Pollution Prevention for Print Shops 2750

Pollution Prevention (P2) for Print Shops 2750

Opportunities may exist to save a significant amount of money for your business and simultaneously protect the environment through P2.

What is P2? P2 is the use of materials, processes, or practices that eliminate or reduce the creation of pollutants or waste at the source. P2 consists of a variety of strategies and techniques that strive to avoid the production of waste and the subsequent costly and sometimes dangerous waste management activities. Waste avoidance or reduction may result in increased facility efficiencies as well as significant savings from lowered waste management costs, raw materials costs, reduced insurance and worker safety costs. There is, therefore, the opportunity to simultaneously improve your bottom line - and protect the environment.

Where can I obtain information? The Business & Environmental Service Centers have compiled a library of P2 reference materials that may help you identify and adopt P2 measures appropriate to your business. For local P2 information, call 1-800-GOV-1-STOP. The following publications may be requested online:

What are the benefits of P2?

Business Cost Savings: You may realize - reduced energy costs, operational costs, production costs, raw materials costs, transportation costs, treatment and disposal costs, compliance permits, monitoring and enforcement costs.

Environmental Protection: Your employees and patrons will appreciate your leadership in the implementation of business practices that are economically viable, sustain natural resources and diversity, and enhance the quality of life for present and future generations.

Regulatory Relief: It is easier to achieve and maintain compliance once P2 measures have been implemented.

Reduced Liability, Exposure, and Health Risk: Less waste means less liability for environmental problems at both on-site and off-site treatment, storage and disposal facilities. Reducing waste also means less potential risk to human health and safety and reduced worker exposure to toxic chemicals.

Reduced Energy Consumption: Energy conservation and energy use efficiency will reduce costs and the risk of power outages.

What new technologies reduce costs and promote P2?

Electronic Imaging and Laser Platemaking Processes: reduce the quantity of film, developing chemicals, and paper used to save your business money and reduce waste. These processes allow text, photos, graphics, and layout to be fed into the system through an electronic scanner and edited on a display monitor rather than on paper. Only the final edited version is printed out.¹
Vesicular and Photopolymer films: do not contain silver, which can reduce hazardous waste generation. Vesicular films have a honeycomb-like cross-section and are constructed of a polyester base coated with a thermoplastic resin and a light-sensitive diazonium salt. Photopolymer films contain carbon black as a substitute for silver. These films are processed in a weak alkaline solution that is neutralized prior to disposal, which produces a non-hazardous waste.¹
New Ink Systems: were formulated with pollution reduction and energy conservation in mind, which can reduce hazardous waste generation. Water-based or water-borne inks are usually composed of pigmented suspensions in water and film formers. They are often classified as non-hazardous, do not require special air pollution control equipment, are less toxic to employees, and reduce disposal costs. Ultraviolet inks consist of one or more monomers and a photosynthesizer that selectively absorbs energy. They dry quickly when exposed to ultraviolet light, can remain in ink fountains for long periods without drying, and eliminate ventilated storage of sheets during oxidative drying.¹
Recycle Waste Ink: to reduce costs of fresh ink and waste disposal. One recycling technique relies on blending waste inks of different colors together to make black ink. This reformulated black ink is comparable to some lower quality new black inks, such as newspaper ink.¹

Why is P2 a good idea for businesses? Compare areas of cost savings that may be achieved through the implementation of one or more P2 technologies:

Materials Used and Operating Costs

On-site Ink Recycling for Plant A*

Off-site Ink Recycling**

Materials Used (pounds /month)

Waste ink

200

Fresh ink for blending

400

100

Reformulated ink

600

300

Additional fresh ink

300

Total available ink

600

Operating Cost (dollars/month)

Waste ink

Fresh ink for blending (@ $1.55/lb)

$620

Buy back reformulated ink (@ $3.00/lb)

$900

Buy additional fresh ink (@$1.55/lb)

$465

Total operating costs to recycle ink

$620

$1365

Savings in operating costs with on-site ink recycler = $745/month

Payback period = $5,900 = 7.9 months $745/month

Source: USEPA, 1990
*Capital cost of the ink recycler is $5,900.
**Manufacturer blends waste ink with fresh ink and sells it back to Plant A.