19 Jan EcoTip #20 – The Environmental Impact of Printing
No matter how good your intentions, and no matter how great your message, if you are printing it, you could be harming the environment in several ways.
Traditional methods of printing are risky business for the environment. Paper production is responsible for loss of forests, water pollution and high energy use.
Many white papers are bleached using a chlorination process that releases dangerous chemicals and pollutants into the water. Dioxin from old paper mill sludge makes fish unhealthy to eat in many waterways of the United States.
The printing industry is the single largest air polluter and comes in third, after automobiles and steel manufacturing, for consuming fossil fuels.
The good news is that earth-friendly printing companies and products are available:
- Choose paper that is 100 percent post-consumer waste (PCW), processed chlorine free, uncoated, and Forest Stewardship Council certified
- Try treeless paper made from hemp or kenaf*
- Find a printer that uses vegetable-based or soy inks instead of petroleum-based inks
- Try to work with a printer that uses renewable energy sources
Currently the cost of eco-printing is more expensive, but as more people request earth-friendly printing, the price will come down. When you make the switch to earth-friendly printing, be sure to let your audience know that you are making this conscious choices that shows you care about the planet and the future.
*Kenaf Paper: An Ecological Alternative, ecomall
Related Links:
Improve Your Company’s Paper Choices, Environmental Defense Fund
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