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Precision
Disc is a market-leader in providing low-plastic and
no-plastic packaging alternatives for our CD and DVD
products, with a strong emphasis on utilizing "green"
equipment, processes and materials.
Having in-house manufacturing and printing capabilities
allows us to provide our clientele with a level of job
control, quality and service that would not possible
with an out-sourced product. With over 10,000 square
feet of production facilities we have the ability to
manufacture, print and package orders of virtually any
size.
With so much importance being put on the
environmentally-friendly aspects of our disc packaging
products, applying ourselves to the more traditional
print market seemed like an obvious and natural
progression. We have invested in the right equipment,
processes and materials to provide sustainable and
environmentally-friendly printing solutions for our
clientele.
Digital Printing Technology
The evolution of digital printing has made fundamental
changes in the printing process. Printing is an
industrial process but digital printing is a
computerized process which is, by its very nature, less
demanding of resources and less wasteful than
conventional print.
Digital printing has eliminated many stages of
traditional printing that were time, energy and
resource-consuming, and were accompanied by liquid and
solid waste and fumes, some of which require specialist
treatment for disposal. The use of chemistry for film
and plate processing is eliminated with digital print,
as is the substantial waste of materials used in the
'make ready' stage of offset printing.
Digital printing enables shorter run lengths and
turnaround times which leads to less consumption and
waste - it is estimated that prior to the advent of
digital printing as much as 56% of all print was thrown
away unused.
Dealing With Sources of Printer Related Waste
Imaging Oil: The imaging oil used in conjunction
with the Indigo's ElektroInk can be disposed of using
normal means - it does not require special handling for
disposal. To cut down on the consumption of imaging oil
in the printing process the Indigo Printer recycles its
own oil and, as an added enhancement to that feature, at
Precision Disc we clean and re-use our imaging oil to
further extend its life.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): During the
printing process, volatile organic compounds are
released from inks. None of the Indigo inks or other
supplies used in the Indigo printing process contain
substances that are listed on the US Federal list of
Hazardous Air Pollutants as established by the Federal
Clean Air Act, or the European Union's VOC Directive.
Ozone Exposure: Ozone exposure levels in the
workplace are subject to control and regulation across
the world. The Indigo Printer produces ozone at low
levels, generated by the scorotron and charge roller
that charges the photoreceptor. In regular operation,
ozone peak levels are found to be well below the
international occupational health standard of 100ppb for
an eight-hour exposure level.
Additional sources of waste include empty ink
cartridges, used imaging blankets, Binary Ink Developer
(BID) and cleaning rags. Under U.S. Federal
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) criteria, none of
these waste products are classified as hazardous waste
and so they can be disposed of by normal means.
The Inks We Use
The "ElektroInk" used by the Indigo Printer is the
single most recognizable difference between the Indigo
and all other forms of digital printing. Most digital
printers use dry toner, but because the Indigo uses
liquid ink it is much more able to reproduce the quality
"look and feel" of offset print than other forms of
digital print.
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The
ElektroInk 4.0 we use is compliant with the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) requirements for printing on
the non-food contact side of food packaging of an
appropriate multi-layer food packaging material.
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Papers
printed by the Indigo Printer using ElektroInk are
recyclable.
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The
California Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act
(Proposition 65) is widely known as a landmark in
setting high regulatory standards. Indigo Printer
products (including ElektroInk) do not contain any
substances listed under the act.
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Hazardous
Air Pollutants - ElektroInk and other supplies
relating to the Indigo Printer do not contain the
substances listed on the United States federal list of
Hazardous Air Pollutants.
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ElektroInk
has been awarded the Nordic Swan Eco-Label for use on
printed matter - which relates to properties with
which the ink is made.
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ElektroInk
complies with the Stockholm Convention on Persistent
Organic Pollutants.
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ElektroInk
uses no chemicals requiring Prior Informed Consent
under the Rotterdam Convention for use in
International Trade.
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ElektroInk
complies with the Montreal Protocol on substances that
deplete the ozone layer.
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ElektroInk
is not classified as Dangerous Goods under
International Air Transportation Association
Regulations.
The Substrates We Print On
After taking the environmental-friendliness of the
printing equipment and the consumables used in the
printing process, the next step is to choose "green"
paper and card stocks (also referred to as "substrates")
to print onto.
We know that clients are more interested in the how
green a substrate is than worrying about the actual
brand name. Based on that, we have created our own
classification of substrates that provides you with a
choice of how much green you want, and then from there
we produce your order with a stock that meets your
desired amount of green.
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