ROCHESTER, N.Y., July 22 – The SONORA Plate Green Leaf Award, sponsored by Kodak, presented its first Latin American recipient to Grupo RBS for its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of the commercial printing industry in the region.
RBS is a leading multimedia communication company in Brazil, publishing eight major newspapers throughout the southern part of the country. RBS has combined their use of KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates with capital and operational investments to enhance their environmental friendliness. These include constructing a R$ 70 million printing plant with state- of-the-art environmental considerations such as green roofing, natural lighting to save on energy costs, innovative water reuse and runoff prevention systems, and an advanced treatment station to recycle liquid effluents generated by the plant. Latin America’s surging literacy rates and education expenditures, growing employment, and increasing incomes are driving demand for more high-quality print services. Customers are demanding products that meet the highest standard of quality while reducing their environmental footprint. Grupo RBS, founded in 1957, is an exemplary model for sustainability in the region. “We want to congratulate Grupo RBS for their impressive efforts and achievements in promoting sustainable printing,” said Rich Rindo, General Manager, Worldwide Graphics Marketing, and Vice President, Graphics, Entertainment & Commercial Film (GECF). “The competition in this region is increasingly competitive as more printers realize the benefits of shifting to process-free for their operation and the environment. Process-free plates represent
the next big shift in offset plate technology as printers look to simplify, reduce costs, and improve sustainability.” The award is named for KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates, known for yielding dramatic environmental and economic benefits for customers without sacrificing quality or output. SONORA Plates remove the need for the plate processor, which requires chemicals, water and energy, while generating waste. Kodak is seeing rapid growth in SONORA Plate adoption, and many more waiting to switch to the product. Today, SONORA Process Free Plates are manufactured in Europe and Kodak has announced plans to increase this capacity by manufacturing SONORA Plates at sites in Asia and the Americas. About the SONORA Plate Green Leaf Award The SONORA Plate Green Leaf Award is a program recognizing excellence among Kodak customers that are leaders in environmental initiatives. RBS was judged by Kodak on a range of criteria, including management practices to improve energy and water efficiency, participation in local community sustainability initiatives, and the use of eco-conscious materials and supplies. Kodak established the award by presenting to winners in Europe in 2013 and in the United States and Canada earlier this year. Winners in Asia will be announced later this year. About Kodak Kodak is a technology company focused on imaging for business. We provide innovative hardware, software, consumables and services to customers in graphic communications, packaging and functional printing. We also serve entertainment and commercial films markets. With our world-class R&D organization and extensive product portfolio, Kodak is helping customers around the globe to grow their own businesses in a sustainable way. For additional information on Kodak, visit us at kodak.com, follow us on Twitter @Kodak, or like us on Facebook at KodakNow. (Kodak and Sonora are trademarks of Eastman Kodak Company.) 2014