Friday, 09 Jan 2015 12:55 GMT

Green Profit

With increasing pressure from governments and customers, we are all being forced to ‘eat our greens’. Brenda Hodgson finds out how sign-makers can embrace eco-friendly practices profitably

Green and Bear it

Reducing carbon footprint, green technology, sustainable practices, environmentally-friendly; these are just some of the phrases we hear around the topic of ‘being green’. All-in-all it can be quite bewildering.

On the domestic front environmentally-friendly, ‘green’ products have often been more expensive and less effective than their chemical, pollutant-laden counterparts. So ‘being green’ can find itself embraced only by those with a zealous passion for it.

When it comes to running a business, you also have to keep an eye on profitability. Most people would agree that looking after the planet, caring for our environment, and promoting the health and safety of those around us, whether it be in the workplace or the wider world, is a good thing and something to aspire to.

However, achieving that fine balance between aspiration, effective products, and profitability is not always an easy to trick to manage.

Green kit

For sign-makers and print suppliers, part of the conundrum is finding the right equipment, products, and materials to help them achieve their ideals and meet the requirements of their customers, who are increasingly looking to achieve their own green goals. So what are manufacturers doing to help make your green journey smoother?

Today’s print-service-providers are ever more turning to green technologies to ensure long-term business profitability”


“Today’s print-service-providers (PSPs) operate in an increasingly environmentally-conscious market-place, so are ever more turning to green technologies to ensure long-term business profitability,” says Marchel van der Camp, market development manager, sign and display production at HP UK and Ireland.

Van der Camp continues: “HP Latex printers enable print shops to commit to a better sustainability profile, by addressing environmental and health concerns throughout the entire life-cycle of printed output, from production to disposal.

“We’ve seen how UK customers have really broadened their offerings and attracted new markets by installing HP Latex 310, 330, and 360 printers, which address the challenges associated with traditional print technologies such as those that use solvent-based inks. For example, HP Latex inks have no hazard warning labels or hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), no special ventilation is required, plus the prints are non-flammable and are non-combustible.

“The water-based inks produce odourless prints, so that PSPs can expand into indoor applications that simply can’t be produced in compliance with many indoor air quality standards when printed with solvent or UV-curable ink technologies,” he explains.

This is particularly pertinent in sensitive display environments, such as public spaces like schools, restaurants, hospitals, and hotels, where air pollutants are prohibited.

Fujifilm has invested heavily in ensuring that environmentally-friendly options are available. Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems’ marketing manager wide-format, Mike Battersby comments: “In the digital wide format arena, Fujifilm’s environmental credentials are visible through the research and development of hardware, inks, and other consumables that allow both the company and its customers to be as green as possible. In our view, the combination of hardware and inks should provide printers with an efficient, profitable, and less harmful solution.”


In the digital wide-format arena, Fujifilm’s environmental credentials are visible through the research and development of hardware, inks, and other consumables



Acknowledging this, Fujifilm has embraced UV-curing technology as one of the most advanced and ‘green’ solutions for wide-format inkjet printing.

However, Battersby cautions: “Care needs to be taken when defining UV-curing inks as ‘environmentally-friendly’, as it is important to remember that, being chemicals, they can still have a detrimental effect on the environment if not handled appropriately, although their impact is much lower when compared to solvent based inks. UV inks are also non-volatile, meaning there are no harmful emissions to the atmosphere when printing with them, therefore making the workplace a more pleasant environment. Also, because UV inks are converted from fluid to solid through the exposure to UV light, the energy consumption in solvent-based systems is often higher, as they use hot air jet dryers to accelerate the evaporation.”


Fujifilm has embraced UV-curing technology as one of the most advanced and ‘green’ solutions
 


Battersby adds: “In terms of media, there’s a strong argument against PVC based materials as, despite being extremely durable, flexible, and receptive to ink, they are not easily disposed of. Consequently, there’s a noticeable shift in the market towards synthetic and fabric substrates, which boast more environmentally-friendly features, such as Fujifilm’s Euromedia range of materials.”

Leading by example

In order to ensure that the materials that it supplies meet current and future market demands, Metamark has also looked carefully at its own procedures and has organised its efforts to minimise its environmental impact around both policy and culturally-led initiatives. Because the company manufactures, converts, and distributes its products it is able to bring its policies to bear across the entire business.

Metamark has invested in state-of-the-art bespoke plant and premises, advanced converting hardware and sophisticated planning systems”


Metamark chief executive officer, Paul French, expands on this: “Materials and media manufacturing consumes energy and other resources, which we are focused on using to achieve optimal output yields. To accomplish this, Metamark has invested in state-of-the-art bespoke plant and premises, advanced converting hardware, and sophisticated planning systems.

“Our production plant produces the output needed to satisfy the demand reported by the company’s planning and analysis systems; and production is scheduled to maintain supply and service levels so as to realise available efficiencies in terms of capacity too.”

Mill lengths, rolls of media, and materials undergo a conversion process which turns the bulk rolls into the familiar packaged goods delivered to the market.


Fujifilm has seen a noticeable shift in the market towards synthetic and fabric substrates, which boast more environmentally-friendly features, such as Fujifilm’s Euromedia range of materials



“New conversion hardware achieves this process with commendably low waste levels,” continues French. He adds: “In addition, benchmark-setting conversion efficiency ultimately extracts more from every resource used in production, in turn minimising Metamark’s impact.”

French sums up: “Metamark media and materials use raw material sources representing the pinnacle of development in modern industrial plastics and other precursor components. UK customers taking delivery of Metamark materials can do so in the knowledge that the product is UK manufactured and so incurs few transport overheads.”

Toeing the line

There is obviously a financial outlay to be made when you embrace the technology and products available to you, so how does this impact on your bottom line?

Commenting on how Fujifilm’s act-ions towards sustainability have a positive influence on wide-format printers’ day-to-day business, Battersby asserts: “It is clear that adopting hardware, consumables, and media solutions which enable them to reduce electricity costs and print on more sustainable and disposable substrates most definitely adds value.”


HP’s Marchel van der Camp says that by opening the door to new markets, there is much opportunity for growth by offering print services spanning retail POS, to events and exhibitions displays, to wallpapers and textiles



Van der Camp affirms: “By opening the door to new markets, there is much opportunity for growth by offering print services spanning retail POS, to events and exhibitions displays, to wallpapers and textiles, all of which must be environmentally com-pliant whilst also ensuring the image quality and durability to exceed customer expectations.

“PSPs can have peace of mind that customers are provided with environmental-certified media output as HP Latex inks are UL Ecologo certified to meet a range of stringent human health criteria, and UL Greenguard Gold certified to low chemical emissions into indoor air.”

HP Latex print technologies are also helping to improve productivity through the instant drying process that allows jobs to be delivered on the same day.

Van der Camp continues: “For example, in the case of a vehicle wrap, the immediate drying feature eliminates the need to wait before moving to lamination, saving 24 or 48 hours on low/eco solvent printing processes. Think, if you should spot a mistake on the final version this could mean days added to a delivery time.”

HP customer ARC-UK Technologies is a company that is prepared to invest heavily in working with equipment manufacturers, material suppliers, and end-users to deliver results in in terms of quality and new solutions.

“ARC-UK is fully aware of the impact the print industry has on the environment and so takes great care to conduct its business ethically. We are committed to doing business in an environmentally responsible manner and encourage our clients to do the same, whilst proactively introducing new ecofriendly materials to them, when they arrive on the market,” outlines ARC-UK’s John Snell.

He adds: “Our team has regular reviews to extend their knowledge in this area and most have completed the HP Ecosolutions training which focuses on reducing the environmental impact of our wide-format graphics printing with HP Latex Technologies, so we can continually improve the environmental performance of our overall printing operation.

“We have always worked hard to protect the environment and recycle whenever possible and will continue to do so. By disposing of our waste products above the requirements of existing legislation and by using reputable companies to carry out this task, we are fulfilling our duty of care. We see it as our commitment to the world we all live in and key to our future prosperity.”

A guiding hand

Most sign-makers and printers are already implementing ‘green’ practices to a greater or lesser degree, but maybe you feel you could do more. Perhaps your ‘green’ activity has developed over time with the addition of an environmentally-friendly machine here or a recycling practice there, and you now need to take an overview and consolidate your environmental strategy.

To help you with the process, FESPA has produced the Planet Friendly Guide series, which aim to provide screen and digital printers with everything they need to know about printing sustainability. In an easy-to-access format, the guides feature the best avail-able techniques and proven practical methods that can also generate financial savings. The guides can also assist those who are planning to under-take any environmental certification.

In addition to the introductory book, Sustainability and the Future, the ten subject guides cover everything from pollution, hazardous substances, and emissions, to environmental management techniques.


(Above & below) FESPA has produced a series of Planet Friendly Guides, in an easy to access format, which aim to provide screen and digital printers with everything they need to know about printing sustainability







Sean Holt, general secretary, FESPA, outlines the benefits of the guides: “For printers, many of whom are small owner-managed businesses, finding the time and headspace to tackle environmental practices can be a challenge. With the new format of FESPA’s Planet Friendly print guides we wanted to help printers by giving them information in bite-size chunks so that they could look at different areas of their business and come up with environmental improvement plans that they could implement in a practical sense. Having ten individual subject guides, instead of one larger guide, makes the content more digestible, and printers can find a guide that’s relevant to them and their print process.”


Sean Holt, FESPA general secretary, says that better environmental practices can result in reduced waste, improved efficiency, and operational cost savings



He emphasises: “From our perspective the environment is relevant regardless of economic conditions. Businesses that can demonstrate their environmental credentials offer added value to their customers and the wider community.”

O Factoid: “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” Native American proverb O


Holt concludes: “By printing responsibly and sustainably the industry can respond proactively to the challenges the environment faces, while also improving performance. Better environmental practices can result in reduced waste, improved efficiency, and operational cost savings.”

It’s some years since Kermit the frog claimed that ‘It’s not easy being green’, and to some degree that’s still true. However, the signage industry has rallied to help and with some planning, environmental awareness does not have to be something for the vegetarians, but for everyone.


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