Can the print industry truly be environmentally friendly?

You might think that the print industry couldn’t possibly be green but the fact is the two don’t need to be mutually exclusive. Quite the opposite in fact! When it comes to the print industry, more and more methods are being developed to continue achieving the required deliverables without harming the environment. In essence, this means that you can continue to market your business using printed materials without a guilty conscience.

When you think about environmentally-friendly printing you shouldn’t look at each stage individually, instead you have to look at the entire manufacturing process, from the sourcing of materials to the inks used and how print management companies power their facilities.

The first step, of course, is investigating the source of the paper being used by your printer. Choose a printer who is working with recyclable and renewable paper that holds an eco-label certification which means it meets strict environmental rules and regulations regarding sustainable sourcing. Ask your printer whether any toxic chemicals have been used during the recycling process and how they handle waste.

Inks and ink cartridges can also have a significant environmental impact. The harmful consequences of ink include releasing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the environment when disposing of used cartridges while ink itself can photo-degrade rapidly in the atmosphere. Make sure that you ask your printer what they are doing to lessen their use of ink’s affect on the environment. For example, find out if they are using eco-friendly inks instead of petroleum based inks.

It is possible to reduce print waste through careful management and processes that are often reviewed. A responsible printer will collect and recycle the waste produced during printing to maximise recycling capabilities. At Hague, for example, we work with an independent company that collects and recycles all of our waste.

Finally, to make the best decision for your printing activities you should investigate the energy consumption your printing partner uses. Powering and outfitting equipment and facilities can be energy heavy and often inefficient. Find out how efficient your printer is with energy consumption and whether they are using renewable energy sources to save carbon emissions.

At Hague Print, we are committed to environmentally-friendly printing processes. From tree to finished product, our manufacturing process meets strict environmental standards and we constantly strive to lessen our impact on the environment. Enquire now to find out more, a member of our team will be happy to talk you through the many ways we endeavour to become carbon neutral and kinder to our planet.