Eco Friendly Printing with Hot Ink
February 19, 2018, by Lisa Saville
Ever wondered how you can produce your printing and be able to leave a minimum carbon footprint on the planet? We continuously research ways to do this and are thus able to offer you the best quality print that is also in line with our own ethos of eco friendly printing solutions.
One of the questions we get asked on a frequent basis is: “DO WE USE VEGETABLE INKS”. The answer to that is: “No”. This is because our laser printers do not use inks at all, they use powder toner. The question above should really be directed at the litho print industry as it refers to the use of soy-based inks as opposed to solvent based ones which emit harmful gas (Our litho print partner only uses soy-based ink). The production of toner conforms to really strict emission standards, plus the use of it is safe and non toxic (more details here). In addition to this, the laser printing process allows one to control the exact quantities printed; where you only print the amount that you need; as you need it, and everything can be used from the first to the last print, resulting in minimal storage and wastage.
Our large format printers do not use solvent based inks either, but rather latex ink. Latex Ink Printers have significant environmental advantages over their solvent based counterparts that relate to health; energy consumption; as well as recyclability. Here’s an easy overview of the comparison between latex and solvent inks.
Another question we get asked is: “IS RECYCLED PAPER BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?” The answer is “Yes”, read more about the when and why. All our papers are FSC certified and we carry a range of recycled papers in stock at all times, ordering in custom substrates as required. Feel free to chat to us and get informed recommendations on recycled paper that will suit your particular needs.
In June 2013, Hot Ink was invited to become one of the flagship projects for the Government of the Western Capes’ 110% Green Initiative. This means that we have an ongoing obligation to strive for ways to operate in the most environmentally sustainable manner possible.
In spite of everything that we currently do to source and provide sustainable products and services, running any business does leave its mark on the planet. Among other things, we have to use electricity; our staff have to make use of transport to and from work; and we do generate waste. However, to counter the effects of this, we have been offsetting all our emissions through an annual assessment and offsetting programme since 2011. (Our carbon credits are currently invested in the Wonderbag Project). This has earned us the status of being a “CARBON NEUTRAL CERTIFIED BUSINESS”. We are very proud of this title and are happy to offer you the option of stating this on your printed material (chat to us), thus creating further awareness as we endeavour to get everyone on board with sustainable business practices.
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