Environmental conservation is an integral part of any business today. Consumers are increasingly giving preference to businesses that appear to be mindful of the environment and shunning those whose actions degrade it. For this reason, many industries appear to be realigning their processes to make them more sustainable. The printing industry is among those that are making radical changes. There are several ways of adopting sustainable digital printing.
One of the areas in which changes can be made is in the choice of ink used. The conventional types of ink are usually made from petroleum products. They contain volatile organic compounds, VOCs that have the potential to pollute the environment. This happens when the compounds react with nitrogenous gases to form smog. A number of vegetable based inks that are free of VOCs have been introduced to the market.
Petroleum based inks are also known to have a significantly high amount of heavy metals. Examples include cadmium, nickel, chromium, mercury and selenium among others. These metals are known contaminants of soil and water when released through effluents. This is likely to occur if they are released in large quantities or there is prolonged use. Most vegetable based inks have very little of these metals if at all.
Using recycled paper is beneficial to the environment as well as the business. Whereas virgin paper has to be produced directly from trees, recycled paper is the product of waste paper. This means that the need to cut trees is reduced. The cost of purchasing and processing recycled paper is lower than what is seen with virgin paper. Another advantage is that the effluent that is produced by waste paper is less.
Recycling and reusing raw materials can be extended to involve other inputs other than paper. Water, a key component in the process of printing, is among the easiest to reuse. Studies have indicated that more than two thirds of the water being used in the first cycle can be reused in the second cycle. Ink and aluminum plates can also be reused in subsequent cycles.
Energy efficiency should be emphasized in all the departments. If you have any old, inefficient pieces of equipment, replace them with newer ones that will give you a higher output of products for every unit of electricity used. At the same time, work progressively to reduce the use of petroleum based fuels and hydropower and increase that of wind, solar and other sources of energy that are renewable.
Sustainability is also being adopted in fabric printing processes. One of the areas that have experienced changes is the pre-treatment stage. During this stage, urea and other chemicals are usually used. Unfortunately, urea breaks down to release carbon dioxide in the environment, a major greenhouse gas. Today, there are newer methods of pre-treating fabrics using a special type of foam that does not contain urea.
When you choose to use sustainable solutions, you will be helping to preserve natural resources. The main benefit to your firm is the fact that your operating costs will be significantly reduced. This can be passed on to the consumer through reduced prices of products. As can be seen, it becomes a win-win situations for all that are involved.
One of the areas in which changes can be made is in the choice of ink used. The conventional types of ink are usually made from petroleum products. They contain volatile organic compounds, VOCs that have the potential to pollute the environment. This happens when the compounds react with nitrogenous gases to form smog. A number of vegetable based inks that are free of VOCs have been introduced to the market.
Petroleum based inks are also known to have a significantly high amount of heavy metals. Examples include cadmium, nickel, chromium, mercury and selenium among others. These metals are known contaminants of soil and water when released through effluents. This is likely to occur if they are released in large quantities or there is prolonged use. Most vegetable based inks have very little of these metals if at all.
Using recycled paper is beneficial to the environment as well as the business. Whereas virgin paper has to be produced directly from trees, recycled paper is the product of waste paper. This means that the need to cut trees is reduced. The cost of purchasing and processing recycled paper is lower than what is seen with virgin paper. Another advantage is that the effluent that is produced by waste paper is less.
Recycling and reusing raw materials can be extended to involve other inputs other than paper. Water, a key component in the process of printing, is among the easiest to reuse. Studies have indicated that more than two thirds of the water being used in the first cycle can be reused in the second cycle. Ink and aluminum plates can also be reused in subsequent cycles.
Energy efficiency should be emphasized in all the departments. If you have any old, inefficient pieces of equipment, replace them with newer ones that will give you a higher output of products for every unit of electricity used. At the same time, work progressively to reduce the use of petroleum based fuels and hydropower and increase that of wind, solar and other sources of energy that are renewable.
Sustainability is also being adopted in fabric printing processes. One of the areas that have experienced changes is the pre-treatment stage. During this stage, urea and other chemicals are usually used. Unfortunately, urea breaks down to release carbon dioxide in the environment, a major greenhouse gas. Today, there are newer methods of pre-treating fabrics using a special type of foam that does not contain urea.
When you choose to use sustainable solutions, you will be helping to preserve natural resources. The main benefit to your firm is the fact that your operating costs will be significantly reduced. This can be passed on to the consumer through reduced prices of products. As can be seen, it becomes a win-win situations for all that are involved.
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