How Green is Your Process?

One of the nation's largest and most respected printers told me that designers and buyers are quick to ask for sustainable print production, but balk at the up charge for chain-of-custody certified papers (10% or more), wind power (20% premium) and low-VOC chemistries. While the steps to being certified to apply those little logos (FSC, SFI, PERC) can be modest, maintaining facilities and records requires methodical tracking and improved processes.

Another aspect getting attention in green printing is minimization of dampening and cleaning solutions on press. Automated blanket cleaners cut VOCs by metering miniscule amounts of cleaning fluid. Filtration systems reclaim and reuse fountain solution, extracting sludge and contaminants, and adding small amounts of chemistry to refresh and balance systems.
Alcohol substitutes and alcohol-free fountain solutions are gaining ground as local emissions standards tighten. But getting to truly alcohol-free dampening can mean reestablishing shop standards for ink-water balance, say experts.
The elimination of alcohol and other VOCs in dampeners means other agents must be found to break the surface tension of water—so that it disperses readily through halftones and non-image plate areas. Flint and Sun Chemical have established lines of low-VOC chemistries compatible with their inks. Two others with positive buzz in blogs and forums are Amerikal and BST Pro Mark. The latter has licensed a Spanish technology, AquaDelta, that oxygenates a specialized alcohol-free dampening fluid and, thereby, improves its wetting properties.
Amerikal was an early advocate of sustainable pressroom chemistries with its Genesis products now in use at 900 plants worldwide. In 2006 Amerikal unveiled BRIGL, a biodegradable offset blanket and roller wash. The firm says it was the first to develop a single-step fountain solution to run without alcohol or substitutes (some of which contain alcohol derivatives, by the way). Its food-grade chemistries combine with a pressroom adoption regime that includes heavy hands-on support.
With paper critical to green print, Natural Source Printing's FiberStone Papers are certainly interesting. Tree-free, it has a white glistening surface, say printers who've used it. And no rocks are injured in production; it's 80% limestone quarry waste.

SFI Printers
Chain-of-custody certified print firms under criteria established by the Sustainable Forestry Inititative as of May 26, 2008: www.sfiprogram.org.