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We care about our environment and are actively encouraging and promoting the “green” effort. As an option to conventionally recognized materials and in an attempt to minimize waste, we are constantly exploring the availability of alternative materials and production methods that promote the use of both biodegradable and recyclable substrate materials, in addition to eco-friendly inks. About our equipment, process and materials:
http://www.pneac.org/sheets/screen/UVCurableInk.pdf About our eco-friendly materials: We print on corrugated cardboard, cardstock and we currently offer several choices of eco-friendly substrate/board/banner materials. These substrates share the utility and appearance of regular foamboards and banners, without the long-term disadvantages. Some are biodegradable, but not recyclable. Some are both biodegradable AND recyclable and some are simply recyclable. What are the differences between and biodegradable and recyclable...??? Recyclable means the product can be used over again, typically in the context of a municipal, commercial or industrial program that collects used materials and converts them into new products. Biodegradable refers to a material that breaks down relatively quickly under natural conditions or in a commercial landfill. The first choice is bio-degradable. The wood product (paper) that is used in these boards is sourced from the SFI (sustainable forest initiative). This material consists of a paper faced with smooth, bright white paper liners formulated from wood products certified by the Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI is the largest forestry products certification program in North America). The core is a 100% biodegradable foam center, with 15% recycled content, formulated with “bio resins”. These bio resins actually transform the structure of the polystyrene, while attracting microorganisms that metabolize and neutralize the plastic. Only a biomass compost remains after decomposition. This material is safe for the environment. The exclusive polystyrene center requires one to five years for 100% breakdown, whereas conventional foamboards will not biodegrade for 80 to 450 years. The third is a product called "coroplast" (corrugated plastic). This is a rugged material that is suitable for both indoor AND outdoor use. This product is not bio-degradable, but is recyclable. Environmental aspects regarding this product can be accessed at: http://coroplast.com/enviro.htm Our PVC banners contain bio resins that, when placed in a landfill, will completely break down into a bio-mass compost in 3-5 years. We encourage your calls to discuss your particular and specific needs. Our knowledgable staff will be glad to assist you in making the best choice for your particular application ! |
We have recently invested in eco-friendly print technology utilizing high-coverage UV (ultra-violet curable) digital inks that do not rely on evaporative solvents. This process allows us to apply the ink directly to eco-friendly print materials (substrates) where it is immediately dried by a high intensity UV curing system. This drastically reduces (virtually eliminates...) the release of VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) into the atmosphere. Printing directly onto substrate/backer materials eliminates the additional step of printing on self-adhesive vinyl (or other materials) and then laminating that print, to a second surface/backer. This minimizes the use of unnecessary materials and does not inhibit recyclability. This is good for you, good for us and most importantly…good for the environment. We’ve included a "link", outlining the benefits (and drawbacks) of using UV inks as they are used in screen printing. Our ink is applied with the use of a 6-head digital (color) printer, however, the ecological benefits are similar. Clicking on the link below provides more information on the process:
