Printing Industry Project

The printing industry has a tradition of pride, excellence and care for natural resources. However printing, like most industrial activities, uses hazardous chemicals, requires energy and water, and generates waste.

Printers

The average printer is not a major source of pollution, but collectively the impact of dozens of printers can be substantial. In adopting Cleaner Production practices city wide, opportunities exist to reduce environmental, and health and safety impacts, increase productivity and reduce costs. 

1. Gain commitment from management.
2. Involve staff in environmental programme.
3. Conduct audits (energy, water, waste) to identify potential issues.
4. Plan with your customers to gain the best outcome.
5. Find information sources to keep up-to-date on new developments.
6. Plan production runs to minimise waste and cleaning.
7. Develop a regular housekeeping routine to avoid waste and spoilage.
8. Work with suppliers to identify opportunities for material substitution.
9. Keep unwanted resources (paper, inks, shrink wrap) separate to prevent contamination and waste creation.

Further information

Note: For the following you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer in order to view and print these documents.  For help opening PDF files or tips on copying information see Helpful Tips.

Cleaner Production Strategies for Lithographic Printers  (Size 91K)

Cleaner Production Strategies for Screen Printers (Size 277K)

Preferred Printer Assessment Sheet (Size 30K)

Health, Safety & Environment Guide: for Printing & Related Industries (Size 1055K)

Print purchasers

Your company has a vital role to play in creating and encouraging environmental improvement. It can use its purchasing power as a vehicle for developing and implementing Cleaner Production in Lithographic Printing. This can result in cost effective, market-based solutions to improve environmental performance.

Designing your document

1. Reduce your paper and ink requirements
2. Choose the right paper (recycled, uncoated)
3. Finishing and distribution of the finished product 

Working with your printer

1. Specify recycled paper with a high post-consumer content
2. Specify mineral oil free inks (100% vegetable based ink)
3. Use 100% recycled black ink
4. Ask about safe cleaners (encourage the use of vegetable cleaning agents)

Further information

Note: For the following you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer in order to view and print this document.  For help opening PDF files or tips on copying information see Helpful Tips.

Guidelines for ‘Green’ Print Purchasing (Size 250K)

Govt3 Project - FutureProof: A Guide Towards Sustainable Publishing

Preferred Printer Assessment Sheet (Size 30K)

Review of Cleaner Production Printer Project

Waitakere City Council ran the cleaner production project with the printing industry project from 1996 to 1999. The project sought to encourage the adoption of better environmental practices within the printing industry and provided an opportunity for Council to work with a group of its suppliers to buy products that had less impact on the environment.

A review was conducted in 2002 to:

• Evaluate the level of ongoing environmental practices by participating printers.
• Compare the level of environmental practices with printers not involved in the project.
• Inform cleaner production practitioners about the process and longer-term outcomes of industry-based projects. 
• Review whether incorporating environmental considerations into Council’s preferred printers procedures encouraged the adoption of better practices.

The report on the review of the cleaner production printing project can be viewed below.

Further information

Note: For the following you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer in order to view and print this document.  For help opening PDF files or tips on copying information see Helpful Tips.

Review of the Cleaner Production Printing Project - June 2002 (Size 901K)