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Eco friendly printing

...for all your needs

Green Printing At Designers on the Run we can arrange certified eco-friendly printing for all our clients at a competitive price. From vinyl exhibition banners to business cards we can procure printing from an eco friendly supplier.

We are concious of the fact that the printing industry is the 4th largest industry in the UK but has some of the worst convertion rates for reducing its’ environmental impact - “Of 12,000 or more printing companies in the UK, only a small minority have taken voluntary steps to reduce their environmental impact over and above the legal requirements”. (source: Envirowise Attitudes 2000 survey)

ISO 14001 is the main certification scheme undertaken by UK printers but the cost involved can be prohibitive for smaller printers. So schemes such as Greenmark and the British Printing Industry Federation (BPIF), are a good compromise, and offer a stepping-stone towards ISO 14001.

A printer with ISO 14001 accreditation will usually adopt some of the following procedures:

  • Encourage and promote the use of FSC Certified Paper, 100% Recycled Paper or paper containing an element of recycled fibre.
  • Reduce or Avoid the use of harmful emissions such as isopropyl alcohol (IPA), used as a damping solution, evaporates at room temperature, releasing VOCs. VOCs are colourless, odourless gases that are harmful to the environment, contributing to global warming and the production of ozone, as well as being hazardous to pressroom workers. It is possible to reduce and even remove the need for IPA through fastidious machine operation and maintenance.
  • Reduce and Recycle Waste - wooden pallets, plastic wrapping, ink and ink tins, paper (especially off-cuts) and glass can all be reused or recycled.
  • Offer digital print - large quantities of water are used in most printing processes. Water usage can be greatly reduced by waterless printing but also by printing with digital processes.
  • Use of vegetable based inks - In recent years vegetable based inks have improved greatly – they certainly match the performance of mineral-based inks, and some would say they are superior.

As designers we can use our purchasing power to influence the printing industry and therefore Designers on the Run will only work with printers who have ISO 14001 accreditation or where the printer hasn’t yet achieved this a clear ethical policy and comittment to the environment.

We have in the past worked with a handful of printers who meet our criteria but unfortunatley at the time of this website going ‘live’ there doesn’t seem to be a local printer in Edinburgh who meets our requirements.

Please note we are NOT printers and do not offer inhouse printing but we can arrange printing for you when you work with us.

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