What PRINTING United Expo 2026 Revealed About the Future of Sustainable Print

At PRINTING United Expo 2026, visitors connecting with SGP wanted to know more about certification pathways, recycling resources and end-of-life solutions. Those conversations offered a practical view of the questions print organizations are asking as they consider their next steps in sustainability.

Held September 23–25 in Las Vegas, the Expo gave SGP an opportunity to connect with the print community and discuss how sustainability fits into the industry’s future. Michael Dillon, Jodi Sawyer, Todd Ebersole, Theresa Vanna, Gary Jones, Sara Osario and Birdley James represented SGP at the booth or elsewhere at the Expo.

The team described its conversations as strategic, collaborative and forward-looking, with a strong technical focus. Several takeaways emerged from those exchanges.

1. Sustainability conversations are getting practical

Questions about recycling resources and end-of-life solutions brought the discussion down to specific challenges. Visitors were interested in understanding how to address what happens to materials after use, alongside learning about SGP certification.

For SGP, that interest points to an opportunity to help facilities connect their sustainability goals with the decisions they make every day. Identifying available resources, understanding material options and asking what happens at the end of a product’s life can all help facilities determine where to focus their efforts.

2. Innovation creates an opportunity to advance sustainability

Advanced technology and AI integration stood out to Birdley James, who described a renewed sense of inspiration at this year’s show. Sustainability remained a subject organizations wanted to explore alongside those developments.

“Advanced technology and AI integration were on full display. This created a renewed sense of inspiration in the air. However, sustainability remained a core fundamental value that organizations wanted to explore further!” — Birdley James

For print facilities evaluating new technology, the sustainability question is practical: how could a change in equipment or workflow support more responsible operations? Looking at resource use, waste and process consistency alongside productivity can help facilities assess how an investment fits their broader goals.

3. Interest in certification needs a clear next step

Visitors wanted to learn more about SGP certification and its available pathways. Those questions gave the team an opportunity to discuss how organizations can move from an interest in sustainability toward a more structured approach.

A useful next step is to understand which pathway applies to an organization, what it requires and how to begin. SGP’s conversations at the Expo reinforced the value of making that information accessible so facilities can evaluate their options and plan their next steps.

4. Collaboration helps make technical questions easier to explore

The SGP team’s experience underscored the value of bringing people together to discuss sustainability challenges. Collaborative, technically focused conversations created opportunities to explore questions in more detail and learn what resources visitors were seeking.

That exchange is valuable beyond the show floor. Continuing to share questions, experiences and resources can help the sustainable print community identify where more guidance is needed and support facilities as they work through implementation.

5. The conversation needs to continue after the Expo

The interest in certification, recycling and end-of-life solutions gives SGP a clear focus for follow-up. Facilities need opportunities to ask questions and connect with people who can help them understand their options.

For SGP, the work ahead is to build on those conversations through continued engagement with the print community. Helping organizations find relevant information and understand certification pathways can turn show-floor interest into a practical next step.

Looking ahead

PRINTING United Expo 2026 gave SGP a chance to hear what organizations wanted to know about sustainability while seeing the technology shaping the industry’s future. The team’s conversations highlighted a continued interest in certification and specific questions about materials and end-of-life solutions.

Thank you to everyone who connected with SGP at the Expo and to the members who represented our community. We look forward to continuing the conversation.

To learn more about SGP certification and explore the next steps for your organization, visit sgppartnership.org.