| As the new years approaches, I would like to | | | | waste water used to print contains many harmful |
| encourage you to find more eco friendly ways to | | | | chemicals that effect the streams, rivers, lakes, |
| do the same things you already doing. A lot of | | | | fields, etc. An eco friendly printer will use inks that |
| times, these more environmentally friendly ways | | | | are vegetable based, primarily soy, which is gentle |
| will also save you money! Finding an eco friendly | | | | on the environment, and the inks still produce |
| printer is one of these ways that will help you | | | | great, high quality images. Technology has come a |
| save money and the environment. At the end of | | | | long way, and you don't have to sacrifice quality |
| the article, I will recommend some | | | | for an environmentally friendly ink. |
| environmentally conscious printers to use. There | | | | Packaging |
| are a few major areas that you should consider | | | | Traditional packaging of printed products includes a |
| when looking for an environmentally friendly | | | | cardboard box and peanuts. Packaging materials |
| printer. | | | | are not necessarily harmful to the environment, |
| Paper | | | | but it is how those materials are treated that can |
| Paper choice is very important when considering | | | | harm the planet. Foam peanuts are typically made |
| the environment. There is enough information that | | | | from a petroleum base. An eco friendly printer will |
| could be discussed on just paper alone. It really | | | | use packaging materials that are made of |
| comes down to the bleach, however. Trees are a | | | | biodegradable materials to pad the printed |
| resource that can be reused over and over again. | | | | materials inside of boxes. The boxes, if made of |
| Dioxin, the chemical usually used to bleach paper, | | | | cardboard, can be recycled and made into new |
| is not a renewable resource. Once used, it cannot | | | | cardboard. There is no reason why cardboard |
| be used again, ever. So, paper that is bleached | | | | boxes should not be recycled. Another good way |
| with dioxin is not an earth friendly paper choice. | | | | to make cardboard boxes eco friendly is to reuse |
| You should try to find printers that use paper | | | | them in your own company. Use an old box to |
| that is milled elemental chlorine free. | | | | ship your next item to a customer. |
| Ink | | | | Eco friendly printers will also try their hardest to |
| The inks that a printer uses can also be very | | | | reduce waste in paper trimmings. They will make |
| harmful to the environment if the incorrect inks | | | | the best cuts out of the paper, and they will take |
| are used. For many decades, printers used any | | | | any waste and reuse it in other paper like |
| inks that were available. Some printers still use | | | | newsprint. Power supply is also another way to |
| these old inks. Those kinds of inks are harmful to | | | | spot an eco friendly company. Find an eco friendly |
| the environment because they are made with | | | | printer that is powered by solar or wind energy. |
| harsh chemicals that effect the environment. The | | | | |