Together, We Can Work to Be Greener

Kermit the Frog might have been right when he said “It isn’t easy being Green,” but I think we can all agree it is worth trying to do all that we can to be as Green as possible. Working together, both printers and customers can make a difference.

So how does a printer become Greener?
In regard to the strides Printegration has made, we:
• Use the most eco-friendly papers available whenever possible
• Recycle waste paper and inks
• Reduced the use of toxic chemicals, waste ink and solvents
• Use biodegradable inks
• Run waterless and digital presses
• Educate our customers about how to reduce a project’s environmental impact
• Provide safe working conditions for our employees

As the customer, what can you do to reduce the environmental impact of your next job?
Here are some fundamental questions that should be considered when planning your next marketing project:

1. Are you being selective when choosing recycled paper?
How concerned should you be about the amount of postconsumer waste in your paper depends on the kind of paper you’re using. Recovered fiber is best used in “dark” papers. In a process called downcycling, recovered fibers from recycled office paper or high-end printing paper are used in papers designed for less demanding applications, such as manila folders or cardboard. When the recovered content is used for a white, brightsheet, on the other hand, we call that upcycling. Upcycling demands extra chemicals and resources to de-ink and make recovered fibers white again. Also, each time fibers are recovered and recycled, they become shorter and more brittle. As a result, too much recovered fiber can compromise
a paper’s performance and strength. For these reasons,virgin fiber makes more sense for bright white papers.

2. Can your job be printed with low-polluting inks?
For the least amount of environmental impact, consider printing your next project using either our four-color Karat press which is completely waterless or our digital presses. At Printegration, we are proud to use environmentally friendly biodegradable inks in all our conventional offset presses. Even though soy based and other biodegradable inks are better for the environment, be aware that not all ink colors are created equally. When designing your next project, avoid specifying inks containing heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury, which are commonly used to produce some bright colors. Try to avoid heavy-metal inks. Working with our ink suppliers, we can help you choose ink alternatives that will have the least amount of impact on the environment.

3. What can be done to improve the recyclability of the print job?
Think about the long term impact of your next printing project. Coatings, laminates, inks, foils, adhesives, labels, and paper selection can all affect the recyclability of a printed document. Working together, Printegration can help you find alternative ways to get the desired effect your design demands without inhibiting the recyclability of the finished piece. Sometimes simply eliminating the polypatch window on the carrier envelope is all it takes to ensure your project remains planet friendly.