Print Buying Direct

Newsletter Printing – Selling With “First Glance” Appeal – 5th July 2010
The position of many parts of your layout, such as the nameplate and mailing panel, will be the same from issue to issue.  In the layout stage, use the areas around the standard features, the “active areas,” to create appeal.

First, focus on the prime real estate areas of the mailing panel and the front page.  The active areas on the mailing panel are the teasers or contents box.  Next, look at your goals for this issue or this year.  Plan to change this area with each new issue to attract attention by using:

• teasers
• contents box
• event calendar or notice of an upcoming meeting
• eye-catching cartoon or photo
• location map
• sale announcement
• famous quotation
• coupon
• lists of services and everyday specials
• list of products offered
• Web site link to must-have content

Place a quick message, table of contents or teaser that gets people immediately involved with your publication.

Peter Harrison is Joint Managing Director of The Printing House Ltd, and Print Buying Direct of Crewe, Cheshire, UK.

We have great online print prices – Print Buying Direct are UK market Leaders and Innovators in Leaflet Printing | Brochure Printing, Large Poster Printing, Banner printing online (A1 Posters, A0 Posters etc) and Banner Stands.

NEW: Visit our New Christmas Card Printing Online Minisite – Either upload your Christmas Card Artwork or Choose one of our Free Christmas Card templates. If you have any suggestions of feednack as to what images and style you think our Christmas Cards should feature then simply let us know.

For more free articles on Printing and Graphic Design see our Online Printing | Print Buying Direct Website.   For more information on printing and graphic design please see some of our recent blog articles;

• Newsletter Printing – Page Pyramids
• Newsletter Printing
• Green Printing – Packaging and the environment
• Environmentally Friendly Printing – Environmental issues

Print Buying Direct is the online Trading Name of The Printing House Ltd.  One of the UK’s leading quality printing companies for graphic design, short run digital printing, long run litho printing and large format colour printing. Based in Crewe, Cheshire (Cheshire Printers), in the North West of England – delivering to customers across the UK and Europe.

NEW Product Alert – we now sell Exhibition Stands, Pop Up display stands and A Boards

See Our Latest Press Release about our Web to Print Solution.  See us on the RED TIE Web to Print site

• Print Buying Direct is the UK’s leading Web-to-print Printing Company
• The Customer Experience just gets Better and Better at Print Buying Direct
• Web revolution allows Crewe to ‘Print the World’
• Stay Legal and Give Yourself a Sporting Chance

We have just launched 2 new brands – keep an eye out in the coming months for;

Cheap Banner Stands and Premium Banner Stands

See Our latest press Releases Digital printing in Cheshire,

Crewe Printers in UK First

Also Digital printing in just 15 Minutes

Environmentally Friendly Printing – Condensing filtration solvent recovery - 24th June 2010
A relatively new development, condensing filtration solvent recovery control systems are gaining in popularity over the control techniques which have dominated the industry to date.

Although not suitable for all printing processes, the condensing filtration solvent recovery system is ideal for the efficient removal of high boiling point hydrocarbons from exhaust air streams.

The system comprises three main elements: a high-efficiency condensation unit, a ‘Printkleen’ moving bed filter and a mist eliminator unit. In practice, the exhaust gases from the print dryer, normally at a temperature of around 160-180ºC and containing the solvent in the gaseous phase, are ducted into the condensation unit where they are cooled to a temperature of around 40ºC by means of a controlled flow of air at ambient temperature.

As the gases cool, the high boiling point solvents condense and form an aerosol mist of liquid solvent droplets. Approximately 60% of the liquid component is removed at the condensation stage with this passed subsequently through a filter which removes any solid particles, and then to a separator where the oil is separated from any water present by flotation techniques. The solvents removed are then passes to a central storage tank for re-use.

The solvents not removed in the condensers are carried along in the exhaust gas stream and passed into the moving bed filtration unit where agglomeration of the droplets occurs in the filter media. Any solids, together with the aerosol solvents are removed from the exhaust stream. The liquid solvents collected are then filtered, separated and pumped into the central storage tank.

In order to maintain optimum efficiency, the filter unit automatically indexes on a new section of filter media whenever that in use becomes soiled.

As a final stage in the cleaning process, the exhaust air is fed into a mist eliminator where any remaining solvent droplets are trapped, collected and passed to the liquid solvent treatment system. The now clean exhaust gases are then discharged safely to atmosphere.

Unlike thermal and catalytic incinerators, condensing filtration solvent recovery systems operate on a low-energy cycle and are therefore significantly less expensive to run. In addition, the system is benign in operation and does not generate environmentally- damaging gases associated with the use of destructive thermal control techniques.

In addition, the system enables the solvent recovered in the cleaning process to be recycled and used either as make-up fuel for boilers and hot air heaters, or reprocessed for black ink reformulation. Also, the heat recovered in the initial cooling stage can be recycled and used for return direct to the dryers for pre-heat purposes, or used for space heating.

Peter Harrison is Joint Managing Director of The Printing House Ltd, and Print Buying Direct of Crewe, Cheshire, UK.

We have great online print prices – Print Buying Direct are UK market Leaders and Innovators in Leaflet Printing | Brochure Printing, Large Poster Printing, Banner printing online (A1 Posters, A0 Posters etc) and Banner Stands.

For more free articles on Printing and Graphic Design see our Online Printing | Print Buying Direct Website.   For more information on printing and graphic design please see some of our recent blog articles;

• Green Printing – Carbon absorption
• Green Printing – Thermal incineration
• Green Printing – Emissions to air
• Green Printing – Contaminated wastes

Print Buying Direct is the online Trading Name of The Printing House Ltd.  One of the UK’s leading quality printing companies for graphic design, short run digital printing, long run litho printing and large format colour printing. Based in Crewe, Cheshire (Cheshire Printers), in the North West of England – delivering to customers across the UK and Europe.

NEW Product Alert – we now sell Exhibition Stands, Pop Up display stands and A Boards

See Our Latest Press Release about our Web to Print Solution.  See us on the RED TIE Web to Print site

• Print Buying Direct is the UK’s leading Web-to-print Printing Company
• The Customer Experience just gets Better and Better at Print Buying Direct
• Web revolution allows Crewe to ‘Print the World’
• Stay Legal and Give Yourself a Sporting Chance

We have just launched 2 new brands – keep an eye out in the coming months for;

Cheap Banner Stands and Premium Banner Stands

See Our latest press Releases Digital printing in Cheshire,

Crewe Printers in UK First

Also Digital printing in just 15 Minutes

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Green Printing – Disposal to sewers – 25th May 2010
Generally, the impact of printing wastes at large municipal sewage works is low as the volume discharged is small in comparison with domestic waste and greatly diluted by the time is reaches the treatment works. As a result water companies have rarely placed limitations on discharges from printing works except where volumes were large or the effluent contained materials which are difficult to treat.

It therefore comes as a shock to many companies to find that it has been an offence since 1973 to discharge trade waste to sewers without first obtaining a permit (Consent to Discharge) from local water company. It is also now a breach of the Duty of Care requirements to discharge wastes without consent. Here again, the situation is changing as discharges from sewage works into rivers or coastal waters which are regulated by the National Rivers Authority (NRA) are now being closely monitored and tightly controlled. In turn, water companies are now starting to place stricter controls on discharges to sewers.

Consent limits
The consent will place a number of limitations on the wastes that can be discharged to sewers. These limits vary widely throughout the UK and can even vary within a town depending on local circumstances and capacity of the sewage works to which you discharge.

Whilst most printers discharge to sewage plants, there are a few which discharge direct to streams or to septic tank systems. That’s unfortunate as the capability of septic tanks to deal with industrial wastes is somewhat limited and the limits for discharge into surface waters set by the NRA can be extremely tough. In practice it may not be possible to discharge trade wastes of any description.

Limits are likely to be based on the following parameters:

•    pH- typically in range pH 6-10.
•    Heavy metals- (sliver) – typically 2-5mg/litre. Limits in the UK can be as low as 1mg to as high as 8mg/litre depending on location.
•    Solvents- generally discharges of highly flammable or water-immiscible wastes are forbidden.
•    Volume- based on average water use.
Fresh water should not normally be added to effluents to bring the concentrations within the permitted limits.

Limitations may also be placed on the amount of undissolved solid materials present in the outgoing effluent. A chemical or biological oxygen demand (COD or BOD) limit may be placed on large volume discharges. This parameter measure the amount of oxygen required to degrade organic materials present in the waste stream.

It is sometimes assumed that suppliers are responsible for taking care of customers’ waste and negotiating consent limits with the authorities. Not so, the law clearly places the onus for this on the waste producer. However, manufacturers appreciate that customers do require assistance and will provide relevant information and advice about waste arising from their products and processes.

When negotiating with the authorities you should take the following factors into consideration:
•    The volume of chemicals and waste anticipated per week or per month etc.
•    The volume of water used during the same period.
•    Frequency and quantity of waste discharged.
•    Information on the nature of the waste.
•    Hazardous components etc.
•    Relevant safety information.

The waster companies will take all factors into consideration, including discharges from nearby companies. Many photographic and printing wastes will not fully comply with local discharges limits. In some cases waster companies may permit discharge of untreated wastes to sewers, particularly of the quantity is small, or if the effluent is discharged over an extended period, but don’t count on it.

Peter Harrison is Joint MD of The Printing House Ltd, and Print Buying Direct of Crewe, Cheshire, UK.

NEW: We now sell Large Poster Printing and Banner printing online (A1 Posters, A0 Posters etc) and Banner Stands.

We have great online print prices Print Buying Direct are UK market Leaders in Leaflet Printing | Brochure Printing. For more free articles on Printing and Graphic Design see our Online Printing | Print Buying Direct Website. For more information on printing and graphic design please see some of our recent blog articles;

• Green Printing – Transfer of waste
• Green Printing – Duty of Care- waste producers
• Green Printing – Management of printing wastes
• Green Printing – Biologically oxidising substances
  

Print Buying Direct is the online Trading Name of The Printing House Ltd.  One of the UK’s leading quality printing companies for graphic design, short run, long run and large format colour printing. Based in Crewe, Cheshire (Cheshire Printers), in the North West of England – delivering to customers across the UK and Ireland.

NEW Product Alert – we now sell Exhibition Stands, Pop Up display stands and A Boards

See Our Latest Press Release about our Web to Print Solution.  See us on the RED TIE Web to Print site

• Print Buying Direct is the UK’s leading Web-to-print Printing Company
• The Customer Experience just gets Better and Better at Print Buying Direct
• Web revolution allows Crewe to ‘Print the World’

We have just launched 2 new brands – keep an eye out in the coming months for;

Cheap Banner Stands and Premium Banner Stands

See Our latest press Releases Digital printing in Cheshire,

Crewe Printers in UK First

Also Digital printing in just 15 Minutes

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Green Printing – Duty of Care- waste producers - 17th May 2010
Obligations are placed on everyone who is involved in the waste chain to manage controlled waste in a responsible manner.

• To ensure that no other person in the waste chain unwittingly breaks the Duty of Care requirements due to your actions or negligence.
• To prevent the escape of waste on your premises or during transfer.
• To ensure the waste is transferred to an authorise person such as a licensed carrier.
• To ensure that controlled wastes are properly documented and that sufficient information is given in writing to comply with Duty of Care requirements.
• To keep records of the wastes transferred and make them available on request to the authorities.

Responsibility placed on printers who produce the waste are not particularly onerous and should not be a problem for printing companies who maintain good housekeeping practices.

• Storage: wastes should be stored safely, managers should ensure that waste is packed properly and does not escape on site, or beyond the perimeter of the site.
• Liquid wastes should be stored with particular care as spillages to drains or soil can cause serious pollution problems which can be extremely costly for you to clean up.
• Large storage containers should be stored on an impervious hard staining area which is bounded by a low wall, or small containers on a drip tray to contain spillages. Extra requirements apply to the storage of special and highly flammable wastes.
• When security is a problem, for instance where there is no perimeter fence, it is recommended that lockable skips are used. May printing shops have no external storage areas, in which case the quantity of waste stored on site should be kept to a minimum?

Peter Harrison is Joint MD of The Printing House Ltd, and Print Buying Direct of Crewe, Cheshire, UK.

NEW: We now sell Large Poster Printing and Banner printing online (A1 Posters, A0 Posters etc) and Banner Stands.

We have great online print prices Print Buying Direct are UK market Leaders in Leaflet Printing | Brochure Printing. For more free articles on Printing and Graphic Design see our Online Printing | Print Buying Direct Website. For more information on printing and graphic design please see some of our recent blog articles;

• Green Printing – Management of printing wastes
• Green Printing – Biologically oxidising substances
• Green Printing – Chemical factors

Print Buying Direct is the online Trading Name of The Printing House Ltd.  One of the UK’s leading quality printing companies for graphic design, short run, long run and large format colour printing. Based in Crewe, Cheshire (Cheshire Printers), in the North West of England – delivering to customers across the UK and Ireland.

NEW Product Alert – we now sell Exhibition Stands, Pop Up display stands and A Boards

See Our Latest Press Release about our Web to Print Solution.  See us on the RED TIE Web to Print site

• Print Buying Direct is the UK’s leading Web-to-print Printing Company
• The Customer Experience just gets Better and Better at Print Buying Direct
• Web revolution allows Crewe to ‘Print the World’

We have just launched 2 new brands – keep an eye out in the coming months for;

Cheap Banner Stands and Premium Banner Stands

See Our latest press Releases Digital printing in Cheshire,

Crewe Printers in UK First

Also Digital printing in just 15 Minutes

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Green Printing – Management of printing wastes
The legacy if environmental damage left behind by former industries and the evidence that industry and society is continuing to pollute the planet at an increasing rare have left to demands for tighter controls. As a result, industry has, during the last 10 years, had to meet the challenges posed by an increasing volume of EC and UK legislation aimed to preventing further damage to the environment and ensuring that the polluter pays for the damage he has caused.

Environmental issues in the UK were focused sharply in 1990 with the introduction of the Environmental Protection Act. Since then a wide range of new regulations has been introduced under the umbrella of the Act which radically changes they way industry will have to manage its environmental affairs in future. There is much to come.

Nowhere is the effect of these regulations more apparent than on the issue of how industry manages its waste.

We all know about waste, all industries produce it, yet until recent years waste was not considered to be a major issue. Disposal was cheap, and printing waste either ended up in the sewers or was taken to the local landfill requirements relating to the management of wastes.

Why manage waste?
The Controlled Waste Regulations which came into force on the 1st April 1992 greatly extend the range of wastes which are subject to legal controls. The Duty of Care Regulations which came into force on the same sate impose obligations on all people involved in the waste chain to manage controlled wastes in a responsible manner. Failure to comply is a criminal offence which can result in prosecutions and fines. There is every indication that the authorities are monitoring waste movements closely and are prepared to prosecute.

At the same time, disposal costs, which have been rising steadily in recent years, are now escalating dramatically as tighter restrictions are placed on the operation of waste storage, treatment and disposal sites. Disposal facilities are becoming more difficult to find, no-one wants landfill tips or waste incinerators in their back yard. It is therefore important that companies should know the waste they produce, understand their legal obligations and have a clear understanding of the costs involved in managing their waste.

Controlled waste and Duty of Care
The Environmental Protection Act of 1990, under these regulations were made, defines waste in the broadest possible terms which can lead to uncertainty and misunderstanding. The courts have taken the line that waste should be defined from the viewpoint of the person who actually produces or disposes of the material.

For instance, would you regard the material discard as:

A waste, scrap an effluent or unwanted material arising from a process? Or is it contaminated, broken, worn out or spoiled material which is no longer suitable for its original purpose? If the answer to any of these is yes- its waste.

The controlled waste regulations define household, industrial and commercial wastes which are subject to regulatory control and to which the Duty of Care requirements apply. In practice this includes all wastes that the printing and graphic arts industry are likely to produce. Many materials which would not normally be considered waste come within this definition, for instance, scrap metal or chemicals which are sent away for recovery. Building and demolition waste arising from work carried out on your premises is also controlled waste.

Special wastes
Certain types of hazardous waste such as highly flammable solvents or corrosive wastes are subject to the Control of Pollution (Special Wastes) Regulations of 1980. These wastes are now subject to the Duty of Care requirements in addition to the conditions which apply under the special waste regulations.

To be continued…

Peter Harrison is Joint MD of The Printing House Ltd, and Print Buying Direct of Crewe, Cheshire, UK.

NEW: We now sell Large Poster Printing and Banner printing online (A1 Posters, A0 Posters etc) and Banner Stands.

We have great online print prices Print Buying Direct are UK market Leaders in Leaflet Printing | Brochure Printing. For more free articles on Printing and Graphic Design see our Online Printing | Print Buying Direct Website. For more information on printing and graphic design please see some of our recent blog articles;

• Green Printing – Biologically oxidising substances
• Green Printing – Chemical factors
• Green Printing – Waste

Print Buying Direct is the online Trading Name of The Printing House Ltd.  One of the UK’s leading quality printing companies for graphic design, short run, long run and large format colour printing. Based in Crewe, Cheshire (Cheshire Printers), in the North West of England – delivering to customers across the UK and Ireland.

NEW Product Alert – we now sell Exhibition Stands, Pop Up display stands and A Boards

See Our Latest Press Release about our Web to Print Solution.  See us on the RED TIE Web to Print site

• Print Buying Direct is the UK’s leading Web-to-print Printing Company
• The Customer Experience just gets Better and Better at Print Buying Direct
• Web revolution allows Crewe to ‘Print the World’

We have just launched 2 new brands – keep an eye out in the coming months for;

Cheap Banner Stands and Premium Banner Stands

See Our latest press Releases Digital printing in Cheshire,

Crewe Printers in UK First

Also Digital printing in just 15 Minutes

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Green Printing – Chemical factors – 26th April 2010

This category can be split into the following:

• dangerous substances
• biochemically oxidising substances
• nutrients

The EEC prepared a directive on this subject (No.76/464/EEC) which puts dangerous substances into tow lists depending on their toxicity, persistence and bio-accumulation.

‘Black’ list- disposal of these substances must be avoided.
‘Grey’ list- disposal of these substances must be reduced.

What are the ‘black’ list products?

• Organ halogen compounds.
• Organophosphorus compounds.
• Organotin compounds
• Substances having proven carcinogenic properties in or through water.
• Mercury and mercy compounds.
• Cadmium and cadmium compounds
• Persistence mineral oils.
• Persistent synthetic materials which may float sink or remain in suspension.

Fifteen years ago or more, cadmium was used in most graphic films. However due to its dangerous properties it has been completely removed by all graphic arts manufacturers.

What are the ‘grey’ list products?

• The substances of the ‘black’ list below the emission limits.
• A list of other substances:
  • metals such as zinc, copper, chromium, lead, boron, silver
  • biocides and their derivatives
  • substances which have a deleterious effect on the taste or smell of products for human consumption
  • organosilicon compounds
  • phosphorus and igorganic phosphorus compounds
  • non-persistent mineral oils
  • cyanides and fluorides
  • ammonia and nitrates

To be continued…

Peter Harrison is Joint MD of The Printing House Ltd, and Print Buying Direct of Crewe, Cheshire, UK.

NEW: We now sell Large Poster Printing and Banner printing online (A1 Posters, A0 Posters etc) and Banner Stands.

We have great online print prices Print Buying Direct are UK market Leaders in Leaflet Printing | Brochure Printing. For more free articles on Printing and Graphic Design see our Online Printing | Print Buying Direct Website. For more information on printing and graphic design please see some of our recent blog articles;

• Green Printing – Waste
• Newsletter Printing – Soft line drawings
• Newsletter Printing – professional- quality photographs.

Print Buying Direct is the online Trading Name of The Printing House Ltd.  One of the UK’s leading quality printing companies for graphic design, short run, long run and large format colour printing. Based in Crewe, Cheshire (Cheshire Printers), in the North West of England – delivering to customers across the UK and Ireland.

NEW Product Alert – we now sell Exhibition Stands, Pop Up display stands and A Boards

See Our Latest Press Release about our Web to Print Solution.  See us on the RED TIE Web to Print site

• Print Buying Direct is the UK’s leading Web-to-print Printing Company
• The Customer Experience just gets Better and Better at Print Buying Direct
• Web revolution allows Crewe to ‘Print the World’

We have just launched 2 new brands – keep an eye out in the coming months for;

Cheap Banner Stands and Premium Banner Stands

See Our latest press Releases Digital printing in Cheshire,

Crewe Printers in UK First

Also Digital printing in just 15 Minutes

Share
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Environmentally Aware Printing – Inks | Adhesives | Bookbinding adhesives - 15th February 2010

Requests from bookbinders and printers for spine adhesives that would not contaminate the waste from normal unsewn book production increased in 1990. Perhaps it was an attempt to maintain the selling price of the trimmed waste, but it also indicated that the waste collectors did not know what constituted a contaminant. By using the words ‘adhesives’ or ‘hot melts’, they were able to reduce the selling/ buying price of waste.

The green issued intensified as publishers stared to request products that were manufactured not only from recycled paper, but with a recycled adhesive. Confusion increased as bio or UV degradable was requested, with the caveat that books must still be able to withstand a long shelf life with increased library usage. In other words the market was, and it, totally confused.

The vast number of variables involved, the potential problems and the complexity of the different systems has meant no clear direction has been established, and everybody has different definitions and ideas on ‘recyclability’.

The term ‘recyclable’ is used frequently when referring to adhesives in paper conversion processes, but this is often somewhat misleading. It is therefore appropriate to briefly discuss a definition.

Peter Harrison is Joint Managing Director of The Printing House Ltd, and Print Buying Direct of Crewe, Cheshire, UK.

NEW: We now sell Large Poster Printing online (A1 Posters, A0 Posters etc) and Banner Stands

Also – checkout our new online print prices Print Buying Direct are UK market Leaders in Leaflet Printing | Brochure Printing. For more free articles on Printing and Graphic Design see our Online Printing | Print Buying Direct Website. For more information on printing and graphic design please see some of our recent blog articles;

• Environmentally Aware Printing – Adjusting to alcohol free printing
• Environmentally Aware Printing – Alcohol free benefits
• Environmentally Aware Printing – Alcohol in fount solvents
• Environmentally Aware Printing – Citrus-based washes
• Environmentally Aware Printing – Chemicals in the pressroom

Print Buying Direct is the online division and a Trading Name of The Printing House Ltd. One of the UK’s leading quality printing companies for short run, long run and wide format colour printing. Based in Crewe, Cheshire, in the North West of England – delivering to customers across the UK and Ireland.

Also see our other websites The Printing House, Print Buying Direct, Prospectus printing, Golf Club Centenary Books

Environmentally Aware Printing – Chemicals in the pressroom - 4th February 2010
Printing is the business of using chemicals to produce a visual result, although this is not often recognised. Inks and many of the other materials used within the pressroom are mixtures of chemicals that have been compounded to do a particular job.

With the majority of litho and letterpress machine rooms, the ink has little reason to be cause for concern but the same cannot always be said of some of the other materials. Foremost among these are the press washes and the fountain additives.

Press washes
The job of a press wash is to remove an ink that has sometimes been allowed to dry, from the rollers, blanket and other parts of the press. The simplest and most convenient materials for this are the organic compounds that have a strong solvent action and evaporate rapidly. Unfortunately, this strong solvent action extends to dissolve natural oil in the skin, which can lead to during and cracking of the skin which is then open to infection. The rapid evaporation rate leads to unacceptably high concentrations in the air that is breathed by the press operators.

On many occasions the operators had become so used to the smell of the solvents in conventional blanket and damper washed that they were hardly aware of the presence of the fumes that were being inhaled. Among the worst of these is MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) which is still more widely than it should be.

The third area for concern is with the damper roller washed that frequently find their way into the public drains and sewer systems. What effect do they have on the sewage systems and rivers once they have pass on that far?

As a result of the growing demand for a safer and more pleasant working environment, a number of suppliers, including Keane Graphic Products, have assembled a portfolio of environmentally- friendly graphic supplies that are as effective as any conventional solvent-based materials. The range of pressroom chemicals was developed to meet the concerns of management, workforce and union alike about the effect of inhaling the solvent fumes from conventional products, particularly when in enclosed spaces.
Peter Harrison is Joint Managing Director of The Printing House Ltd,
and Print Buying Direct of Crewe, Cheshire, UK.

Print Buying Direct are UK market Leaders in Leaflet Printing | Brochure Printing.

For more free articles on Printing and Graphic Design see our Online Printing | Print Buying Direct
Website.

For more information on printing and graphic design please see some of our recent blog articles;

• Environmentally Aware Printing – Disposing of inks
• Environmentally Aware Printing – Water-based inks and coatings
• Environmentally Aware Printing – Ultraviolet (UV) inks
• Environmentally Aware Printing – Re-use and recycling of printing inks
• Environmentally Aware Printing – Bio-degradability of inks

Print Buying Direct is the online division and a Trading Name of The Printing House Ltd. One of the UK’s leading quality printing companies for short run, long run and wide format colour printing. Based in Crewe, Cheshire, in the North West of England – delivering to customers across the UK and Ireland.

Also see our other websites

The Printing House, Print Buying Direct, Prospectus printing, Golf Club Centenary Books

Environmentally Aware Printing – Getting rid of empty ink containers – 3rd February 2010
Empty, dry ink containers are not hazardous waste and, for those not designed for return and re-use, landfill is currently the best available disposal option. However, this is seen as waste of a valuable resource and a strain of limited landfill capacity.

The incineration of plastics is an effective alternative. Their high calorific values (42 KJ/kg for polythene – greater than high grade coal) make them a valuable fuel source.

Opportunities for cleaning and recycling of containers, particularly large drums, are widely available and should be used wherever possible.

Pressure for recycling is increasing but it is essential when considering recycling as an option that the correct infrastructure is in place to cope with demand.

We are actively discussing the implications of all these trends with our suppliers.

Environmentally Aware Printing – Disposal of print
The ink on printed materials is classed as a contaminant, along with labels, adhesives etc. In practice, the amount of dried ink is so small that it constitutes only a minor contaminant.

Recycling
Recycling of paper is now common and the associated de-inking processes well established. Most recycling of plastic is currently of undecorated material so the information on the effect of ink is limited. Preliminary studies have shown that diarylide yellow pigments will degrade is too high hazardous breakdown products if the reprocessing temperature is too high (above 240ºC). Diarylide yellows are used in printing inks and for producing self-coloured plastics. It is therefore recommended that, generally, coloured plastic material should not be heated above 240ºC.

Incineration
It is generally accepted that printing ink films do not contain any materials that would inhibit the suitability of printed matter for incineration. At the very high temperatures involved, inks, with their very low levels of chlorine and sulphur, will not contribute to the production of toxic emissions.

Landfill
We do not believe that the ink film will have any effect on the anaerobic degradability of printed matter in a landfill.

Peter Harrison is Joint Managing Director of The Printing House Ltd,
and Print Buying Direct of Crewe, Cheshire, UK.

Print Buying Direct are UK market Leaders in Leaflet Printing | Brochure Printing.

For more free articles on Printing and Graphic Design see our Online Printing | Print Buying Direct
Website.

For more information on printing and graphic design please see some of our recent blog articles;

• Environmentally Aware Printing – Disposing of inks
• Environmentally Aware Printing – Water-based inks and coatings
• Environmentally Aware Printing – Ultraviolet (UV) inks
• Environmentally Aware Printing – Re-use and recycling of printing inks
• Environmentally Aware Printing – Bio-degradability of inks

Print Buying Direct is the online division and a Trading Name of The Printing House Ltd. One of the UK’s leading quality printing companies for short run, long run and wide format colour printing. Based in Crewe, Cheshire, in the North West of England – delivering to customers across the UK and Ireland.

Also see our other websites

The Printing House, Print Buying Direct, Prospectus printing, Golf Club Centenary Books

Environmentally Aware Printing – Disposing of inks – 2nd February 2010
No ink products, including water-based, are suitable for sewage disposal without special treatment.

Landfill is often the best practical solution for ink products on the basis of both cost and environmental protection. Scientific studies we commissioned indicate that, in practice, conventional lithographic inks and aqueous products have a natural effect on a landfill. As landfill involves the widespread dispersal of small quantities of ink waste at low concentration, printing inks should not cause any problems.

At the moment, low flash products cannot be land filled; for these, solvent reclamation or incinerations are options. The flash point combustibility threshold will vary with locality but is normally 21-40 ºC. However, there is a move to reduce the disposal of all liquids waste in landfills.

Many of our inks have a calorific value greater than traditional fuels such as coal and wood. When incinerated, they represent a valuable source of energy which can be exploited. Incineration specialist assures us that there would be no problems in burning our waste inks, and that their incineration will not produce toxic emissions such as dioxins or PCBs.

At the moment, there is no harmonised legislation on waste disposal. Therefore, whatever option is chosen, it must comply with the relevant local regulations.

Peter Harrison is Joint Managing Director of The Printing House Ltd,
and Print Buying Direct of Crewe, Cheshire, UK.

Print Buying Direct are UK market Leaders in Leaflet Printing | Brochure Printing.

For more free articles on Printing and Graphic Design see our Online Printing | Print Buying Direct
Website.

For more information on printing and graphic design please see some of our recent blog articles;

• Environmentally Aware Printing – Water-based inks and coatings
• Environmentally Aware Printing – Ultraviolet (UV) inks
• Environmentally Aware Printing – Re-use and recycling of printing inks
• Environmentally Aware Printing – Bio-degradability of inks
• Environmentally Aware Printing – Solvents

Print Buying Direct is the online division and a Trading Name of The Printing House Ltd. One of the UK’s leading quality printing companies for short run, long run and wide format colour printing. Based in Crewe, Cheshire, in the North West of England – delivering to customers across the UK and Ireland.

Also see our other websites

The Printing House, Print Buying Direct, Prospectus printing, Golf Club Centenary Books