HKUST Print Shop Becomes the First FSC-Certified Printer among HK Universities

HKUST Publishing Technology Center (PTC) announced that it has become the first facility among Hong Kong education institutions to obtain Forest Stewardship Council Chain-of-Custody (FSC- COC) certification. As one of HKUST’s teaching and learning supporting units, PTC provides printing, design, digital media and publishing services for the university, and has been promoting sustainable design and printing on campus.

Obtaining the FSC-COC certification demonstrates the commitment of the PTC to ensuring that all wood and paper materials have gone through a rigorous, step-by-step tracking process to demonstrate they comply with the highest environmental and conservation criteria. The certification provides documentation that any company in this supply chain—including harvesters, processors, manufacturers, distributors, printers, retailers or anyone that is taking ownership of the forest product before the end user—needs to meet the FSC certification protocol. Without this certification, at any point in the supply chain process, an end retailer will not be able to label or promote their products as FSC certified.

Mr Thomas Ng, Director of PTC, said “By becoming the first printing facility among local education institutions obtaining the FSC-COC certificate, it signifies HKUST's commitment to sustainable printing. It will increase users' confidence in our printed products and enhance the University's image.”

To receive the certificate, PTC reconfigured the Center’s Printshop to meet FSC requirements and have staff training before an audit exercise conducted by FSC. The whole process took around 6 months, including the time to convince FSC headquarter to approve a non-commercial printer like us for FSC-COC certification. The FSC-COC certificate will last for 5 years and is extendable, and will be audited annually.

The certification means that, by using PTC’s FSC service, usersnow have the option to add the “FSC Certified” logo on their printed materials. Mr Ng feels there is a great value for doing so; “As PTC Director, I encourage our colleagues and students to choose FSC printing.” While the potential for FSC print jobs is expanding, Mr Ng recognizes that there is still some work to do. “We now use FSC certified paper if the jobs allow, but not for all the printing work yet. We are piloting FSC workflow for offset printing jobs and later for digital printing as their turnaround time may be too short for the FSC process.”

PTC is recently working on an online system to facilitate material tracing process for FSC jobs. Once the system is ready, a simple website on PTC will be available for FSC services and more publicity to engage the campus community will follow.

About FSC

FSC is a global, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of responsible forest management worldwide. Sustainable forest management ensures forests meet the social, ecological, and economic rights and needs of the present generation without compromising those of future generations.

• ensures that the harvest of timber and non-timber products maintains the forest's biodiversity, productivity, and ecological processes.
• helps both local people and society at large to enjoy long term benefits and provides strong incentives to local people to sustain the forest resources and adhere to long-term management plans.
• forest operations are structured and managed so as to be sufficiently profitable, without generating financial profit at the expense of the forest resource, the ecosystem, or affected communities.

To learn more about FSC COC, click here. 

PTC has been promoting sustainable design and printing on campus.

HKUST PTC has become the first facility among Hong Kong education institutions to obtain Forest Stewardship Council Chain-of-Custody (FSC- COC) certification.

Related Links

FSC COC