Monday, February 15, 2016

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 major changes being implemented is replacing the mineral based inks with those which are vegetable oil based. The mineral based inks emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The VOCs react with nitrogen oxide found in the environment to produce ozone gas. This type of ozone is different from the protective ozone as it is formed much lower in the atmosphere. It attracts materials such as dust particles forming smog.

Recycled paper is a product which is increasingly being accepted as an alternative to fiber paper by many printing plants as well as customers. One of the benefits of using recycled paper is the fact that it requires less water to process compared to virgin paper. It also has less effluent. More importantly, however, recycled paper reduces the rate of deforestation and helps conserve the environment. New methods which do not use chlorine for bleaching now exist.

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.

There are numerous opportunities which can be taken by businesses that are conscious about environmental conservation. Huge successes can be achieved by making small changes over time. Be ready to embrace technologies that will help increase efficiency in the printing process and reduce the wastage of inputs.




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