Case Study 2: Pollution Prevention at Custom Print
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Pollution
Prevention
at Custom Print
This case study highlights the pollution prevention activities of one print shop. This company's experience shows how making a real effort to prevent pollution in all parts of printing operations can save money, benefit the environment, and result in a safer workplace. Specifically, we show:
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Pollution Prevention Through Chemical Consolidation ![]()
As Custom Print started looking for ways to reduce its waste, a team of employees took stock of the number of chemicals the company used. Inventory and purchasing records showed over 80 different chemicals on-site. Often, the less frequently used products would expire. The money spent on them was wasted, and by law they had to be properly disposed of - another expense. Many more were product samples, often used once and left to clutter the stockroom until they too passed their expiration dates. In addition, the large inventory created extra labor costs. Employees had to order and track each chemical, and ensure compliance with government regulations. To address these problems, Custom Print assembled a team of press operators, purchasing staff, and maintenance personnel. This team not only looked at the causes of the large inventory, they recommended several ways to reduce it. The solutions they found included:
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Don't Overlook the Pollution Prevention Opportunities in Your Fixed Costs ![]()
Five years ago, Custom Print had problems with unpleasant odor and employee-reported headaches associated with isopropyl alcohol in their fountain solution. To reduce the odor, the company installed an air conditioning system with a high-volume fan. A year later, Custom Print switched to an alcohol-free fountain solution. While this change removed the source of the odor, the air conditioner kept on running at the high volume that had been needed when the alcohol-based solution was in use. That air conditioner continued working at maximum capacity until an employee accidentally turned off the fan. This flip of a switch completely changed the ventilation in the shop. It reduced the air exchange rate and led to a fortunate - and profitable - discovery: now that the alcohol-based fountain solution was gone, less air exchange was needed. Cutting the air exchange rate had several benefits:
Overall savings associated with using a more appropriate air exchange rate included:
Later, Custom Print turned its attention to improving its ink room operation. Ink was being wasted: colors not often used would expire before they were needed again. And with hundreds of ink cans on the shelves, it was hard to locate the ink needed for the job. The company worked with its ink vendor to change the entire operation of the ink room:
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Keep Looking for New Opportunities ![]()
According to many printers, one of the greatest obstacles to preventing pollution is resistance to change. People are especially slow to change a familiar process. Also, the daily demands of production often make it hard to step back and evaluate the production process itself, no matter what benefits might result. By taking an objective view of its operations - and by asking for input from both company employees and vendors - Custom Print made its facility environmentally safer and saved money too. By conducting regular evaluations and working as a team, you too can realize the benefits of change. |
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About the DfE Lithographic Printing Partnership ![]()
The goal of the Design for the Environment (DfE) Lithographic Printing Partnership is to provide lithographers with information that can help them design an operation which is more environmentally sound, safer for workers, and more cost effective. Concentrating on the process of blanket washes, the partners of the DfE Lithographic Printing Partnership, in a voluntary cooperative effort, evaluated 37 different blanket wash products. Information was gathered on the performance, cost, and health and environmental risk trade-offs of the different types of substitute blanket wash. For more details on the evaluations, please refer to the "Evaluating Blanket Washes: A Guide For Printers." In addition to the Lithographic Printing Partnership, similar DfE projects are currently underway with both the screen printing and flexography industries. To obtain additional copies of this or other bulletins and case studies, or for more information about EPA's Design for the Environment Program, contact: Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse (PPIC) |
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