Simple Steps to Greener Print Communications [Back]
Every organization has a need to communicate with its audience. For many businesses, the distribution of printed materials plays a major role in these efforts. In the past, the environmental impact of printed materials has been largely ignored or downplayed. But today, with the growing concerns about our earth's ecology and its impact on future generations, the environmental impact of printed communications need to be considered. With the advances that have been made in the printing industry, it's helpful to understand that there are many steps we can all take to develop greener printing practices.
The explosion of the Web and digital technology has not led to the "paperless society" some pundits have predicted. To the contrary, since the invention of woodblock printing around 200 A.D., we have shown a deep appreciation for the tactile presence and inherent simplicity in the presentation of printed media. Print is obviously not a medium that is going to go away anytime soon. But how can we help lessen its environmental impact on our world? The following ideas offer a few suggestions.
Printing
• If your communication piece calls for lower printed quantities, or needs a degree of customization that variable data can offer, ask your printer about running your job on a digital press. Running print jobs on a digital press can eliminate the film and photochemicals from conventional offset printing, and save on water and energy. Digital printing can be advantageous for most print work with quantities less than 1000 sheets at sheet sizes up to 14 x 20 inches.
• While soy ink is a great ink alternative (see below under "Ink Alternatives"), it does contain 86% oil— which is not biodegradable. On the other hand, digital printing uses 100% nontoxic toner and also produces less chemical waste.
• Seek out printers and designers who are knowledgeable about eco-friendly printing options that can help your organization meet their environmental goals. While offering safer green choices, a green printer or designer can also help you keep your costs down.
• Certain materials can affect the ability to recycle a printed document or package. This includes certain coatings, adhesives, bindings, foils, inks, laminates, labels, and paper. Ask your printer or designer if there are alternative ways to get the desired effect (by using newer glues, for example).
Paper Choices
• Avoid "virgin paper" which comes directly from trees. This paper has the most immediate impact on the forest and requires the most energy to manufacture. Instead, choose paper made with 100% post-consumer waste (PCW).
• Explore printing your projects on "treeless" paper (hemp and kenaf are two options), recycled content papers, and synthetic papers. By choosing papers with the highest post-consumer content, we can save trees, reduce the use of toxic chemicals, use less energy and water, and produce fewer emissions. The use of these papers also encourages new agricultural development and keeps toxics out of landfills.
• The quality of recycled papers has improved and the costs have gone down. The brightness of recycled paper is nearly indistinguishable from virgin-fiber papers.Today, there are a variety of choices for 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Aim to obtain paper with at least 50% or more recycled fiber.
• Traditionally, brighter, whiter papers are developed through bleaching processes that contain chlorine. This bleaching process can release dangerous chemicals and pollutants into the water. Look for papers that have been processed chlorine free (PCF) or totally chlorine-free (TCF) and are FSC-certified (Forest Stewardship Council). These papers use oxygen-based compounds instead of high concentrations of chlorine. One leading environmental paper company offering high post-consumer recycled content, non-chlorine-bleached paper is New Leaf.
• Many of these recycled, chlorine-free papers are less expensive than virgin papers: It's more cost-efficient to make recycled paper because the processing requires less energy than virgin paper. Currently, the slightly higher premium for recycled paper is reflective of the supply and demand; but the more we request recycled paper from our printers, the lower the cost will become.
• When possible, choose uncoated papers over coated stock. Uncoated papers are more environmentally friendly.
• Producing your printed communication piece from standard press sheet sizes can lead to less waste and be more cost efficient. Work with your designer to see if the stock you choose for your print job offers standard press sheet sizes that can help you acheive these benefits.
• Combine jobs in ways that optimize the paper (as well as the ink and energy). This will also help reduce your costs. For example, by combining business cards and postcards to be run concurrently on a printing press, you'll use more of the press sheet and minimize waste.
• Consider paper that is made through renewable energy sources like wind or solar power, such as Mohawk Paper.
Ink Alternatives
• Ask for alternatives to petroleum-based inks. Traditional petroleum-based inks contain ozone-damaging distillates and volatile organic compounds (VOC) that increase air pollution and are toxic.
Look for non-toxic (water-based) vegetable-based inks such as soy inks that use soybean oil. They are naturally low in VOCs. These inks (which also include linseed, cottonseed, tung, or china wood oil) are biodegradable, come from renewable resources, and are competitively priced.
• Not all soy inks are created equal: look for soy inks with less than 2% in VOCs.
• Consider minimizing ink coverage and quantities in your communication jobs. For example, by using a two-color design instead of a full color design, you'll conserve ink and reduce printing costs.
• Know that some industry standard Pantone colors contain barium, copper, and zinc (mostly metallics and warm reds). These inks can degrade over time and produce more significant VOC emissions.
• When printing exhibit or signage materials, consider using dye sublimation (versus solvent-based inks which use petroleum and other VOCs). Fabrics like Ecospun are made out of recycled materials.
Other Green Ideas
• Consider materials and products that are manufactured with renewable energy.
• Choose local suppliers for materials and services whenever possible to save on transportation waste.
• Consider waterless presses and water washable inks that eliminate VOCs from the printing process. Waterless printing eliminates the dampening systems used in conventional printing.
• Consider printers that use renewable energy sources, such as Monroe Litho (New York), who operate solely by wind power, or EcoPrint, who operates 100% carbon neutral by purchasing renewable energy credits.
• Let constituents know about your green printing efforts in your communication pieces. There are various applicable ways to do this: a short note, or various seals and symbols such as the Soy Seal, the Processed Chlorine Free symbol, the Forest Stewardship Council symbol, and the recycle symbol. Promoting green practices can demonstrate your organization's concern for the environment, and inspire others to do the same.
• Finally, If your communication job can be done effectively without paper, consider alternative ways to communicate your message, such as using a marketing or communication strategy employing the Web. Besides saving paper and limiting solid waste, if such media channels are appropriate for your communication needs, it may help you cut costs (such as postage costs), and save on time and energy.
For those organizations who are environmentally concerned about their printing communications, there are many steps that can be taken that will help conserve the Earth's vitality and diversity, and minimize our depletion of non-renewable resources. The reality today is that green printing is not just environmentally responsible, but can many times offer better quality and more affordable choices for your organization.