Aurora, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/13/2011 -- “Our goal is to reduce solid waste sent to landfills by 60% or more,” explains George Tommasi, Director of Human Resources, The Label Printer’s Illinois EPA Compliance Representative, and the L.I.F.E. team leader and senior executive on the team. “We wanted our major certification project to be something that had significant impact to the environment and the company. We had been sending the equivalent of over 24 trailers of waste to landfills every year, so we felt that this project definitely met our criteria.”

The Label Printers’ L.I.F.E. team (Mr. Tommasi, Gina Ries, Matt Slaughter, and Dawn Tesch) have been working since May to choose their project, put their stake in the ground, and establish their goal. The team analyzed and sorted their solid waste into 3 categories: recyclable, waste to energy (fuel pellets), and unrecyclable solid waste (landfill). They have written a Sustainability Manual which they have submitted, along with their certification materials, to T.L.M.I. for evaluation by the L.I.F.E. team, and are preparing for the L.I.F.E. program’s Desk Audit – which will occur sometime early in 2011. The last step in the process will be a Site Audit in the spring of 2011. TLMI/L.I.F.E. has partnered with NSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company™, for these audits.

“Being ‘green’ is a no-brainer,” says Lori Campbell, The Label Printers’ Chief of Operations. “A program like L.I.F.E., done right, means you’re reducing waste and therefore cost, improving operations, getting your employees engaged and thinking, and being a good citizen of the planet Earth – all at the same time. We’re looking forward to seeing the team’s plans come to life.”

The Label Printers is a leading custom label and packaging manufacturer, serving a widely diverse customer base around the globe – ranging from Fortune 100 to start-up businesses. The company serves industries as varied as wine, pharmaceutical, and electrical.

The Label Printers takes special pride in their quality, which is backed up by their ISO 9001 Registration (with an acceptance rating which has stayed at a consistent and nearly perfect 99.6% since 1989).

About The Label Printers
The Label Printers, Aurora, IL, is one of the 100 largest converters in the United States. They started in business in 1967, manufacturing simple label constructions in a 1,000 square foot space, with 1 employee, serving the local Chicago market. Now, the company owns and operates two facilities in Aurora, Illinois, manufacturing and distributing labels and packaging products to thousands of customers in over 25 countries around the world. The company is certified to ISO 9001 standards, with a 99.6% Quality Acceptance Rating.

The Label Printers is a member of NASPO (North American Security Products Organization), CACP (Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy), IACC (International Counterfeiting Coalition), TLMI (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute) and the FTA (Flexographic Technical Association).

About the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute, Inc.
TLMI, located in Gloucester, Massachusetts, is a member-driven association strongly committed to providing business solutions that enhance the prosperity of its members and the narrow web tag, label, and packaging industries. The organization’s vision is to be the premier member-driven association for the label and packaging industry.

In addition to the L.I.F.E. program, TLMI offers their members a wide range of reports that focus on key industry indices, real-time economic analysis, and benchmarking metrics – these include a Financial Benchmarking/Ratio Analysis, Compensation Analysis, and Quarterly Trends.

TLMI has grown from an original group of 19 founding members to hundreds of supplier and converter members. The organization celebrated their Diamond Anniversary in 2008.

About NSF International
NSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company™, is a not-for-profit, non-governmental standards development organization, focusing on food, water, indoor air, and the environment. NSF develops national standards and provides third-party conformity assessment services.

Serving manufacturers in 80 countries, NSF was founded in 1944 and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The NSF Mark is recognized for its value in international trade around the world and is respected by regulatory agencies at the local, state, and federal levels.