The Implementation Of Sustainable Digital Printing

By Richard Patterson


Due to sustained campaigns against global warming, many industries are under immense pressure to change the methods that they have used in their operations for decades. The printing industry is one of those that have been identified as contributing to carbon emissions at a number of stages. To conform to the new order of things, many are becoming more innovative which is helping conserve the environment and cut down costs. Sustainable digital printing can be achieved on a number of ways.

An area in which major changes are being made is the type of inks that are used in the process. The inks that have been used traditionally are known to result in byproducts known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are harmful to the environment. This occurs when the chemical that are found in these inks react with nitrogen oxide (in the atmosphere) in the presence of sunlight. New types of ink do not have these compounds.

The other area in which significant changes can be made is in the type of paper that is used. Increased use of virgin paper causes increased deforestation, a major contributing factor to global warming and climate change. Recycled paper, on the other hand, helps reduce wastage and hence the need to cut down more trees. During processing, there is production of less effluent when recycled paper is used as compared to virgin paper.

One area that is causing a lot of wastage is proof reading of manuscripts. In the modern era, it does not make any sense why anyone would invest so much in paper that may eventually end up as waste. Firms that have embraced modern communication techniques are realizing huge savings. The email, for instance, has made it possible to make changes on manuscripts easily without necessarily using paper.

The other raw materials can be similarly recycled or reused at various stages. Water is one of the inputs that are easiest to reuse. It has been established that with the right measures in place, one can recycle at least 65% of the water that is used. This is one way in which operation costs can be markedly reduced. The other raw materials that have been successfully recycled or reused include ink, aluminum plates and waste paper.

Energy efficiency should be a priority in a printing firm. Fossil fuels take a big part of the blame for global warming and this is the reason as to why there is a general trend to move away from these sources of energy in favor of more renewable sources. Wind and solar energy are, in particular, getting a very positive reception. When replacing old equipment, acquire new ones that will give you higher input for each kilowatt of electricity that you use.

Digital printing is also widely used in fabrics these days. The changes that are taking place in paper printing are also being applied to fabrics with tremendous success. One of the unique stages involved in the case of fabrics is pretreatment. This stage involves the use of chemicals whose major byproduct is urea. Urea is in turn broken down to release carbon dioxide. This one of the processes that has been eliminated and alternatives developed.

Using green based solutions in printing is a practice that is going to be vital to the success of any business in the near future. The good news is that there are numerous benefits that are released by the writers, the printing firms and eventually the final consumers. The savings in operation costs are passed on to all the players in the industry.




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