Green Printing in the Hudson Valley
Owner David Scott Embraces Sustainable Business Practices
Oct 30, 2009
David Scott is the owner of Hudson, New York-based Pro Printers, a business which, although small, has embraced green practices for the entire business process. Concerned about the effect of dangerous chemicals on his staff and environment, Scott has built his printing business around principles such as the closed-loop system, reduction of VOC usage, safe disposal of chemicals used in printing, and researching better inks and ways to use them in printing. Pro Printers is not a large shop, but it has established itself as a leader in green printing under Scott's watch.
Reducing Use of Dangerous Chemicals
David Scott didn't set out to be a green printer. “I was concerned about the chemicals being used in the shop,” he said in an interview on October 22, 2009. “Some of the cleaning agents they use on these machines say they cause liver cancer, right there on the container. I don't want to cause liver cancer.”
Scott researched cleaners that were not made from VOCs – volatile organic compounds, such as gasoline – and came up with ways to clean his machinery that wouldn't pose so much risk. There have been indirect benefits to this plan, too: Scott reports that Pro Printers doesn't have to use as many plastic gloves and face masks. “They all end up in the garbage. It's terrible,” he says.
The printing chemicals themselves are another problem. There is silver in printing plates, which are seldom stored if they aren't used, and it's not enough to make it worth going to the expense of retrieving it. Inks are mixed to produce specific colors, and whatever is left over from the job is considered waste.
The chemicals used in printing must be stored safely, and once they're used they must be gotten rid of, as well. “Most printers just throw that stuff down the drain,” Scott says about the chemicals. “We mix them with a material that turns them into ordinary salt,” which is much less dangerous on the environment. Waste ink, which also can be legally thrown away, is sent by Pro Printers to a waste ink processing plant to be reused.
Soy Ink and Recycled Paper
Soy ink is not the best choice for the environment, and Pro Printers avoids it. “The problem with ink is that it needs a medium to stick to the paper,” Scott explains, “so the ink is usually 50% petroleum-based. Soy ink needs to stick too, so what you'll find in soy ink is that they replace about 20% of the petroleum with soy oil, or about 10% of the ink.” Scott uses inks made from wood and vegetable oils, as the combination works better than soy alone.
Ink can only look as good as the paper itself, and Scott has taught himself about the growing variety of recycled paper products on the market today. “When paper is recycled, the fibers are broken,” Scott explained. “Virgin paper has a crisper feel, but the print quality is the same.” However, in some cases recycled paper products show a higher absorption of inks, which is called dot gain. This is most evident in printing that has raised lettering, according to Scott. Pro Printers also educates its customers on the difference recycling post-consumer content makes to the waste stream. “We want to capture the paper that people have already used, and keep them from throwing it away. We used to do that here, but I put a stop to it.”
Closed Loop System
Recycling ink and disposing of chemicals more safely is just the beginning of the process at Pro Printers, which takes steps to reduce paper waste, as well.
- Recycled paper products are used for all of their printing.
- Cutting waste is reduced by carefully laying out unusual shapes, such as unfolded envelopes, on the paper.
- Waste paper does occur, but it's swept up and sent to a plant that turns it back into paper. “We end up buying back the stuff we sent them,” Scott says.
Cost of Doing Business
Scott confirms that the processes he has in place cost more than doing business the traditional way, but he feels that it's a cost of doing business, and he makes sure that his prices remain competitive. In fact, a review of the Pro Printers web site doesn't even mention Pro Printers' green business philosophy. As Scott explained, “It's just the right thing to do.”
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