Green printing utilizes eco-friendly methods that can be used throughout the entire printing process. Beginning with the paper selection and ending with the finishing procedures, green printing options can be implemented every step of the way. Here are just a few examples of the different facets of this process:

Paper Selection
Virgin Paper is the purest paper available and has the most immediate impact on the forest. The fibers come directly from trees and do not contain any recycled material. Using virgin paper increases water consumption, energy use, air pollution and water pollution.

Recycled Paper allows the same fiber to be used and reused many times over. Recycled paper uses less energy and produces fewer emissions than virgin paper. MDS Advertising chooses paper with the highest percentage of recycled content.

Process Chlorine Free (PCF) means that the paper has been produced using no chlorine or chlorine compounds.

Ink Selection
Petroleum-Based Inks contain ozone-damaging distillates and VOCs. Also, petroleum is not a renewable resource and is not environmentally sustainable.

Soy Inks are environmentally friendly inks that are naturally low in VOCs. Using this ink can greatly reduce emissions causing air pollution, yet still produce the same print quality as petroleum-based inks.

Vegetable Oil-Based Inks are an effective alternative sometimes referred to as “agri-based inks.” They are biodegradable and made with renewable resources such as linseed, cottonseed, tung, or china wood oil.

Finishing Methods
Saddle Stitching is a good option because metal staples that are used for binding do not need to be removed for recycling.

Wire Rolls and Plastic Combs are both recyclable after being separated from the printed pieces.

Embossing is an environmentally friendly way to add dimension while using no chemicals or inks.

Die Cutting is similar to embossing in that it is another environmentally friendly way to achieve a dramatic effect. There is no use of chemicals or inks and the die can be reused.

Engraving is a classic and typically costly technique that delivers elegance with minimal environmental impact.

Additional Green Options MDS Will Provide
There are many different ways that a client can help to decrease the impact of printing on the environment. Here are some things we consider when entering the production phase:

A Smaller Size Can Save Money— using smaller dimensions for brochures or printed pieces may serve the same purpose and have as much impact as a larger piece. Reducing size not only minimizes waste and energy consumption, but also saves money.

Choose a Green Certified Printer— more and more printers are going green everyday, but there are many different levels of green certification available to print houses. Selecting a printer with a high level of green certification produces the least impact on the environment.

Use Digital Proofing and File Delivery— the use of the PDF can save time and resources. Delivering art directly to the printer by PDF eliminates wasted storage media and proofing on-screen eliminates paper waste.

Advertise Online— along with print collaterals, MDS Advertising will also assess our client’s project and look for effective ways to advertise online, thus reducing paper usage.

Green Printing Logos
If a client chooses to print green, they have the option to use the logos below on all collateral pieces. The usage of these logos requires an approval process that may add a few extra days onto the project timeline and MDS will adjust accordingly. Clients that print green will also be acknowledged on the MDS Advertising website as an “MDS Green Client.”

The FSC, Forest Stewardship Council (www.fscus.org) is an international nonprofit organization that includes representatives from environmental and social groups, forestry professionals, and various other corporations.  If a paper is FSC certified, it has followed the Chain of Custody from the trees to the printer. The Chain of Custody flows through the FSC-certified forest, to a paper manufacturer, merchant, and finally printer who have the FSC Chain of Custody certification.  An FSC logo on a final product means that the product originated from an FSC-certified forest and was tracked all the way through the supply chain.  Forest Stewardship Council certification is intended to help eliminate habitat destruction, water pollution, displacement of indigenous people and violence against people and wildlife that often accompanies logging.

The Rainforest Alliance (www.rainforest-alliance.org) is an accredited certifier of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Printers that are FSC-certified by the Rainforest Alliance have the option to use the organization’s green frog seal in conjunction with the FSC logo.

A Green Seal-certified (www.greenseal.org) mark on a product or service means that it has gone through a stringent process to show that it has less impact on the environment and human health. This process takes a life-cycle approach, evaluating products from the raw materials through the manufacturing process and ending with recycling and disposal. Services are evaluated for the products and equipment they use, their processes and procedures, and how these impact the health of people and the environment. The Green Seal® means that the product or service has passed the tests; that it works as well or better than others in its class, and that it has been evaluated without bias or conflict of interest.

The Chlorine Free Products Association (CFPA) (www.chlorinefreeproducts.org) is an independent not-for-profit accreditation/standard setting association. Their focus is promoting sustainable manufacturing practices, educating consumers on alternatives, and developing world markets for sustainable produced third party certified products and services.   The CFPA audits require a chain of custody for all raw materials, measures the impact of a manufacturing process on the environment: water and energy use, chemistry, carbon gas releases, reviews environmental policy and permit compliance, reviews ethical management practices and compliance, financial performance, product stewardship, public information, funding of research and development, and employee recognition. Once the audit is complete they are able to plug the numbers in to provide a ranking on a Sustainability Index. Only processes, or products that are manufactured free of chlorine chemistry are identified with the TCF {Totally Chlorine Free} or PCF {Processed Chlorine Free} Trademarks.

Printing with soy inks is an effective alternative to using petroleum-based inks, which can damage the ozone. Soy inks are a renewable resource and environmentally sustainable. Instead of using petroleum oil, soybean oil is blended with pigment, resins and waxes to create ink for the printing process. Soybean oil is less expensive than petroleum oil, uses less energy to produce and reduces air pollution by minimizing toxic emissions, or VOCs. The clarity of soybean oil produces rich, bright colors and delivers a high quality print. In addition to this, some printers actually use less ink to print the same amount of paper because the oil is clearer and needs less pigment to produce the same effect. Although soy inks are long-lasting, they are easily removed in the de-inking process of recycling. As a result, the recycled paper fibers are less damaged and have a brighter appearance.

Using recycled paper allows the same fiber to be used and reused many times over, which has helped reduce the pressure on forests and landfills. Recycled paper uses less energy and produces fewer emissions than virgin paper, which is paper produced with no recycled content. Two types of recycled content are Pre-consumer and Post Consumer Waste (PCW). Pre-consumer recycled paper contains scraps and trimmings left over from the paper manufacturing process. PCW is paper made out of paper which has been used by the end consumer.  There are also different percentages of recycled content ranging from 10% to 100% recycled materials. The ideal paper has 100% PCW recycled content..

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