Going green is not just a current trend, but a way of life. Even a few small changes can help to protect the planet and its resources, particularly when printing. There are a number of ways to accomplish your printing needs, both personal and business-related, which are environmentally friendly.

Waterless printing is a mechanical, offset lithographic printing process that uses specially formulated inks and silicone rubber-coated printing plates instead of the “dampening system” used in conventional printing. This process has garnered the attention of the print industry because of its environmental benefit— because it does not use a fountain solution, which is largely water-based, it produces significantly fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere. In fact, this process reduces VOCs by 40% (waterless.org).

Not only does waterless printing reduce the number of chemicals emitted into the air, but it actually improves productivity because waterless printers can print up to 30% times faster than traditional printers. In the case of Noge Printing Corp, print job time was cut by 9% after switching to waterless printing.

Treeless Paper

Paper conservation is an important practice to keep in mind when going green. Many office suppliers offer papers composed of up to 100% post-consumer waste, which you will find indicated on the packaging. Recycling is an environmentally beneficial practice, but some paper manufacturers have begun to cut trees out of the equation altogether (californiagreensolutions.com). These manufacturers, such as Natural Source Printing, make paper composed entirely of stone and have half the carbon footprint of recycled paper. More specifically, each ton of stone paper saves 20 trees, 7,480 gallons of water, and 236 pounds of chemical emissions. Moreover, this paper is tear-resistant and waterproof. As a result, many environmentally conscious product manufacturers have adopted it for creating eco- friendly labels.

Natural Ink

Inks for printing can be as earth-friendly as the paper itself. Made from soybean oil, soy ink has become a popular alternative to petroleum-based inks because they release only 1/5th the VOCs into the air (soya.be). Not only does soy ink spread 15% further, but because of its natural clarity, brighter colors can be derived from less pigment. This reduces not only the cost, but the amount of ink required per job. It comes as no surprise then that since its debut in 1987, almost 25% of commercial printers – and over 95% of daily newspapers—have adopted soy ink.

Continuing research and development guarantee high quality and low cost options for environmentally friendly printing. It seems that this way of life is catching on—a recent survey of 256 businesses showed that 47% would like to adopt green practices, with 75% actually looking into green equipment and methods of conducting business. It is the best way to show respect for your planet, which is your home and the home of future generations.

Sources: waterless.org, californiagreensolutions.com, soya.be

Photo: DRB62 via Flickr