subject: Printing With Environmentally Friendly Techniques [print this page] It is the solemn responsibility of the present generation to take all necessary steps to ensure that that our planet is well-preserved from environmental degradation. We owe this to posterity so that future generations will have a safe earth to live in and have the same opportunities as we all do.
As is known to many, printing is one of the industries that is chiefly responsible for environmental degradation and printing companies, if they choose to, can help in a big way to preserve the environment.
The use of petroleum inks, varnishes, laminates and adhesives leads to the production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The release of VOCs in the atmosphere has adverse environmental effects. Eco-friendly or green printing uses soy and other vegetable inks instead of the conventional petroleum based inks. Soy ink is produced using soybean oil that is marginally refined and combined with pigment, resins, and waxes. Soybean oil is naturally clearer than their petroleum based counterparts and reduces the amount of chemicals put into the ink.
Use of recycled paper will contribute in a big way to save trees that are otherwise felled to manufacture paper. Lest you forget, recycled papers leads to energy saving and reduced release of air pollutants into the atmosphere. Environment-friendly printing houses should source the paper from well managed forests that comply with strict environmental standards. The papers have to be sourced only from FSC (Forest stewardship companies) certified companies.
The Recycled Products Cooperative has reported that over 100 million trees are cut each year to supply fiber for making writing and printing papers in the United States. This indiscriminate felling of trees is not only destructive of forests, but also endangers air quality and water reserves.
Although we may not be able to totally avoid the felling of trees, using recycled paper can translate into millions of trees being spared with a corresponding increase in greenhouse gases associated with the logging and manufacturing of virgin fiber papers.
By combining the advantages of soy inks, recycled paper, and environmentally friendly facilities printing industry can make a huge difference to the way it is impacting the Earth. Eco-friendly printing is certainly economical when compared to traditional printing and the results are also excellent. Honestly speaking, there is really no downside to green printing.
A printing company can reduce it's emissions of greenhouse gases by buying carbon credits supporting reforestation or renewable energy. There are many such funds that give you choices of how your credits will be used. There are three different choices - Reforestation, Renewable Energy, or Energy Conservation.
Since no official standards have been evolved yet, the printers are on their own to determine how committed they wish to be. In fact, an eco-friendly printer must take the initiative to educate customers about the need to patronize green printing.
If an organization chooses to use only FSC or SFI certified papers and avail the services of certified printing companies, they will be entitled to display the FSC & SFI logos on all their printed materials.
We are living in the computer age and the easiest thing to do is to switch over to digital printing. Digital printing is simple, neat and economical particularly for short-runs, four color business cards, sales promotional materials, general printed stationary and all print works that are less than 1000 sheets 0f 14 x 20 inches. Remember that digital printing uses 100 percent non-toxic toner and toner-based inks generate less chemical waste.
