Five Steps to a Green Print Shop

Climate-neutral printing benefits the environment and enhances a company's image. However, a far more effective policy than offsetting CO2 emissions is avoiding them in the first place. After all, conserving resources not only benefits the environment - it also boosts a company's profitability.

Green printing is only possible following careful scrutiny of the processes employed in the company. Where can material and energy be saved and how can emissions of substances that are harmful to the environment be cut? "Unlike climate-neutral printing, green printing is not a zero sum game with emissions being offset by corresponding payments. Instead, it offers the opportunity to streamline processes and initiate ongoing improvements," explains Eike Frühbrodt, Head of Product Management Peripheral Systems at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG.

In order to achieve the maximum benefit with the minimum outlay, Heidelberg recommends a five-step process.

1. Appoint an environmental officer.
It is essential for responsibilities to be clear. An environmental officer should therefore be appointed to spearhead the company's green activities and act as a contact for employees and print shop management alike.  
2. Analyze the current situation.
How much energy and material is used, what levels of solid waste, waste water and emissions are generated, and where are they used/generated? What happens to the waste? How can the consumption of resources be cut? Why are machines switched on the entire time, even though they are only used for a few hours each day?
3. Prepare an evaluation.
What are the critical environmental and cost aspects? Which measures produce results particularly quickly?
4. Establish targets and priorities
- preferably in the form of a plan organized in stages over several years with milestones for each year (e.g. cutting the alcohol content from 12 to 6 percent and reducing the amount of non-recyclable waste by 10 percent in 2009).
5. Monitor targets.
It is important to formulate clear targets so that progress can be monitored. Environmental protection is not a one-off task but an ongoing commitment.

How does green printing work in practice?
According to Heidelberg, consumables and power guzzlers offer the greatest potential in terms of concrete implementation.

Paper is the most environmentally relevant aspect of printing. This makes it all the more important to use recycled paper or paper from sustainable forestry (FSC/PEFC-certified ). Waste paper can be used as startup sheets and waste levels can be cut significantly with the help of technologies from Heidelberg such as ink presetting (e.g. Prinect Pressroom Manager) or inline color measurement (Prinect Inpress Control).

An increasing number of inks and coatings made from renewable materials are available. Bio-inks - based on materials such as flax or soy - boast excellent processing properties, but some need longer to dry. Steady progress is being made with the development of bio-coatings, but to date there is no reliable information available on abrasion- resistance and yellowing.

The higher the flash point of an offset cleaner, the lower the solvent emissions (VOCs) and thus the impact on the environment. Heidelberg recommends a flash point of over 55°C so that hardly any solvent evaporates, even with an open canister. All Heidelberg equipment also offers the alternative of operating with high-boiling substances or bio-washup solutions made from renewable vegetable oil esters.

Alcohol-free printing lowers VOC emissions, too, but it places greater demands on press operators and the quality of consumables, while also making it more difficult to maintain the press and keep it clean. If print shops are not prepared to eliminate alcohol altogether, Heidelberg recommends using 3 percent alcohol to achieve an optimum balance between emissions and paper waste.

Up to 50 percent less dust is generated if powder with a uniform grain size is used because grains of the same size maintain better contact with the sheet.

Air conditioning and generating compressed air are two key power guzzlers. It is therefore worth considering options such as lowering the level of compressed air in the print shop's central compressors or, instead of one large compressor in continuous operation, using two smaller compressors and only switching one of them on as and when required or equipping it with a frequency control mechanism.

"The best thing is to contact an energy consultant," advises environmental expert Frühbrodt. "He will analyze the energy consumption and make concrete suggestions for improvements," Frühbrodt continues. These may include using energy-saving lamps, switching from CRT to LCD monitors, or cutting energy consumption by using waste heat from presses or ensuring effective insulation.

Environmental protection pays off
Given that state support is available in many countries to cover the costs of obtaining advice from environmental consultants and implementing environmental measures, the payback period for most environmental projects is just two years. What's more, companies can then advertise their new green credentials. "Print shops should publicize their environmental protection activities by means of brochures, labels or events and use print samples to make customers aware of the environmentally friendly printing options available. This provides the opportunity to access new customer groups and stand out on the market," sums up Frühbrodt.

References:

• Certified papers - leveraging business opportunities (in German)
• For examples of green printing, see ( winners of the ECO Printing Award)