Print products from Druckstudio GmbH are certified to the criteria of the Blue Angel. This certification serves as evidence that an exceptionally ecofriendly approach is being pursued throughout the entire print production value chain.
What is the Blue Angel?
The Blue Angel has been the ecolabel of the federal government of Germany for over 40 years and symbolises the protection of people and the environment. Currently the most stringent and credible ecolabel in the printing sector by far, it sets demanding standards for environmentally friendly products and helps consumers make sustainable purchasing decisions.
The Blue Angel – what does it mean for you as a print buyer?
The Blue Angel to DE-UZ 195 is the Number 1 choice for customers who place the most stringent environmental requirements on their products and want to communicate that with credibility.
It is a voluntary ecolabel designed to encourage buyers to choose printing processes that use fewer resources, facilitate high-quality recycling, generate lower emissions and produce less waste. Displaying the ecolabel on their print products is a simple way for print buyers to communicate the choices they have made.
What do we do as a printing partner?
Unlike the FSC® and PEFC certifications, the Blue Angel doesn’t just assess the origin of the paper, but also places stringent requirements on all the printing materials and resources used, as well as on our production process as a whole:
- Only recycled paper certified by the Blue Angel may be used
- Inks must not contain mineral oils or VOCs (alcohol-free) and must be low in harmful substances
- Adhesives must be low in emissions and harmful substances
- Printing materials and resources must be low in, or free from, VOCs and be low in harmful substances
- Energy and waste management must be efficient
- Used products must feature optimum recyclability
A print product is permitted to carry the Blue Angel label only when these environmental criteria have been met. Only a print shop that incorporates the suffix “blauer-engel.de/UZ 195” into the label has been approved for product certification to DE-UZ 195.
How does the Blue Angel get onto your print products?
When working with us, you can clearly label your print product with the Blue Angel because we have been approved for product certification to DE-UZ 195. The ecolabel’s approval process involves a number of steps, and we can assist you with all of them:
- Once we have received your order, we will send you the logo along with design specifications and guidelines for using it.
- You position the logo somewhere suitable on your product. our Premedia department will be more than happy to help you with this to ensure the approval process runs smoothly.
- We lodge the necessary applications with the certification body and take care of all the associated formalities for you.
What types of products can carry the Blue Angel?
- Brochures and magazines
- Flyers
- Business stationery
- Business and sustainability reports
- Catalogues
- Art catalogues
- Presentation folders
- Books
- User guides
- Calendars
- Posters
- Booklets
- Advertising inserts
- Newspapers
- Price lists
- Product sheets
- Postcards, Christmas cards
- Packaging, folding cartons, sleeves
Processing techniques:
Spine stitching, hardcover thread stitching, adhesive binding, Wire-O binding
Which surface finishing techniques are permitted?
Due to the stringent specification criteria for environmental friendliness and recyclability, the use of surface finishing techniques is restricted to:
- Spot and special colours (excluding metallic and fluorescent colours)
- Sratch resistant matt foley coating
- Protective dispersion coating
- Punching and embossing
If you’d like to know more about the Blue Angel, we’d be more than happy to advise you on how to make the most of it.
Further information:
www.blauer-engel.de/en
Download the certificate
Download our Blue Angel certificate as a PDF file here.