Top 10 Green Printing Practices and strategy
For those who may not be aware, the printing industry ranks fourth in consuming energy and poses a great threat to our environment. It is because of this unpleasant truth that green printing is being strongly recommended. The main advantage of green printing is it uses recycled materialand hence the harmful effects on the atmosphere is minimal.
Business enterprises that are keen to protect the environment must patronize green printing practices. It is a fact that printed materials are used extensively by all sizes of business houses and by going green with printing, you can help the environment. Here are some ten green printing practices and strategies:
- One of the first things for going green with your printing needs is to orient your design in a way that avoids excess bleeding and large ink areas. If this is not possible, then you should at least reduce the size of the project to minimize the amount of waste. As a matter of fact, this will help you to print faster and at reduced cost.
- Try to recycle used ink, paper. There are also paper sources that are 100% recycled, though they may not be available for all project sizes and types.
- Use soy and vegetable-based inks. Please know soy and vegetable based inks are derived from a renewable resource, unlike petroleum based inks. Unlike petroleum inks, they do not contain undesirable toxins and carcinogens. Further, soy and vegetable based inks break down faster and are easier to remove during the recycling process.
- Make it a point to utilize bio-degradable coatings. For printed materials that require a coating on the finished product, such as book covers and brochures, look for bio-degradable coatings.
- Another way to eco-friendly printing is to minimize the printing volume or the page count. Reducing your page count will create more cost-effective printings and there will be less waste generated. Apart from reducing the reading content, there are several other ways that you can reduce your page count - use narrow margins, smaller font sizes, and print on both sides of the pages.
- If your printed materials need a binding, opt for recycled plastic coil. These usually come in dark neutral colors and it is an eco-friendly alternative to other binding options.
- Many of us are guilty of printing more copies than we strictly need. When trying to go for green printing, print only the exact number of copies that you need. If you can, print sale promotion materials onsite when you know exactly how many copies you will need. This will help to eliminate waste and reduce your printing expenses.
- Update your mailing lists regularly so that only the customers who merit the printouts are receiving them. Discuss with your dealers about what marketing materials they really need and only print those and nothing else. You can also switch over to CDs, which are especially appreciated at trade shows.
- The most assured way to go green with your printing is to go paperless as much as possible. Send proofs via email instead of hard copies. Company announcements and memos can be delivered electronically through a website or email.
- Place recycling bins near the trash cans and copy machines. Create heaps of used paper that can be reused. Inform your clients and other recipients that your materials can be recycled, and you can even provide containers, if possible, to encourage this process further.
If each one of us becomes more responsible towards environment protection and opt for green printing techniques, then the world will become a much cleaner, healthier place to live in.