Sustainability it an important factor that frequently arises when discussing materials, practices or processes. The print industry relies on various substrates, inks and machines to produce and deliver goods, and consequently, sustainability is a topic that is regularly discussed.
Consumers have come to expect or request standards of sustainability globally, and it is often a factor that weighs into their buying decisions and brand loyalty.
So, with this in mind…
WHAT IS WOLLONGONG PRINTING DOING TO BE SUSTAINABLE?
1. At Wollongong Printing we use latex inks for most of our printing.
Why? Because latex inks don’t contain harmful chemicals to the environment. As HP reveals… “The water-based formulation of HP Latex Inks fundamentally provides healthier print production without trading off performance.”
While Latex inks ARE more expensive, they do offer quality print production, and are much healthier for the environment.
2. We aim to use recycled packaging for most orders we send. We re-use cardboard boxes and materials we have on hand to package orders.
Why? Re-using packaging materials means we reduce waste.
3. Most Fabrics we print on are recyclable.
Why? We choose to use quality recyclable fabrics so that our products can be recycled and reused to eliminate waste.
4. We purchase and sell pullup banner bases that contain cartridges, so that we can re-skin pullup banner bases with new prints.
Why? This not only saves customers from having to re-purchase new bases all the time, but also minimizes waste as we can re-skin and re-provide the base with a new print WITHOUT any waste.
5. We sell corflute signs that can be recycled.
Why? So that these products can be recycled or re-purposed as opposed to adding to landfill.
6. We re-purpose everything we receive. From packaging, to goods and spare parts, our sustainable business aims to re-purpose or find a practical use for everything we receive.
Why? To ensure that ALL media is put to good use, and nothing is wasted.
7. We re-purpose print off-cuts. Any offcuts that aren’t being used for customer products, we attempt to recycle or repurpose.
Why? To minimise waste.
8. We use Solar Panels on our worksites.
Why? To reduce our carbon footprint and utilize renewable energy sources for power.
9. We have also spent 3 years (and continue to work on) developing biodegradable and photo-gradable paper options. Why? To find ways ensure that our prints aren’t harmful to the environment, and they don’t leave a carbon footprint.
We do our very best to ensure that our practices are as sustainable as they can be. While the printing industry is constantly endeavoring to be sustainable, appear sustainable and develop technologies that support sustainable business practices, there are definitely challenges to be overcome. Our team is constantly working to improve and overcome these.
