Why you should choose an environmentally certified printing company

From the sorting, storage and disposal of hazardous waste to water use, carbon emissions and solvent use, strict, complicated legislation applies to all printing processes.

Although this legislation is regulated by the Environment Agency and Local Authority – or, in the case of water use, the local water company – due to the resources required, it is not actually policed. The onus is on the operating company to be aware of the appropriate legislation and to comply; and woe betide any company found guilty of, for example, polluting a water source via a chemical spill.

In my experience many printing companies (I’m sure this applies to other industries but I can only comment on my experiences) are either oblivious of the legislation, the reasons the legislation exists, or the onus to comply. Many printing companies seem to play a percentage game. After all, it’s so much easier and cheaper to tip down the drain, instead of capturing and disposing of via a registered disposal company, contaminated water from the printing press; or throw hazardous waste in with the general waste, instead of segregating and disposing of in accordance with the law.

Environmental certification acts as a framework for awareness of the legislation and compliance. Yes, there are costs involved but savings will also be made through more efficient recycling and reduced waste levels. Additionally, environmental certification creates a culture of performance awareness and will reveal opportunities for improvement and reducing costs: the concepts of reduced environmental impact and reduced costs are interchangeable.

Even those companies that have gained environmental certification as a sales tool will be in compliance with the legislation.

Do you really want to run the risk of placing your print work with companies that pollute our environment?

Make sure your printing company is environmentally certified.