The Tortoise Website

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Click on image to go to Author website. "THE RACE IS NOT TO THE SWIFT." Eccl. 9:11

Friday 23 August 2013

How To Find Sustainable Digital Printing

By Helga Stokes


Increasingly companies are becoming more aware of their environmental responsibilities. This is partially due to popular demand and the public desire to see businesses act responsibly and partially due to certain rules about using resources in the right way. A big part of this is sustainable digital printing.

You have probably heard of the term carbon footprint. This refers to the resources that an individual, company or country uses and the amount of damage this does to the environment. For example walking to work and picking an apple from a tree would leave a very small carbon footprint while flying in tonnes of apples from the other side of the world would leave a very large carbon footprint.

For example one way is to use a company that only delivers to a limited area. This means that they only travel a limited distance. Unlike a courier service that could travel from one end of the country to the other if you know the company is from the local area they can only deliver so far.

In terms of printing the two big aspects of this are ink and paper. Ink can often be the most expensive part. Using less ink and refilling the cartridges can help. Using recycled paper can also ensure that fewer resources are used as well as reducing waste paper wherever possible. Energy efficient machinery is also vital in this respect because it means that more printing can be done using less energy. This can be done with newer machines but older ones may also have an eco setting.

Machinery is also a key part to the print process and therefore another important area to assess in terms of its environmental impact. A more efficient machine can produce more using less energy. Furthermore for a company this can mean they save more on money in the long term than they would using an older machine that is less energy efficient than a newer model.

Another aspect of this is using more efficient technology. Newer printers are more economical, able to print more effectively and faster while using less ink. Older companies may use older technology thinking that this saves them money while ironically in the longer term this could in fact cost them more!

This is why sustainable does not necessarily have to mean more expensive. A company ought to be willing to explain what they can do in terms of making their business more environmentally sustainable. If they are hesitant or you are unsure you may want to consider looking elsewhere especially if they have a clear policy on lowering their carbon footprint and making their business as environmentally friendly as possible.

If you are looking for sustainable digital printing companies then it is worth contacting them directly. You can find a number of them online by using you regular search engine as well as finding review sites and social media that can offer feedback on local companies. It is better to use local companies in this instance as it reduces the amount of distance any items get delivered to you and therefore results in less fuel consumption and a smaller carbon footprint. Remember that when contacting them you are also looking for the best service and value for money. With the right approach you will get the best deal for your business.




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