From the natural resources consumed by paper, ink and energy requirements, to CO2 emissions and VOC concerns, the environmental impact of a printing company can be considerable and wide ranging.

The combined forces of market pressure, environmental legislation and a growing awareness of cost-reducing initiatives and technology have, in recent years, greatly reduced the environmental impact of the printing industry, overall - not all printing companies have made a connection between internal action and reduced costs.

 

 

The printing industry uses significant amounts of energy. From heating and lighting to powering equipment and final delivery, energy is used at all stages of the print process and throughout the factory.

From energy-efficient lighting to heat recovery systems and fuel-efficient vans or combining deliveries, the potential for action and innovation is huge.

A little time invested in monitoring energy use, analysing data and appropriate action, will lead to reduced costs and environmental impact.

Relatively high levels of waste are generated by the print process. Most printing companies will three waste streams:

• paper waste (sometimes separated into printed and unprinted) that's collected and recycled
• hazardous waste (such as inks tins and developer used in prepress and print) collected by licensed companies for safe disposal
• general waste, collected and sent to landfill, subject to Landfill Tax

Aluminium printing plates are routinely sold for recycling.

Each category of waste is monitored and documented (by weight, on collection) and in the case of paper a payment is received, while for hazardous waste and general waste a fee is paid - thereby creating a financial incentive to reduce the levels of these streams.

A leaking tap can waste 5000 litres of water a year (Envirowise).

Large volmes of water may be used in specifc aspects of the print process. Water used on press receives all the water- using attention but the platemaking process can use greater volumes.

Water costs are increasing (printing companies are charged for water used and water disposal) so there are financial incentives to reduce water use.

It is not clear why this is such a buzz phrase in the printing industry.

Definitions vary as to exactly what constitutes a Volatile Organic Compound (VOC). They are extremely common and encountered in many aspects of our everyday lives: from fuels to pesticides, cigarettes and drugs.

VOCs evaporate easily at room temperature and are associated with health problems such as asthma.

The printing industry was believed to be responsible for 10% of the UK’s VOC emissions (it’s not clear where this figure came from).

VOCs are used in inks, press cleaning solutions and fount solution but the printing industry has, in recent years, embraced vegetable oil inks and reduced VOC content alternatives. 

For more information on VOCs see the Air Quality pages on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) website: http://www.defra.gov.uk

Too many companies succumb to perceived market pressures and offset their carbon emissions to achieve carbon neutral / zero / balanced status.

Why pay a fee to what is, in effect, an agent, to offset your carbon emissions (in schemes that are often of a dubious nature – tree planting, for example) instead of investing resources internally on initiatives that could save money and reduce carbon emissions?

Internal initiatives to reduce emissions, together with offsetting via independently verified and audited schemes, can be environmentally positive. However, such scenarios would appear to be few and far between.

See www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/carbon_offsetting.pdf for a joint FOE, Greenpeace and WWF statement on this issue.

It’s extremely important to remember that the printing process is a complicated, balanced process and elements cannot be removed – for environmental or other reasons – without disruption. Adjustments in one area of the process must be balanced in another. Environmental improvements in one area may well mean increased resource use in another.

‘Low-alcohol’ printing is a perfect example: Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) cannot simply be eliminated without compensation in the form of a substitute, increased make-ready resources or even physical changes to the printing press; new rollers on the press may be required, for example. 

The concept of 'low alcohol / alcohol free printing is based on the environmental, health and safety issues associated with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and its use in litho print. IPA is a volatile organic compound (VOC).

'No alcohol' / 'alcohol free' means no IPA but it may mean that a substitute is being used. The term 'low alcohol' is usually used to cover IPA strengths of 5% or less. IPA substitutes are available, some of which contain alcohol substitutes that also contain VOCs; others are alcohol free. IPA is used as a dampening solution additive that reduces surface tension and increases viscosity. IPA is an important substance in the print process as it facilitates faster press set up and allows faster restarting if the press is stopped.

Many printing companies have experimented with reduced levels of IPA. These are just a selection of the reported problems:calcium build up on the rollers, necessitating more wash ups; increased roller chilling required, using more energy; slower press set up, requiring more paper, ink and energy

Waterless printing is basically sheet-fed litho printing using different printing plates and a method of transferring the image to the paper without using water. It eliminates the need for IPA (isopropyl alcohol ) and better quality print is claimed through reduced dot gain and improved colour consistency.

Continuing the theme of environmental improvements in one area meaning additional resources in another: the waterless process is more energy intensive than conventional litho and the printing plates are imported from Japan and not recyclable.

Currently, in the UK, only a small number of printing companies offer waterless printing. See http://www.waterless.org for more information.