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

Monday 14 March 2016

The Implementation Of Sustainable Digital Printing

By Richard Patterson


Due to sustained campaigns against global warming, many industries are under immense pressure to change the methods that they have used in their operations for decades. The printing industry is one of those that have been identified as contributing to carbon emissions at a number of stages. To conform to the new order of things, many are becoming more innovative which is helping conserve the environment and cut down costs. Sustainable digital printing can be achieved on a number of ways.

One of the areas in which major changes can be made is in the types of inks that are used. The conventional types contain chemicals that release pollutants known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds are created when the chemicals are exposed to nitrogen oxide and sunlight in the environment. A layer of ozone in the low atmosphere is formed. This layer is undesirable as it contributes to widespread smog formation.

The type of paper that is used also determines whether the process is eco friendly or not. Virgin paper is obtained directly from trees and is therefore a direct contributor of increased deforestation rates. Recycled, paper on the other hand, is derived from waste paper. Increased use of recycled paper helps in the conservation of one of our most valued natural resources that is forests. During processing, recycled paper produces less waste.

Proof reading of manuscripts is one of the areas that has been shown to significantly increase paper needs. Fortunately, the increased acceptance of email for this purpose is one of the changes that has helped a great deal in this area. Apart from reducing the amount of paper, this change has made it easy for writers to keep track of their work as it undergoes the various stages of the process.

The other raw materials can be similarly recycled or reused at various stages. Water is one of the inputs that are easiest to reuse. It has been established that with the right measures in place, one can recycle at least 65% of the water that is used. This is one way in which operation costs can be markedly reduced. The other raw materials that have been successfully recycled or reused include ink, aluminum plates and waste paper.

Energy is another important factor to consider in the process. Most environmental conscious firms are now moving away from fossil based fuels in favor of renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind energy. Since it may be a bit costly to make major changes at a go, most companies do it progressively by replacing old inefficient equipment with that which has more output per kilowatt of electricity used.

Digital printing is also widely used in fabrics these days. The changes that are taking place in paper printing are also being applied to fabrics with tremendous success. One of the unique stages involved in the case of fabrics is pretreatment. This stage involves the use of chemicals whose major byproduct is urea. Urea is in turn broken down to release carbon dioxide. This one of the processes that has been eliminated and alternatives developed.

Adopting green energy solutions has widespread benefits both to the printing firm and the consumer. The cheaper costs of operation are usually passed on to the consumer who enjoys fair priced items. Most importantly, they both participate in environmental conservation.




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