SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING
Top 3 ways to be sustainable when manufacturing
Interested in sustainable manufacturing in the printing industry?
We all know protecting the environment is an important issue and on our own feels like an impossible task. But collectively we can all make a positive impact. Reduce, re-use, recycle. Every action no matter how big or small builds a brighter future be it one person or one company.
Printing materials have been around for a long time, but they haven’t always been great for the environment. Here are the top three ways the printing industry is going green and manufacturing sustain-ably. Sustainable Manufacturing:
#1 Vegetable- based printing inks
Did you know that environmentally sustainable companies use vegetable ink for printing? However, in the past, petroleum based inks were the norm. This type of ink produces a lot of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are also the toxins that are produced from cigarette smoke. Risk of disease alone is enough to make you think, ‘surely there is something better?’
Luckily, there is! The best type of ink is soy. In comparison to petroleum inks, this ink gives off less than one fifth the amount of VOCs. It comes from the soybeans that make tofu and soy milk – a much better alternative! To produce a printer ink, the soybeans are processed into an oil, which is then refined and combined with natural waxes and resins. Printer ink can also be made out of many natural materials, such as the oils from corn, walnut, coconut, linseed and canola.
Not only is this more environmentally friendly, the final result creates a clearer oil that gives more accurate colours. It’s a win-win, especially when designing your custom drink coasters! Plus, it’s low cost, widely available, and is easier to recycle.
#2 Sourcing paper and boards from sustainable forests
Being environmentally sustainable starts at the very beginning of the production process – the trees. Creating a sustainable product means sourcing materials from sustainable forests. Every year, 32 million acres of forests are cut down around the world, but inevitably, our demand for wood and paper products is growing. The best thing to do is apply sustainable forestry management practices. This means balancing the needs of the wildlife, environment, and forest communities, with those of the company. Promotional Drink Coasters only uses boards sourced from sustainable forests, and they are 100% recyclable and biodegradable.
#3 Reusing materials
Going green means reducing waste. Instead of trashing leftovers, it’s fun to find innovative ways to make them useful. For example, we re-use leftover coaster board sheets from previous runs for Make Ready on the next run. Other times, sheets are sometimes unusable for manufacturing because they have been damaged in transit. They can still be put to use. We donate them to local schools, so others can benefit.
At Promotional Drink Coasters we are committed to the environment through our products and manufacturing processes. Our drink coaster products are printed on an offset press using vegetable based inks on coaster board from sustainable forests. Commercial printing is great for many reasons, but when production methods use sustainable and environmentally friendly manufacturing practices, it’s far better!
Fun Fact:
Did you know Brazil and the United States of America grow the most soybeans in the world?
Check out our SAFETY COMPLIANCE STANDARDS
References
https://dprintla.com/content/blog/what-vegetable-based-ink
https://www.soarprint.co.nz/unequalled-sustainability/
https://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/chemicals-and-contaminants/volatile-organic-compuounds-vocs
https://www.printwand.com/blog/how-soy-based-ink-is-made-and-why-you-should-use-it
https://www.psprint.com/resources/soy-based-inks-vs-petroleum-based-inks
https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/articles/what-is-sustainable-forestry