Environmental conservation in business is a subject that has to be addressed by all industries including the printing industry. It is increasingly becoming clear that businesses that are not environmental conscious may lose out to their competitors that are in the near future. There are many ways in which individual firms can adopt sustainable digital printing without necessarily compromising on the quality of their work. We will look at some of the options available.
Ink is an important component of any printing process. Traditional inks are derived from petroleum and have a high amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds react with atmospheric gasses and lead to formation of smog. Fortunately, environmental-friendly inks that are vegetable based and biodegradable have now been developed. These natural alternatives have the same range of colors as the petroleum based types.
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.
The printing of fabrics is another area that has been under pressure to develop sustainable solutions. The pre-treatment process is one area in which changes have been made. Traditionally, the chemicals used for the process have included urea. When urea is released into the environment, it is broken down to yield carbon-dioxide as a byproduct which is one of the major greenhouse gases. A special type of form that has no urea has been formed and is now being used.
Sustainable printing is associated with numerous benefits. The most important is that the environment will be conserved. The specific benefit to the business is that operational costs are significantly lowered which may help increase the profit margins. For the consumer, the benefit is that the reduced operational costs may be passed on to them in the form of more affordable products.
Ink is an important component of any printing process. Traditional inks are derived from petroleum and have a high amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds react with atmospheric gasses and lead to formation of smog. Fortunately, environmental-friendly inks that are vegetable based and biodegradable have now been developed. These natural alternatives have the same range of colors as the petroleum based types.
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.
The printing of fabrics is another area that has been under pressure to develop sustainable solutions. The pre-treatment process is one area in which changes have been made. Traditionally, the chemicals used for the process have included urea. When urea is released into the environment, it is broken down to yield carbon-dioxide as a byproduct which is one of the major greenhouse gases. A special type of form that has no urea has been formed and is now being used.
Sustainable printing is associated with numerous benefits. The most important is that the environment will be conserved. The specific benefit to the business is that operational costs are significantly lowered which may help increase the profit margins. For the consumer, the benefit is that the reduced operational costs may be passed on to them in the form of more affordable products.
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