Hazardous Wastes
In 2020, we shipped approximately 0.73 pounds of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) federally regulated hazardous waste per 1 million pages printed. Note: Although we decreased hazardous waste from the prior year, 2020 data does not represent true reduction due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on manufacturing production.
•
Quad manages hazardous waste from the time it is generated through disposal. We have rigorous processes in place for identifying, segregating, containerizing, labeling, storing, shipping and disposing of hazardous waste.
Reducing Hazardous Wastes
Industrial plastic waste is recovered and resold to specialized industrial recyclers for use in recycled-content plastics.
Clients are offered paper wrap or new biofilms, providing more renewable alternatives for their products.
•
•
The use and disposal of plastics is an increasing environmental concern.
At Quad:
Replacing or Reusing Plastics
Waste to Energy: Quad implemented a waste-to-energy program in the early 2000s to keep any materials soaked with non-hazardous chemicals out of landfills. Materials are placed in containers and sent to a waste-to-energy solutions provider for burning in an incinerator that generates electricity.
Emissions into Energy: Our web offset presses are equipped with dryers that collect volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemical compounds that impact indoor and outdoor air quality and have adverse health effects. The technology turns these emissions into fuel, supplementing our natural gas usage.
•
•
The mark of regenerative thinking is upending the way we historically view waste and emissions to transform them into sources for supplemental energy.
Regenerative Energy
In 2020, we achieved a 98% recycling rate for wastepaper along with other general waste (like office paper and plastic water bottles) across all U.S. facilities.
Color-coded recycling containers have been placed at the machine level to quickly capture industrial recyclables.
Most trash containers have been replaced with clearly labeled containers for different types of recyclables.
“Waste walk-throughs” and other trash auditing events identify improvement opportunities.
We conduct education and awareness programs for employees, championed by plant directors and plant leadership.
•
•
•
•
•
Due to our large-scale printing operations, we generate a significant amount of paper trim waste. This wastepaper is collected, shredded and baled by grade, then sent out for recycling.
Recycling Operations
Certified Forest Products
EnviroTech™ Bio-Based Inks
For the heatset web offset printing process, our inks contain approximately 25% renewable resource content from ingredients such as pine and linseed oils, far exceeding the 7% industry standard of soy-based ink.
For the rotogravure process, our inks contain approximately 23% renewable resource content from tall oil resin.
Quad is one of the largest ink manufacturers in the nation, and the only printer that produces its own ink. We are bringing more responsible technologies to the industry.
•
•
•
In 1991, our own ink manufacturing division, Chemical Research\Technology (CR\T), developed EnviroTech™ inks.
EnviroTech™ Bio-Based Inks
The paper mills from which Quad purchases paper for its U.S. printing operations do not use elemental chlorine, and we require all mill partners to comply with local laws with respect to their wood fiber sourcing, including the requirements of the U.S. Lacey Act for harvesting timber.
Quad has worked with its clients to increase our certified paper usage by 24% — from 53% in 2017 to 77% in 2021.
Quad was one of the first printers to be triple chain-of-custody certified for sourcing materials from responsibly managed forests by the three leading forest certification programs: FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council), SFI® (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) and the PEFC™ (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification).
Quad partners with paper producers in low-risk forestry areas such as North America and Western Europe.
•
•
•
•
By printing with certified forest products, Quad is making a positive choice that helps safeguard the environment and the future of sustainable print.
Certified Forest Products
Quad will replicate learnings from this project in other facilities to help reduce water consumption.
Learnings will help us meet our Packaging division’s 2025 water reduction goal of 5%, or approximately 150,000 gallons annually.
Students worked with Quad in the Fall 2021 semester, focusing on a pilot RO water reduction project at our Franklin, Wis., packaging plant.
•
•
•
A recent collaboration between our Packaging division and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Engineering & Applied Science is connecting undergraduate students with manufacturing and sustainability leaders to evaluate how to make our reverse osmosis (RO) system more efficient.
University Partner Helps Manage Water Use
Chiller and Cooling Best Practices magazine. How we maintain an elaborate, energy-efficient process cooling system for our printing presses.
Compressed Air Best Practices magazine. Our expertise in managing the efficiency of compressed air — a central component of the print production process — as part of our dedication to sustainability.
Feature Articles
•
“Green Professional” Designation
2021 Energy Efficiency Excellence Award
•
•
Presented by Wisconsin Focus on Energy for our efforts to reduce energy waste through the implementation of upgrades in our facilities and operations.
Awarded by the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council’s Green Masters Program for our Wisconsin operations. Quad aims to obtain a “Green Master” designation in 2022.
Awards & Recognition
In 2019, Quad joined other leading brands that share our passion for sustainability as a founding member of Forests in Focus. Developed by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and the American Forest Foundation, Forests in Focus offers the first landscape level assessment of U.S. timberlands, which gives brands reliable data on sustainability risks that may be present in the forests where they source fiber.
Through the Forests in Focus online platform, users gain visibility into the forested landscapes surrounding U.S. virgin fiber mills. Members can also access data on land use change, forest carbon, imperiled species and ecosystems, genetically modified (GMO) trees and illegal harvesting risks in those regions.
Forests in Focus
Printing on Certified Forest Products
Pine View Wildlife Rehabilitation Partnership
•
•
•
Our shared environmental mission continues in the face of new demands, especially during the pandemic. Quad assembled environmental science and literacy modules for parents, teachers and other organizations.
Take-Home Modules (Kindergarten - 2nd Graders)
This program for younger learners features science-based supplemental kits designed and packed by our Packaging division.
Trees Are Treasures (Kindergarten - 2nd Graders)
This action-oriented outreach program includes live birds of prey and reptile presentations, and a pine seedling packaged in a recyclable carton called TICCIT (Trees Into Cartons, Cartons Into Trees).
Need For Trees (4th - 7th Graders)
Our collaboration with Pine View Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in southeastern Wisconsin creates awareness of sustainability’s importance in daily life with young learners.
Earth & Education
Students worked with Quad in the Fall 2021 semester, focusing on a pilot RO water reduction project at our Franklin, Wis., packaging plant.
Learnings will help us meet our Packaging division’s 2025 water reduction goal of 5%, or approximately 150,000 gallons annually.
Quad will replicate learnings from this project in other facilities to help reduce water consumption.
A recent collaboration between our Packaging division and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Engineering & Applied Science is connecting undergraduate students with manufacturing and sustainability leaders to evaluate how to make our reverse osmosis (RO) system more efficient.
University Partner Helps Manage Water Use
•
•
•
2021 Energy Efficiency Excellence Award
Presented by Wisconsin Focus on Energy for our efforts to reduce energy waste through the implementation of upgrades in our facilities and operations.
“Green Professional” Designation
Awarded by the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council’s Green Masters Program for our Wisconsin operations. Quad aims to obtain a “Green Master” designation in 2022.
Feature Articles
Chiller and Cooling Best Practices magazine. How we maintain an elaborate, energy-efficient process cooling system for our printing presses.
Compressed Air Best Practices magazine. Our expertise in managing the efficiency of compressed air — a central component of the print production process — as part of our dedication to sustainability.
Awards & Recognition
•
•
•
In 2019, Quad joined other leading brands that share our passion for sustainability as a founding member of Forests in Focus. Developed by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and the American Forest Foundation, Forests in Focus offers the first landscape level assessment of U.S. timberlands, which gives brands reliable data on sustainability risks that may be present in the forests where they source fiber.
Through the Forests in Focus online platform, users gain visibility into the forested landscapes surrounding U.S. virgin fiber mills. Members can also access data on land use change, forest carbon, imperiled species and ecosystems, genetically modified (GMO) trees and illegal harvesting risks in those regions.
Forests in Focus
Printing on Certified Forest Products
Need For Trees (4th - 7th Graders) This action-oriented outreach program includes live birds of prey and reptile presentations, and a pine seedling packaged in a recyclable carton called TICCIT (Trees Into Cartons, Cartons
Into Trees).
Trees Are Treasures (Kindergarten - 2nd Graders) This program for younger learners features science-based supplemental kits designed and packed by our Packaging division.
Take-Home Modules (Kindergarten - 2nd Graders) Our shared environmental mission continues in the face of new demands, especially during the pandemic. Quad assembled environmental science and literacy modules for parents, teachers and other organizations.
Our collaboration with Pine View Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in southeastern Wisconsin creates awareness of sustainability’s importance in daily life with young learners.
Earth & Education
•
•
•
We are convinced that many environmental challenges can be reduced or solved, given the right knowledge and a commitment to creating a better way.
Quad thinks about being responsible and being regenerative.
We look at the connections between our clients, the consumer, Quad and our vendors. We are establishing the chains of custody, evaluating interplaying impacts, and working to align with clients’ and communities’ environmental initiatives.
Our Stance
50 Years of Action and Advocacy
Download Full Report
“We know what’s good for the environment is good for business, too.”
NATALIE HAHLEN
Director of Environmental Health & Safety
ESG Home Environmental Social Governance
Download Full Report
ESG Home
Environmental
Social
Governance
ESG Home Environmental Social Governance
Governance
Social
Environmental
ESG Home
Download Full Report
ESG Home
Environmental
Social
Governance
Environmental
Building on Our Legacy
Read the full report
Read the full report
Defining What
Matters Most
Environmental
Quad has always been committed to being a more sustainable business. Our journey has taken on new momentum as environmental narratives and needs change.
Reduce Carbon Emissions Intensity
Through 2030, Quad commits to reducing our overall carbon emissions intensity.
Reduce Hazardous Waste
Through 2030, Quad commits to reducing the amount of hazardous waste generated by unit of production.
Increase Recycling Rate
Quad commits to increasing the recycling rate of solid waste at all facilities through 2030, after which we will evaluate benchmarks and seek ways to further improve our solid waste recycling rate.
Protect Forests
Through 2030, Quad commits to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
Environmental SDG Commitments
Quad’s environmental efforts most closely link to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets. We use these goals to create a better way for our shared planet.
For 50 years, operating sustainably has been an integral part of our purpose. Accordingly, Quad has been recognized as a leading environmental advocate and innovator.
*tap images to learn more
Our Sustainable Journey
Environmental Responsibility
Energy & Emissions
We know greenhouse gases are a leading cause of climate change, and we are working to reduce emissions from our operations. Our most effective method: lowering Quad’s energy intensity across our enterprise. Through ongoing energy management programs, spanning nearly two decades, we have made contributions to lowering our energy consumption and reducing greenhouse gases.
Learn More
Recycling, Reusing, Reducing
Quad reclaims materials and diverts them from the landfill through industrial and office recycling programs. We’ve successfully reduced the use of plastics and hazardous materials and even upcycle some manufacturing process byproducts into consumer products.
Learn More
Responsible Materials
Clients expect us to make their printed products and packaging more sustainable. We choose our suppliers with care, look for reliable chains of custody in our suppliers and challenge ourselves to discover more sustainable materials and responsible sources.
Learn More
How We calculate emissions
Dept. of Energy Partnerships
Energy-Efficient Technologies
Solar Energy
•
•
In Wisconsin, we are investigating participation in state-approved energy and solar programs that encourage companies to partner with the regional utility for renewable energy projects.
We are looking at the feasibility of investing in various solar installations at our Lomira, Wis., facility, and in a smaller phased/expandable solar system for
other facilities.
As demand for energy grows, clean solar energy is proving to be an effective option for helping reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Quad is pursuing several solar infrastructure projects and partnerships to help power our production facilities during cycles of peak demand and generate renewable power that can be transmitted back onto the local utility grid.
Solar Energy
•
•
High-speed, high-output printing presses were installed at our Saratoga Springs, N.Y., plant in 2021 and our Sussex, Wis., plant in 2019. These presses use 41% less electricity and 33% less gas per printed page compared to older presses.
Five plants adopted a new method for prepping printing plates, cutting CO emissions in 2020 by roughly 1,270 metric tons at the five plants (Hartford, Lomira, Sussex and West Allis, Wis., and Saratoga Springs, N.Y). This reduction was expected to total 2,100 metric tons in 2021.
2
Retiring old equipment and investing in efficient next-generation alternatives are proving to be one of our most effective strategies for reducing energy consumption.
Energy-Efficient Technologies
•
•
The mark of regenerative thinking is upending the way we historically view waste and emissions to transform them into sources for supplemental energy.
Better Plants Program: Quad is proud to be a founding partner of the Better Plants program, established by the U.S. DOE in 2009, to improve energy efficiency and competitiveness in the industrial sector. In March 2020, we renewed our commitment to energy conservation with a pledge to reduce energy intensity by 20% through 2029.
50001 Ready Energy Management: Quad’s Hartford and West Allis, Wis., and Saratoga Springs, N.Y., plants are recognized by the U.S. DOE for having a 50001 Ready energy management system through creating sound energy policies, establishing objectives and building structured improvements to generate deep, sustained energy savings. Additional Quad plants plan to join the program.
From the beginning, we have realized environmental challenges cannot be tackled in isolation. Our industry partnerships and collaborations with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) show how we are working together on a national scale to create a better way.
Dept. of Energy Partnerships
•
•
We calculate Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon dioxide and equivalent emissions using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change greenhouse gas methodology, and emissions factors from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Center for Corporate Climate Leadership — Emissions Factors for Calculating Greenhouse Gas Inventories. All emissions data are verified by an independent third-party.
In 2020, Quad emitted 0.6322 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions per million pages produced in the United States.
Quad uses a carbon footprint calculator to identify the amount of emissions related to key company activities. This allows for conscious management and reduction efforts.
How We calculate emissions
Recycling Operations
Regenerative Energy
Replacing or Reusing Plastics
Reducing Hazardous Wastes
In 2020, we shipped approximately 0.73 pounds of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) federally regulated hazardous waste per 1 million pages printed. Note: Although we decreased hazardous waste from the prior year, 2020 data does not represent true reduction due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on manufacturing production.
•
Quad manages hazardous waste from the time it is generated through disposal. We have rigorous processes in place for identifying, segregating, containerizing, labeling, storing, shipping and disposing of hazardous waste.
Reducing Hazardous Wastes
Industrial plastic waste is recovered and resold to specialized industrial recyclers for use in recycled-content plastics.
Clients are offered paper wrap or new biofilms, providing more renewable alternatives for their products.
•
•
The use and disposal of plastics is an increasing environmental concern.
At Quad:
Replacing or Reusing Plastics
Waste to Energy: Quad implemented a waste-to-energy program in the early 2000s to keep any materials soaked with non-hazardous chemicals out of landfills. Materials are placed in containers and sent to a waste-to-energy solutions provider for burning in an incinerator that generates electricity.
Emissions into Energy: Our web offset presses are equipped with dryers that collect volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemical compounds that impact indoor and outdoor air quality and have adverse health effects. The technology turns these emissions into fuel, supplementing our natural gas usage.
•
•
The mark of regenerative thinking is upending the way we historically view waste and emissions to transform them into sources for supplemental energy.
Regenerative Energy
In 2020, we achieved a 98% recycling rate for wastepaper along with other general waste (like office paper and plastic water bottles) across all U.S. facilities.
Color-coded recycling containers have been placed at the machine level to quickly capture industrial recyclables.
Most trash containers have been replaced with clearly labeled containers for different types of recyclables.
“Waste walk-throughs” and other trash auditing events identify improvement opportunities.
We conduct education and awareness programs for employees, championed by plant directors and plant leadership.
•
•
•
•
•
Due to our large-scale printing operations, we generate a significant amount of paper trim waste. This wastepaper is collected, shredded and baled by grade, then sent out for recycling.
Recycling Operations
Certified Forest Products
EnviroTech™ Bio-Based Inks
For the heatset web offset printing process, our inks contain approximately 25% renewable resource content from ingredients such as pine and linseed oils, far exceeding the 7% industry standard of soy-based ink.
For the rotogravure process, our inks contain approximately 23% renewable resource content from tall oil resin.
Quad is one of the largest ink manufacturers in the nation, and the only printer that produces its own ink. We are bringing more responsible technologies to the industry.
•
•
•
In 1991, our own ink manufacturing division, Chemical Research\Technology (CR\T), developed EnviroTech™ inks.
EnviroTech™ Bio-Based Inks
Quad has worked with its clients to increase our certified paper usage by 24% — from 53% in 2017 to 77% in 2021.
Quad was one of the first printers to be triple chain-of-custody certified for sourcing materials from responsibly managed forests by the three leading forest certification programs: FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council), SFI® (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) and the PEFC™ (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification).
Quad partners with paper producers in low-risk forestry areas such as North America and Western Europe.
The paper mills from which Quad purchases paper for its U.S. printing operations do not use elemental chlorine, and we require all mill partners to comply with local laws with respect to their wood fiber sourcing, including the requirements of the U.S. Lacey Act for harvesting timber.
•
•
•
•
By printing with certified forest products, Quad is making a positive choice that helps safeguard the environment and the future of sustainable print.
Certified Forest Products
ESG Home Environmental Social Governance
Download Full Report
ESG Home
Environmental
Social
Governance
ESG Home Environmental Social Governance
Governance
Social
Environmental
ESG Home
Download Full Report
ESG Home
Environmental
Social
Governance