Regardless of the industry in which a business is operating, conserving the environment is today a necessity for one to remain in business. Consumers are now more concerned about the environment and favor products originating from businesses that share the same concerns. The printing industry is one of the areas that has come under pressure to make changes. As an individual business, there are various ways of adopting sustainable digital printing.
Choosing the right type of ink is one of the major steps that can be undertaken. Traditional inks contain volatile organic compounds, VOCs, since they are derived from petroleum. In the presence of nitrogen and sunlight, these compounds react to form smog. Due to this effect, newer, vegetable-based inks that do not contain the VOCs are now available in the market.
Apart from the volatile compounds, the inks also contain some heavy metals. Examples of these metals include mercury, chromium, nickel, selenium and cadmium among others. When they are released through the effluent, they contaminate soil and water sources which in turn poses a danger to plant and animal life. This challenge has been addressed by manufacturing natural inks that have very little of these metals or none at all.
The choice of paper that is being used in the process should also be considered. Recycled paper should be the first choice for any firm that is conscious about the environment. Compared to virgin paper, using this type of paper is not only cheaper but also reduces the rate of deforestation. A more direct benefit to the environment is the fact that it requires less water to process which results in less effluent compared to virgin paper.
Apart from paper, other raw materials can be recycled as well. Water is one of the inputs that are used in large quantities. Without recycling or reusing, at least 60% of it goes to waste. If it was to be reused the savings realized by the firm would be tremendous. Examples of other raw materials that may be recycled and reused include ink and aluminum plates.
Efficiency in the use of power is an aspect that has to be closely monitored to ensure that wastage is put at the minimum. Strive to reduce your use of hydropower and petroleum based fuels and increase utilization of wind, solar and other renewable sources of energy. One of the decisions that you may need to make is to get rid of old, inefficient equipment and replace it with that which has higher output for every product produced.
Sustainability can also be adopted in fabric printing. In the pretreatment stage, urea and other chemicals are used. When urea is broken down during the steaming stage, it releases carbon dioxide into the environment. Carbon-dioxide is a well-known greenhouse gas that can directly damage the ozone layer. Alternative methods that are free of urea are now commercially available in the market.
Using sustainable solutions in printing goes a long way into preserving our natural resources. To the individual firm, it is a way to participate in worthy cause and more importantly, it greatly helps in lowering operational costs. The reduced operational costs will be passed on to the consumer in the form of more affordable products. In the end, it is a win-win situation for everyone.
Choosing the right type of ink is one of the major steps that can be undertaken. Traditional inks contain volatile organic compounds, VOCs, since they are derived from petroleum. In the presence of nitrogen and sunlight, these compounds react to form smog. Due to this effect, newer, vegetable-based inks that do not contain the VOCs are now available in the market.
Apart from the volatile compounds, the inks also contain some heavy metals. Examples of these metals include mercury, chromium, nickel, selenium and cadmium among others. When they are released through the effluent, they contaminate soil and water sources which in turn poses a danger to plant and animal life. This challenge has been addressed by manufacturing natural inks that have very little of these metals or none at all.
The choice of paper that is being used in the process should also be considered. Recycled paper should be the first choice for any firm that is conscious about the environment. Compared to virgin paper, using this type of paper is not only cheaper but also reduces the rate of deforestation. A more direct benefit to the environment is the fact that it requires less water to process which results in less effluent compared to virgin paper.
Apart from paper, other raw materials can be recycled as well. Water is one of the inputs that are used in large quantities. Without recycling or reusing, at least 60% of it goes to waste. If it was to be reused the savings realized by the firm would be tremendous. Examples of other raw materials that may be recycled and reused include ink and aluminum plates.
Efficiency in the use of power is an aspect that has to be closely monitored to ensure that wastage is put at the minimum. Strive to reduce your use of hydropower and petroleum based fuels and increase utilization of wind, solar and other renewable sources of energy. One of the decisions that you may need to make is to get rid of old, inefficient equipment and replace it with that which has higher output for every product produced.
Sustainability can also be adopted in fabric printing. In the pretreatment stage, urea and other chemicals are used. When urea is broken down during the steaming stage, it releases carbon dioxide into the environment. Carbon-dioxide is a well-known greenhouse gas that can directly damage the ozone layer. Alternative methods that are free of urea are now commercially available in the market.
Using sustainable solutions in printing goes a long way into preserving our natural resources. To the individual firm, it is a way to participate in worthy cause and more importantly, it greatly helps in lowering operational costs. The reduced operational costs will be passed on to the consumer in the form of more affordable products. In the end, it is a win-win situation for everyone.
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