Are You on the Right Track With Your Green Printing Agenda?
Many of us have begun feeling environmentally responsible after the widespread promotion of adopting eco-friendly tactics to help saving the environment.
Giving off old newspapers to recycling units, reducing paper usage as much as possible, using a recycle bin at your office and home are some of the steps taken by us.
But the question remains- are these steps enough? Are they really helping to cease the constant degradation that the environment is undergoing? The printing industry comes under direct scanner when environmental degradation is being talked about.
As is already known, printing inks contain volatile VOCs which are a threat to the environment.
Moreover, the amount of paper used and wasted is not unknown.
Printing presses are now swearing by the new green printing technology.
But they need to assess whether they are going in the right direction.
1)Learn the correct terms: Green printing begins with the material on which the printing is to be done- the paper.
Learn the names of the various kinds of environmental-friendly papers before ordering them: a)Virgin fiber-100-percent "pure" fiber from an original source b)Post-consumer content-Waste recovered from consumers and recycled c)VOCs-Volatile organic compounds (such as occur in petroleum-based printing ink) d)PCF-Processed chlorine-free e)TCF-Totally chlorine-free f)ECF-Elemental chlorine-free 2)Purchase recycled paper with high levels of post-consumer content to put a check on the incessant cutting of trees.
3)Do away with the VOC rich petroleum-based inks, which leach into the soil causing birth defects and cancers.
Instead, soy ink forms a great alternative as it is comparatively low in VOCs.
Digital printing can be the answer for short-run, 4 color work for business cards, stationery, and printing works demanding less than 1000 sheets of 14x20 inches.
Moreover, digital printing uses 100% non-toxic toner thus producing even less chemical waste.
4)Use "tree-free" papers made from Kenaf and hemp.
There is also a special paper made from ground stone called "TerraSkin.
" 5)Go for better bleaching solutions using chlorine compounds like chlorine dioxide rather than pure chlorine.
PCF and TCF bleaching are better options.
6)Educate your clients about the importance of introducing environmentally methods into their businesses.
Keep in touch with the latest products and practices.
Green printers can certainly help in the creation of a greener planet by following the above-mentioned steps.
Some of the practices have already been adopted and we hope that universal support will ensure the longevity of our beautiful planet.
Giving off old newspapers to recycling units, reducing paper usage as much as possible, using a recycle bin at your office and home are some of the steps taken by us.
But the question remains- are these steps enough? Are they really helping to cease the constant degradation that the environment is undergoing? The printing industry comes under direct scanner when environmental degradation is being talked about.
As is already known, printing inks contain volatile VOCs which are a threat to the environment.
Moreover, the amount of paper used and wasted is not unknown.
Printing presses are now swearing by the new green printing technology.
But they need to assess whether they are going in the right direction.
1)Learn the correct terms: Green printing begins with the material on which the printing is to be done- the paper.
Learn the names of the various kinds of environmental-friendly papers before ordering them: a)Virgin fiber-100-percent "pure" fiber from an original source b)Post-consumer content-Waste recovered from consumers and recycled c)VOCs-Volatile organic compounds (such as occur in petroleum-based printing ink) d)PCF-Processed chlorine-free e)TCF-Totally chlorine-free f)ECF-Elemental chlorine-free 2)Purchase recycled paper with high levels of post-consumer content to put a check on the incessant cutting of trees.
3)Do away with the VOC rich petroleum-based inks, which leach into the soil causing birth defects and cancers.
Instead, soy ink forms a great alternative as it is comparatively low in VOCs.
Digital printing can be the answer for short-run, 4 color work for business cards, stationery, and printing works demanding less than 1000 sheets of 14x20 inches.
Moreover, digital printing uses 100% non-toxic toner thus producing even less chemical waste.
4)Use "tree-free" papers made from Kenaf and hemp.
There is also a special paper made from ground stone called "TerraSkin.
" 5)Go for better bleaching solutions using chlorine compounds like chlorine dioxide rather than pure chlorine.
PCF and TCF bleaching are better options.
6)Educate your clients about the importance of introducing environmentally methods into their businesses.
Keep in touch with the latest products and practices.
Green printers can certainly help in the creation of a greener planet by following the above-mentioned steps.
Some of the practices have already been adopted and we hope that universal support will ensure the longevity of our beautiful planet.
