Eco-Friendly Printing Honours Your Message and the Environment

Sustainability isn’t just a trend—it’s here to stay in every industry, and printing is no exception. Whether you’re an individual printing personal projects or you’re a business creating huge runs of marketing materials, eco-friendly printing is a great way to get the prints you need while being mindful of the environment. Read on to learn more about eco-friendly printing and how you can do your part for the planet.
 

What is eco-friendly printing?

Eco-friendly printing involves using green innovations in the three main parts of the printing process: the printing technology (the printer itself), the ink and the substrate. By paying close attention to each of these categories, you can help reduce energy consumption, pollution and waste that accompanies the traditional printing process. As a bonus, you can also save on your printing costs while protecting the planet.
 

How to improve environmental impact

You can reduce your environmental impact in every facet of the printing process. Everything from the method of printing to inks and papers can make your printing eco-friendly. Here are some specific ways to print more sustainably:

• Printing technology. There are plenty of new, efficient printing technologies on the market that make printing faster, while consuming less energy and producing less waste. One of the new printing technologies that’s transforming the industry is Waterless Printing. This process is a step up from traditional offset printing, eliminating the hazardous waste and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced in the offset process.

• Green inks. Many traditional inks have a petroleum or plastic base containing chemical compounds that can harm the environment. New eco-inks are the environmentally friendly alternative, using ingredients like soy or vegetables instead of harmful chemicals. Soy-based ink is a particularly good option, producing the brightness and vibrancy of petroleum-based inks without their associated toxic side effects.

• Substrates. What you’re printing on is just as important as how you’re printing and the ink you’re printing with. New substrates, like recycled papers, are completely biodegradable and recyclable. What’s more, they use little to no chemicals in their production. Other print products like banners are becoming more sustainable, with PVC-free products entering widespread use in the printing market.
   

Take advantage of cost and environmental benefits

Eco-friendly printers, inks and papers aren’t just great for the environment, they can also be cost-effective. By choosing eco-friendly printing technologies and processes, you save energy and reduce your carbon footprint in the process. The type of paper and ink you choose also has an impact on your bottom line. Today’s advanced inks and recycled papers look just as great as their less-eco-friendly counterparts and in most cases, there’s little to no difference in price in terms of printing materials.
 

Choose eco-friendly printing

Whether you’re printing a simple photograph, a set of business cards or a vehicle wrap, going green is more important now than ever before. Eco-friendly printing is just one step you can take to protect the environment, allowing you to get your message out there without harming the planet. Now isn’t that a win – win for your business.

Want to learn more about eco-friendly printing innovations? Get in touch with Evergreen Graphics Group today at (905) 447-0257 or info@eg3.ca and let us introduce you to the benefits that accompany eco-friendly printing. Experience, expert advice and support for all your print, design and web needs.