How To Achieve Digital Printing That Is Eco Friendly

By Angela Thomas


In line with environmental conservation guidelines which are being adopted by many countries all over the world, many industries have made an effort to be more environment conscious in their operations. The printing industry is no exception. The general trend is to move away from practices which degrade the environment and adopt those which create a more positive impact. There are a number of ways through which you can create digital printing that is eco friendly.

One of the significant changes which are being made is to reduce the emission of volatile organic compounds (also known as VOCs). VOCs have traditionally form a major component of printing ink. One of the effects of these compounds is that they react with nitrogen oxides in the environment in the presence of sunlight to form ozone. The resultant ozone combines with dust particles to form smog which affects both plants and animals.

The use of recycled paper is a step which can be undertaken by virtually any press. Recycled paper uses less water to manufacture, results in fewer effluents and most importantly, reduces the rate of deforestation. Chlorine is commonly used in bleaching this kind of paper but has been shown to have detrimental effects to the environment. Many manufacturing plants have now developed processes which do not require chlorine.

Recycling of other raw materials should also be optimized. Water, which is used in large quantities can be recycled and reused. In efficient printing firms, it has been shown that more than 65% of the water can be recycled. Other materials which should be collected and reused include aluminum plates, waste paper and ink. Of course, it is important that you make an effort to cut down on this waste as well.

Conserving energy should be a priority. The contribution made by fossil fuels should be reduced progressively as more alternative sources are adopted in the form of wind and solar energy. If you have to replace old equipment, choose on the basis of faster running speeds which will help you achieve greater output for every kilowatt of electricity consumed. The equipment should be regularly serviced to make sure that they remain efficient.

The amount of paper used for proofs should be reduced as much as possible or eliminated from the process entirely. The use of emails is one of the ways through which this can be made possible easily. Not only does this practice reduce paper requirements within a firm but also helps customers to keep track of their work as it goes through the various stage of printing.

There are changes which have been adopted in the screening of fabrics. One area in which this is taking place is in the pretreatment process. The conventional process involves using chemicals which contain significant amounts of urea. The urea is broken down during steaming to produce carbon dioxide. A special foam which does not require the inclusion of the harmful compounds is now increasingly being used.

As can be seen, there are many improvements which can be made at different stages. While it may not be possible to make all these changes at once, every small adjustment counts. Be willing to embrace modern technology which helps in increasing efficiency and minimizing the wastage of inputs.




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