subject: What to Know about Green Printing [print this page] What to Know about Green Printing What to Know about Green Printing
More and more people have begun to patronize green printing and as a result printers are switching over to green printing. To satisfy that your printer is adopting green practices, you may check on the following:
Ascertain from the printers what percentage of their paper is recycled. You should strictly be looking for a printer who uses 100% recycled PCW (post consumer waste) paper. You should also insist on Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) or Process Chlorine Free (PCF) paper and not settle for Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) or standard chlorine bleached paper.
Strangely, even after the advent of the Internet, people continue to rely heavily on paper for printing various documents and sales promotional materials. The Recycled Products Cooperative states in its study report that over 100 million trees are cut each year to supply fiber for writing and printing papers in the United States. This not only poses serious threat forest conservation, but also to air quality and water reserves. The only alternative is to use recycled paper with high levels of post-consumer content.
In fact, Chlorine bleached paper should be scrupulously avoided as it leads to the emission of toxic byproducts that contaminate air, water, and soil. Look for a printer who only uses vegetable and soy based inks and not petroleum based ink. Vegetable and soy based inks are much safer for the environment.
If you are not already aware, then know that petroleum-based inks leach VOCs into the soil when printed papers end up in landfills. These toxins, which reportedly cause terminal diseases like cancer and certain types of birth deformities, also get released into the air as fresh inks dry.
Soy ink is a remarkable alternative to petroleum-based inks. Soy ink uses soybean oil that is naturally very low in VOCs, efficient and cost-competitive. Many newspapers, magazines and other periodicals are now using only soy ink.
Find out how dedicated the printing company is to the green cause in general. Some green printing companies are deeply committed the green movement and even frequently make donations and are active members of green organizations.
There are several suppliers of printing machinery and the specifications vary. As a rule, printers dedicated to the green cause will often invest only in efficient printing presses and plates to curtail waste and lessen energy consumption and emissions.
Making a commitment to practice environmentally safe methods can be challenging, but it is possible and absolutely essential for a greener tomorrow. Many frontline companies are today deeply committed to using print and packaging materials made with sustainable resources. IBM, Coca-Cola, and Mc-Donald are some of the notable examples. They even publish shareholder reports on 100-percent recycled post-consumer content.
One more step towards environmental protection would be to shift bulk of the printing work from traditional printing methods to digital printing. Digital is best suited for short-run, four-color work for business cards, office stationery, sales promotional materials, and all print work where volume is less than 1,000 sheets of 14 x 20 inches. Remember that digital printing uses 100-percent nontoxic toner and toner-based inks produce less chemical waste.
