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Friday, February 19, 2016

Info Post
By Angela Thomas


In line with environmental conservation guidelines which are being adopted by many countries all over the world, many industries have made an effort to be more environment conscious in their operations. The printing industry is no exception. The general trend is to move away from practices which degrade the environment and adopt those which create a more positive impact. There are a number of ways through which you can create digital printing that is eco friendly.

One of the significant changes which are being made is to reduce the emission of volatile organic compounds (also known as VOCs). VOCs have traditionally form a major component of printing ink. One of the effects of these compounds is that they react with nitrogen oxides in the environment in the presence of sunlight to form ozone. The resultant ozone combines with dust particles to form smog which affects both plants and animals.

Recycled paper is a product which is increasingly being accepted as an alternative to fiber paper by many printing plants as well as customers. One of the benefits of using recycled paper is the fact that it requires less water to process compared to virgin paper. It also has less effluent. More importantly, however, recycled paper reduces the rate of deforestation and helps conserve the environment. New methods which do not use chlorine for bleaching now exist.

Recycling of other raw materials should also be optimized. Water, which is used in large quantities can be recycled and reused. In efficient printing firms, it has been shown that more than 65% of the water can be recycled. Other materials which should be collected and reused include aluminum plates, waste paper and ink. Of course, it is important that you make an effort to cut down on this waste as well.

Energy conservation should be a priority. Efforts should be made to cut down on the use of fossil fuels as much as possible and use renewable sources of energy instead. If you are to buy new equipment, ensure it is more efficient with faster running speed which ensures there is more output per kilowatt of electricity used. Regular servicing ensures that your printers remain efficient and use less energy, ink and water.

The firm should reduce the use of paper in handling proof or avoid altogether. The good news is that many firms are now using email for this. Customers are engaged electronically and can easily keep track of their proofs as they move through various stages. Eliminating the use of paper not only conserves the environment but also increases efficiency. Indirect benefits such as reduced need for gas to drive to the site are also realized.

There are changes which have been adopted in the screening of fabrics. One area in which this is taking place is in the pretreatment process. The conventional process involves using chemicals which contain significant amounts of urea. The urea is broken down during steaming to produce carbon dioxide. A special foam which does not require the inclusion of the harmful compounds is now increasingly being used.

As can be seen, there are many improvements which can be made at different stages. While it may not be possible to make all these changes at once, every small adjustment counts. Be willing to embrace modern technology which helps in increasing efficiency and minimizing the wastage of inputs.




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