Sector Assessments

An Analysis of Pollution Prevention Opportunities and Impediments in the Printing and Publishing Industry Sector in Georgia

Introduction

Executive Summary

Profile of the Printing and Publishing Industry Sector in Georgia

Map 1 - Distribution of Printing and Publishing Companies

Map 2 - Distribution of Printing and Publishing Employees

Printing and Publishing Processes: Lithography, Flexography, and Rotogravure

Waste Stream and Generation Characteristics of Georgia Printers and Publishers

Pollution Prevention in the Printing Industry Barriers, Sources of Assistance, and Waste Reduction Methods

Pollution Prevention Barriers

Sources of Assistance to Georgia Printers and Publishers

Waste Reduction Methods

Key Pollution Prevention Issues

Facility Pollution Prevention Programs

Financial, Technical, and Personnel Resources

Ink Use and Conservation

Solid Waste Issues

Wastewater Issues

Cleaning Waste Reduction and Recycling

Case Study - Solvent Recovery System Reduces Hazardous Waste Disposal

Case Study - Elimination of Toxic Chemicals from Blanket Wash

Case Study - Elimination of Solvent by Off Press Cleaning with CO₂

Poor Housekeeping and Material Handling Issues

Pollution Prevention Assistance Needs of the Georgia Printing and Publishing Sector

Meeting the Pollution Prevention Needs of the Printing and Publishing Manufacturing Sector

Summary and Conclusions

The purpose of this report is to identify the specific causes of waste generation and cost-effective solutions that will reduce waste in the printing and publishing industry in Georgia. The benefits of reducing waste are reduced pollution and decreased operating cost to the business. Releases of high-priority toxic chemicals are the primary focus of this report, but other significant solid and liquid wastes will be included. Barriers exist that limit the implementation of pollution prevention projects and technologies. These barriers and strategies to overcome them will also be discussed in this report.

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Methodology

Visits to various printing shops, discussions with industry experts, and review of trade and environmental publications indicated that the processes used by printers that are responsible for the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) releases of toxic chemicals are press cleaning, use of solvent-based fountain solutions, and use of inks that contain toxic metals and solvents. Not all printers release significant amounts of hazardous or toxic waste. Quick print and laser print shops use few chemicals and generate very little chemical waste. Printers were selected for inclusion in this study if they:

• use common processes that could release toxic materials to the environment and / or
• employ a large workforce in Georgia and / or
• there were a large number of similar manufacturers in Georgia

 

This approach was taken to identify problems and solutions that are most significant in Georgia. Some Georgia printers that met these requirements were interviewed to identify specific processes, waste reduction activities, sources of waste reduction information, and barriers to pollution prevention encountered by these businesses. Seventy printers were contacted and sixteen interviews were completed. Some printers were visited to observe how processes were used and to gather information about waste problems other than toxic or hazardous waste. Plant visits were made to five printers. Gathering information through surveys and plant visits proved to be difficult due to the lack of participation by most of the printers contacted. Additional general information was included from previous pollution prevention assessments conducted at printers and contact with trade organizations. The results of this study are presented in this document.

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Executive Summary

The following key issues were identified as a result of this study through contacts with Georgia commercial printing facility personnel, facility tours, interviews with printing and publishing industry experts, and review of various trade and environmental publications.

• Facility Pollution Prevention Plans
• Limited Financial, Technical, and Personnel Resources
• Ink Use and Conservation
• Solid Waste Issues
• Wastewater Issues
• Cleaning Waste Reduction and Recycling
• Housekeeping and Material Handling Issues

 

The Georgia Pollution Prevention Assistance Division (P²AD) recommends the following action items to assist Georgia printing and publishing facilities in addressing these key issues. Develop programs which:

• Identify existing resources that address organizational, technical, and research needs.
• Provide pollution prevention training through workshops and seminars.
• Inform these facilities of pollution prevention opportunities through training, workshops, publication of technical and organization information, and partnerships with industrial and technical organizations.
• Develop checklists, fact sheets, and regular bulletins to assist facility personnel in recognizing areas where they can contribute to a pollution prevention ethic.
• Identify financial resources that can be allocated to assisting smaller and medium-sized printers to implement pollution prevention programs in their facilities.
• Identify engineering and technical resources that can provide services such as process definition, regulatory compliance, and pollution prevention.
• Establish focus groups and workgroups of industry representatives to discuss obstacles and opportunities for pollution prevention in the printing and publishing industry in Georgia.

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'Profile of the Printing and Publishing Industry Sector in Georgia

Georgia printing and publishing facilities provide commercial printing and newspaper publishing services to local, regional, or national markets. Companies providing traditional printing services are listed in the 1994 Georgia Manufacturers Directory within Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes 2711, 2721, 2731, 2732, 2741, 2752, 2754, 2759, and 2761. These companies provide printing of commercial publications, newspapers, greeting cards, books, and similar printing services. Printers of packaging materials are classified within SIC 267 and 265.

Approximately 34,000 people work for the 1,440 traditional printing companies within SIC code 27, including 16,800 employees in commercial printing (SIC 2752, 2754, and 2759) and 12,500 employees in newspaper printing and publishing (SIC 2711). Newspaper and commercial printing are the predominate businesses in SIC 27, employing 83% of all workers in the Georgia traditional printing industry.

Companies in SIC 267X and 265X employ an additional 19,200 in 217 facilities, which are primarily involved in the manufacture of packaging material including such items as labels, plastic food bags, cardboard boxes, paper bags, and envelopes. Some of these companies are primarily printers with 100% of their production printed in some manner while others print very little or not at all. In the last twenty years, packaging has transformed from simple shipping boxes and bags that protect the content to include marketing and information data displaying complex graphics and precision bar codes. Many of these companies print using flexographic and gravure techniques.

The primary printing processes used by businesses in the SIC codes listed in Table 1 are lithography, flexography, letter press, rotogravure, and instant or plateless printing. Lithography is the predominant process of commercial and newspaper printing and is used by at least 400 of the 1,450 traditional printers (SIC 27) in Georgia. Letterpress is also a common process traditionally used in newspaper printing, but is being replaced by lithography in Georgia. The number of companies using flexography is unknown. Twenty companies that do use flexographic printing employ 2,300 workers averaging 110 employees. At least one major Georgia newspaper uses flexography. The rotogravure process is used by at least 11 companies employing 604 workers. Rotogravure and flexography are the least common processes; however, companies that use these processes tend to have large production volumes. Photocopy, laser printing, and similar plateless printing are probably the most common processes, but do not generate significant pollution and are not included in this study.

Seventy-eight percent of all Georgia printing shops employ 20 or fewer workers and represent 14% of the total workforce in the printing industry. Sixteen percent employ more than 20 but less than 100 workers; these companies employ 23% of the total printing industry workforce. Six percent of all Georgia printing and publishing companies employ more than 100 workers; these larger companies employ 63% of all workers in the printing industry in Georgia. Similarly, among commercial printers (SIC 2752, 2754, and 2759), 87% employ less than 20 people while only 3% employ more than 100. Newspaper printers with more than 100 employees represent 6% of the total number of newspaper printers and employ 77% of the workforce. One company, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, employs 7,000 of the 12,549 workers in the Georgia newspaper industry; the average newspaper employs 59 workers. Figure 1 illustrates the geographical distribution of printers and publishers by county in Georgia, while Figure 2 portrays a county-by-county breakdown of printers. As expected, the majority of printers are located in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Concentrations of printers can be found in other smaller cities including Savannah, Brunswick, Columbus, Macon, Rome, and Gainesville.

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Table 1 - Printing and Publishing Businesses in Georgia Primary Business Total of

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Printing and Publishing Processes

Printers in Georgia primarily apply ink to paper, paperboard, and plastic packaging. A number of companies screen print various substrates including wood, solid plastic, and metal. These technologies are different in concept, but are very similar in the types of activities conducted at various printers. A general description of lithographic, gravure, and flexographic printing is provided below. These three general processes are the focus of this study since they are in common use and generate the greatest amounts of toxic and hazardous waste in Georgia.

The common activities that take place at Georgia printing facilities are listed below.

• Imaging
• Plate Making
• Prepress Setup
• Printing
• Post Press Processing
• Press Cleaning

 

Lithography

In lithography, a light sensitive coating is applied to an aluminum printing plate. The coating is exposed to light using a photographic negative. The exposed coating is developed. Areas exposed to light retain the coating which attracts ink. The unexposed areas are attractive to water. A water-based fountain solution is applied to allow the non-image areas to repel the ink. Ink rollers are used to apply an oil-based ink, which adheres only to image areas of the metal plate. The image is then transferred to a rubber blanket which subsequently transfers the image to the paper or other printing substrate. This process is known as offset lithographic printing.

The specific stages in the lithographic printing process include imaging, plate making, printing, post-press, and press cleaning. Traditionally, imaging has involved the production of an image using photographic methods. However, many printers are now employing computers to electronically transfer images. The most common commercial printing method is offset printing or offset lithography, where the ink is offset from the printing plate to the rubber blanket to the paper.

- Imaging

In the imaging stage of the printing process, the text and graphics are arranged, usually with the aid of a computer, in the form in which they are to be printed. The image is then photographed to produce a transparent representation of the text and graphics. The photographic process is similar to traditional photography and uses essentially the same chemicals to develop and process the film. The image is then transferred onto the film to produce a negative of the area to be printed.

- Plate-making

Using the negative, an aluminum or paper plate is produced by coating the plate with a light-sensitive chemical coating. When the coating is exposed to light, its physical properties change such that the exposed areas will repel water and water-based solutions. The areas that have not been exposed to light are receptive to water and water-based fountain solutions. The exposed areas are receptive to ink and form the printed image.

In lithography, both the exposed and the unexposed areas are on the same plane of the plate (i.e., the image is not engraved into the plate or otherwise created by relief methods). Lithographic plates can be either negatives (if the image area is to be ink receptive) or positives. Most lithographers use plates made from negatives which are called surface plates (usually made from aluminum). These plates are ideal for printing because they are lightweight, resistant to corrosion, and durable, in addition to being less expensive than other types of plates.

When the plates are complete, the printing process undergoes the make-ready stage. At this point in the process, the printer makes the final adjustments to the presses and the inks and creates a proof of the image.

- Printing

If the proof is acceptable, the printing can begin. In lithography, as in most of the other major printing methods, two types of presses may be used: web presses and sheet-fed presses. A web press is a high speed printing press that prints on both sides of a continuous roll of paper. Web presses are typically used for high volume print jobs, such as newspapers, magazines, or catalogs. Sheet-fed presses print only single sheets of paper and are typically used for products such as books, posters or brochures.

For either type of press, the plate is fastened to a cylinder, which rotates and allows the plate to be wetted first by a water-based fountain solution and then by an oil-based ink. As described above, only the image area attracts the ink. The non-image area attracts the fountain solution. While the plate cylinder rotates, the image is transferred to a blanket cylinder with a rubber surface (called the blanket) and then offset to the printing substrate. If a multi-color product is desired, the printed substrate is passed through several single color stages. Depending on whether the ink is heatset or non-heatset, the substrate will pass through a dryer unit to thermally set the ink. Usually with non-heatset, the inks dry by absorption.

Traditionally, fountain solutions were up to 15% isopropyl alcohol (IPA). Newspaper printers have used alkaline solutions containing little or no alcohol or other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). More recently, most printers have switched to glycol-based fountain solutions that are low in VOC content, but often contain TRI listed ingredients such as ethylene glycol. Fountain solutions are often pumped through the press in a continuous loop. Filtration to the 10 to 25 micron range will prolong the useful life of the solution by removing ink and fiber residue.

- Post-press

The post-press process typically involves the final preparation of a printing job. This stage involves the cutting, trimming, folding, binding, stapling, stitching, gluing, and any other finishing aspects needed to complete the printed product.

- Press Cleaning

Following each completed printing job or interruption in printing, some level of press cleaning is done. Plates are removed and stored, recycled, or discarded. Ink is removed from ink trays and stored for future use or discarded. Rubber blankets and rollers are hand-wiped using a solvent or blend of solvents. Press exteriors are wiped down with solvent or other cleaning chemical. Most of the solvents used by lithographic printers are used during press cleaning.

- Raw Materials

Many raw materials are used in each of the stages of lithographic printing. These materials are listed in Figure 3.

Figure 3 - Materials Used in Lithography

Flexography

Flexography is a direct printing process applying ink to paper or other substrate from a raised rubber image. In general, flexography and modern letterpress printing use the same technology. Flexography is typically used to print large production runs of packaging for consumer goods such as snack food bags. Letterpress has been recently replaced by other printing technologies such as lithography. Flexography uses a raised image made of rubber-like material mounted to a roller. Ink is applied to the raised image and transferred directly to the paper or plastic surface. High quality images can be printed in this manner reproducing near-photographic quality images and type.

The raised rubber images are glued to a roller or series of rollers if multiple colors are used. Ink is delivered to the press in a central piping system or in a small container holding several gallons. The ink is pumped through the press in a continuous loop. The image roller is mounted to the printing press with a anilox or ink metering roller. An anilox roller is a steel or ceramic roller with many tiny dimples or holes in the surface. Ink is applied first to the anilox roller. Excess ink is scraped away with a doctor blade leaving ink only in the holes. The remaining ink is then applied to the raised rubber image which applies ink to the plastic or paper substrate. The printed substrate then enters a forced air or infrared drying oven. This process is repeated for each color applied to a substrate. Up to seven colors are commonly applied on a single press.

- Imaging

The imaging stage in flexographic printing is essentially the same as lithographic printing. The image is then photographed producing a transparency.

- Plate-making

There are several techniques used to produce the raised rubber image plates used in flexography. Letterpress and flexographic image plates are made using the same methods. Metal molds can be made either mechanically by routing or photochemically. The photochemical process uses a metal plate coated with a photosensitive chemical. Using a transparency, the coated metal plate is exposed to a light source and chemically "developed". The exposed developed coating remains on the metal plate; the unexposed area is washed away leaving bare metal. The metal plate is then acid etched producing a mold. Rubber is then pressed into the mold and cured to form a positive printing image. Another similar process produces a rubber plate directly from a transparency. A solid or liquid rubber sheet is exposed to a light or ultraviolet light source curing the rubber. The uncured rubber is etched or washed away leaving a rubber printing plate or rubber (plastic) mold plate.

Once the plate is made, the rubber image is mounted onto rollers. Steel rollers are coated with shellac. Using glue or tape, the rubber image is mounted to the roller. Proofs are then made in the plate room prior to mounting the image rollers to the press. Once the proofs are checked against the desired image, the image rollers and setup specifications are released to the press room.

Not all flexographic printers manufacture their own plates. Some flexographic printers have plates manufactured by outside vendors.

- Printing

Flexography usually is done on a web, heat-set press often up to six feet in width. As in lithography, multiple colors can be applied to a substrate using a series of single color printing stations. Flexographic printing uses less viscous inks compared to lithographic printing. Flexographic inks typically contain large amounts of solvents which are constantly added to the ink as it circulates on the press. Typically, half of all solvent used by flexographic printers is used for thinning inks on the press. Water-based inks are also well developed for flexography. Newspaper printing and similar paper printing techniques use water-based inks. In Georgia, packaging flexographers printing on plastic films typically use solvent-based inks.

- Press Cleaning

As in lithography, press cleaning is required between each printing job. Image rollers are removed from the press. Ink pans, anilox rollers, doctor blade assemblies, and ink tubing are cleaned with solvent either on the press or are removed and cleaned. Anilox roller cleaning is difficult and critical for high quality printing. Traditionally, all components are solvent wiped or cleaned in solvent tanks.

Recently, anilox rollers are being cleaned in aqueous immersion tanks assisted with ultrasonic transducers. Solvent usage is eliminated and air emissions are reduced. There are a number of devices and methods used to clean flexographic presses and rollers. Automatic doctor blade assembly washers flush the press with solvent without hand wiping. Baking soda is used to blast clean rollers, reducing the use of solvent. At least two printers in Georgia are using carbon dioxide blasting to clean pans and ink kits. Carbon dioxide pellets are blasted against the components in a manner similar to sand blasting. The result is a 100% reduction in solvent emissions and hazardous waste generation. Trade publications such as Flexo published by the Flexographic Technical Association contain a number of advertisements for alternative cleaning methods.

-Post-press

The post-press process typically involves the final preparation of a printing job. This stage involves the cutting, folding, binding, stapling, stitching, gluing, laminating, and any other finishing aspects needed to complete the printed product. In food packaging, foil or a separate plastic sheet is applied to the printed substrate using an adhesive. Water-based and low solvent adhesives are used by companies that print and laminate food grade packaging. Laminating is commonly done to provide a surface that is compatible with the food or other packaged material, to provide a moisture or light barrier, or provide a protective / decorative coating for the ink. The printed sheet is fed through a series of rollers along with the laminating sheet. Adhesive is evenly applied between the sheets which are rolled together and heat cured.

- Raw Materials

Many raw materials are used in each of the stages of flexographic printing. These materials are listed in Figure 4.

Figure 4 - Materials Used in Commercial Flexography

Rotogravure

Rotogravure or gravure printing is similar to flexographic. Both processes depend upon a physical profile image plate to print directly onto a substrate, and both use low viscosity inks. Rotogravure printing cylinders are typically chrome, copper, and nickel plated steel cylinders with the image to be printed cut directly into the surface with a diamond or laser etching tool. Unlike flexographic, the height variation of the profile is low. Ink deposition onto the substrate is dependent upon the amount of ink contained in the etched cells on the roller surface. The printing, press cleaning, prepress setup, post-press, and imaging processes are essentially the same as flexographic or lithographic. Only the plate cylinder manufacture is different.

Rotogravure is often used to print large print jobs such as newspaper magazine supplements and national department store advertisements. The quality of the print is high and capable of reproducing photographs.

- Plate Manufacture

The image plate or cylinder is reused due to high cost. After a print job is complete, the cylinder is removed from the press and cleaned of ink. The image is either mechanically or chemically removed from the surface by removing the upper layer of plating. The cylinder then goes through an electroplating process where copper, nickel, and chrome are applied to rebuild the cylinder to the correct diameter and remove imperfections. Rinse water used between various plating baths does contain metals that must be treated prior to discharge to a sewer system to remove and stabilize metals. Spent plating and cleaning solutions are also often hazardous and must be treated prior to disposal in a sewer system or hauled offsite as a hazardous waste.

Once the cylinder is rebuilt, it is ready for the image to be cut into the surface using a diamond or laser cutting tool controlled either optically using a transparency or digitally using a computer. The material removed from the surface contains chrome and is either recycled or disposed as a hazardous waste. After the image is cut into the surface of the roller, it is used to make proof prints prior to release to the print room.

Some printers manufacture their own cylinders. Others use outside sources. Some Georgia gravure printers use very modern computer controlled plating lines that generate very little waste.

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Waste Stream and Generation Characteristics of Georgia Printers and Publishers

Wastes are generated during each of the printing stages previously described. Figure 5 indicates the typical wastes generated at each stage in the process. Although most Georgia printers are small facilities and likely do not generate enough wastes to require filing a TRI report, the aggregate of these wastes could pose a potential environment threat. Workers and neighbors of individual printing shops could also be exposed to solvents used in printing and cleaning. Most printers surveyed believed that they were not large enough to generate significant amounts of waste. However, many were nonetheless interested in pollution prevention and waste minimization if it reduced or did not increase their overall operational costs. The most common wastes found in the printing and publishing sector are discussed below. The TRI and hazardous waste Large Quantity Generator (LQG) reports provide a list of chemical releases and waste generation; this information is summarized in Table 2.

Figure 5 - Typical Wastes Generated During The Printing Process

TABLE 2 - REPORTED REGULATED WASTE

Some results of the TRI and LQG reports are provided below.

• Only companies with more than 22 employees provided TRI reports
• In 1993, 1.6% of all Georgia printers reported as LQGs and 1.3% provided TRI reports.
• Wastes generated are primarily inks and cleaning solvents.
• Some hazardous and toxic wastes are nonprocess related such as facility maintenance.
• 1993 and 1994 TRI wastes are primarily released to the air as fugitive or stack emissions.
• Reported hazardous waste generation reduced by 8,525 tons from 1991 to 1993.
• 1994 TRI reporting companies employ 3,845 workers or 8.3% of total workforce in the printing sector.

Not all companies are required to provide TRI or LQG reports. For example, small companies with 10 total employees working no more than 20,000 hours annually are not required to report TRI releases even if chemical usage and waste generation are significant. It is logical to assume that most small companies do not release large amounts of TRI listed chemicals. Companies that use and release less than 10,000 pounds of a TRI listed chemical do not report. Companies that generate less than 2,200 pounds per month of hazardous waste are not listed on the LQG Biennial Report.

Toxic Releases and Hazardous Waste

Total reported TRI waste generation in 1994 totaled more than 1.8 million pounds. Most of this waste was generated and released by one gravure company that generated 1.3 million pounds of toluene in 1994 and 0.54 million pounds in 1993. With the exception of this one company, TRI waste generation decreased by 0.25 million pounds from 1993 to 1994. Most TRI releases are process related.

There are several reasons for the decrease in TRI waste generation. Some of the suppliers of ink and cleaning solvents have made available chemistries that contain less TRI listed solvents and metals. Many of the larger printers have taken advantage of these cleaning chemicals. It is not known if the smaller printers have taken advantage of these less hazardous materials. Printing sources of TRI listed materials and hazardous waste are discussed below.

Hazardous waste generation decreased by 8,525 tons from 1991 to 1993. The majority of hazardous waste was also generated by one gravure printing company in each of those reporting periods. Most hazardous waste is process related and includes cleaning solvents and ink. Some hazardous waste generation is facility related such as from cleaning boilers and cooling systems.

- Nonprocess Related Waste

Some TRI and hazardous waste generation is not process related, but is waste from facility maintenance and operations. For example, a number of companies reported waste from boiler cleaning. Glycol ethers are used in fountain solutions as a solvent and in facility chilled water systems as antifreeze.

Table 3 - 1993 and 1994 Reported TRI Chemical Releases From Georgia Printers

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Pollution Prevention Barriers

-Economic Barriers

Most of the printers and publishers in Georgia are small print shops with fewer than 10 employees. Many facilities' sole profit depends entirely on the operation of one or two presses. Shop owners do not have the economic flexibility of experimenting with new processes and meeting production demands. Also, failure of a new process would immediately affect profits and customer satisfaction.

Although costs associated with alternative inks, silver and solvent recovery systems, and new printing processes are less of an economic concern to larger printers, the return-on-investment is slow (often as much as five years or more). As long as the traditional methods of printing yield an equivalent quality product when compared with that of new products, most printers are likely to show some resistance to changing to more environmentally-conscious chemistries and methods.

- Technological Barriers

A number of alternative inks, cleaning chemicals, and printing processes are now available to printers and publishers, many of which cost more than traditional chemicals and processes, which makes them unaffordable to most small and medium-sized facilities. Furthermore, most printers interviewed for this study considered the resulting product to be inferior to that achieved by traditional printing methods. As a result, most experienced a general unwillingness by their employees to use the newer products.

Some alternative printing chemistries and methods that are in limited use are provided below:

• Ultraviolet (UV) cured inks and coatings
• Water-based inks for flexographic package printers
• Low-VOC cleaning chemistries
• Alternative cleaning methods such as carbon dioxide blasting

Companies that have switched to these methods have done so because they provide an overall advantage over the traditional printing chemistries of solvent-based inks and cleaners. These companies feel that the overall operating cost is reduced or there is an overall improvement in printing quality. Some companies using these methods have eliminated or reduced environmental and safety problems.

- Limited In-house Expertise

While expert printers, many shops do not have the engineering resources to evaluate and implement newer technology. Many also lack the skill of properly defining tasks and recognizing sources of inefficiency.

- Product Quality

There are variations in how alternative cleaning chemicals function in comparison to traditional cleaning solvents. Some of the low-VOC cleaners take longer to work, require more operator effort, and do not dry as fast. The quality of the finished print can be affected as well as productivity.

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Sources of Pollution Prevention Assistance to Georgia Printers and Publishers

Most of the printers and publishers interviewed who had a pollution prevention plan in place had self-initiated that plan or enlisted the aid of an independent environmental consultant to complete various aspects of a pollution prevention and waste minimization program (e.g., a sales representative for a silver or solvent recovery system).

Trade Organizations and Technical Assistance Organizations

Approximately 530 printers and publishers in Georgia are members of the Printing Industry Association's Georgia chapter. Other trade associations accessible to Georgia printers and publishers are available. These organizations and other agencies which provide technical assistance to printers and publishers are listed below.

PIAG - Printing Industry Association of Ga. (770) 433-3050

P²AD - Pollution Prevention Assistance Div. (404) 651-5120

EPD- Small Business Assistance Program (404) 362-2748

GTRI- Georgia Tech Research Institute (404) 894-3806

EDI - Economic Development Institute (404) 894-8194

National Association of Printers and Lithographers (201) 342-0700

Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (412) 621-6941

Printing and Graphics Communications Assoc. (202) 682-3001

Gravure Association of America (716) 436-2150

Screen Printing and Graphic Imaging Association International (703) 385-1335

National Association of Quick Printers (312) 644-6610

National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (914) 835-5650

Flexographic Technical Association (516) 737-6023

Several of the trade associations listed above provide technical publications that often focus on environmental issues. Some also provide forums for discussion. The Flexographic Technical Association meets on a regular basis in the Atlanta area to share environmental information.

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Waste Reduction Methods

A number of printers have reduced or recycled waste. One demonstration of this is the TRI and LQG reports summarized previously. Some of the methods used by printers to reduce waste are provided below.

• Elimination of toxic solvents from printing inks

• Elimination of toxic solvents from press cleaning chemicals

• Solvent recovery by centrifuging rags and distillation

• Elimination of solvent cleaning by switching to aqueous and other cleaning methods

• Switching to high-solids and low-VOC glues in post press operations

• Trim and paper recycling

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Key Pollution Prevention Issues

The following key issues were identified through contacts with Georgia printing and publishing facility tours, interviews with printing industry experts, and review of various trade and environmental publications.

• Facility Pollution Prevention Plans
• Limited Financial, Technical, and Personnel Resources
• Ink Use and Conservation
• Solid Waste Issues
• Wastewater Issues
• Cleaning Waste Reduction and Recycling
• Housekeeping and Material Handling Issues

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Facility Pollution Prevention Programs

A few printing facilities have formal pollution prevention plans while most others do not. Larger printing companies that are hazardous waste large quantity generators have filed waste reduction plans with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division as required by law. Most smaller printers expressed the belief that their facility was too small to generate significant wastes or even to need a pollution prevention plan. Those facilities which already had implemented some aspects of a pollution prevention plan believed additional efforts needed to be taken to form a more complete approach to minimizing waste generation.

A common complaint throughout each of the facilities was a lack of support among printing plant personnel for the environmentally-preferred alternatives to traditional methods and materials. Most facility managers and workers claimed that traditional inks, cleaning chemicals, and processes generated a better quality product than newer techniques. Printers often see the use of environmentally friendly processes and chemicals as being in opposition to the production of high quality, low cost print.

Pollution Prevention Knowledge

Printing facility technicians and management often feel that pollution prevention is a technology, device, or process that one purchases and fail to see waste reduction opportunities in existing process or tasks. Implementing a pollution prevention program is perceived as something that will cost the printer large sums of money with no payback on investment. Press cleaning and chemical mixing are two processes where a haphazard approach is taken at most Georgia printing facilities. Often, each worker or crew has developed their own technique without regard to raw material usage and waste.

Waste Reduction Incentives

Most of the smaller printers surveyed believed there were no incentives to instituting a formal pollution prevention program in their facility. The overall consensus indicated that due to their size, these printers did not generate enough waste to significantly affect the environment. Combining this belief with the fact that most of the alternative printing materials and processes require an investment in both time and money resulted in little or no incentive for these facilities to make the switch to the alternative processes. To underscore this issue, many of the larger printing facilities expressed a similar frustration, despite having more resources to purchase and use such materials.

Waste Accounting

In general, the larger facilities tend to more accurately account for their printing wastes and better assess their impact on the environment. These facilities often have already purchased systems to reduce waste disposal such as silver and solvent recovery systems, and instituted paper recycling programs. In contrast, the smaller printing operations appear to avoid accounting for their wastes.

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Financial, Technical, and Personnel Resources

A review of the Georgia Manufacturers Directory and interviews with printing facility employees indicate that most Georgia printing and publishing facilities employ fewer than 20 people per facility. Even for those facilities willing to make a commitment to pollution prevention, sending just one employee to a pollution prevention training course could result in decreased product output during the time that the employee is away from the job. The smaller, and even many of the medium-sized, facilities feel that they cannot afford such a loss despite the environmental, economic, and regulatory benefits. In general, small facilities are unable to invest time or money in investigating new technologies or employee training. They also often do not have the technical staff to bring new technologies to the manufacturing floor, optimize existing processes, or evaluate compliance issues.

Compliance Issues

Interviews with various Georgia printing and publishing facility managers, in addition to speaking with trade associations, resulted in the realization that many facilities believe their first concern with environmental issues lies with compliance. This is a reasonable assumption since being in compliance is a requirement of doing business. Most printers see environmental compliance and pollution prevention as either completely separate, often competing issues or they see no distinction between the two with both being high-cost, no return investments.

In addition, many facilities are not knowledgeable of the regulations to which their facility is subject. Depending on chemicals used at each printing facility, certain federal regulations may apply. The printing and publishing industry generates a number of pollutants that are potentially regulated under the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, TRI, and others. The result is that some facilities do not have the appropriate regulatory permits or do not properly report regulated wastes. Some facilities over report wastes.

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Ink Use and Conservation

Waste Inks

Ink is often purchased in a specific size container such as five pounds; however, a small printing job may only require three pounds. Many printers also commented on the inability to more effectively estimate the amount of ink needed to complete a print job, due to the lack of a standard measuring tool or technique and the wide variety of print jobs. Underestimating the amount of ink necessary could be more costly than the wasted ink due to interruption in printing jobs and downtime if insufficient ink is available. However, much of the remaining ink after a color run or a print job is completed cannot be reused without the concern of ink contamination due to small pieces of dried ink appearing in subsequent printed products. As a result, this ink is discarded. Most of the medium-sized, larger, and even some smaller printers collect their waste ink in 55-gallon drums and have it hauled to appropriate disposal sites. However, most of the smaller printing operations discard their waste ink with municipal wastes.

Ink Solvents

Some printing inks contain solvents (such as xylene, alcohols, or aliphatics) which evaporate during the printing process. In lithography, most of the inks used generate minimal VOC and hazardous chemical emissions. Gravure and flexographic inks can contain large amounts of solvent. Other contributors to VOC emissions include fountain solutions, cleaning solvents, and some adhesives used in the post-press stage of the printing and publishing process. Generally, air emissions from lithographic inks alone are not significant.

Flexographic inks are much less viscous than lithographic inks. As the ink is circulated through the press, solvent constantly evaporates from the open vats and trays containing ink. Solvent is either added automatically or by press operators to the ink to compensate for evaporation prior to printing. The solvent added to the ink while on the press or during ink blending evaporates. Typically, flexographic printers and suppliers have eliminated toxic solvents such as xylene and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and replaced them with alcohols.

Pollution Prevention Options

- Ink Reuse

Some printers are able to store and use waste ink in future print jobs either directly as a process color or by blending with other inks. The use of computer controlled color blending systems has allowed some larger printers to eliminate most waste ink. Color blending systems reduce setup waste by matching the desired color without numerous tests. Recycling colored inks for subsequent blending into a black ink is one option printers can chose as an option for minimizing waste inks. However, the quality of the recycled ink is usually lower than the original ink.

Printing facilities may purchase ink recycling systems to blend waste inks on-site or have them recycled off-site by ink manufacturers. The latter option may be more cost effective for smaller printers and publishers. Overall, recycling waste ink into a usable product has strong potential for reducing a printer's waste disposal costs.

- Alternative Ink Systems

One alternative to petroleum-based ink is a soy-based product, which has a low VOC content. As it dries, the amount of VOCs released to the air are negligible. Furthermore, waste paper printed with soy-based inks is easier to recycle and results in a better quality recycled product. Several Georgia lithographic printers have experimented with one vegetable oil-based ink system, Printwise™ (developed by Deluxe Printing Corporation), and have had successful results. The Printwise™ ink is 100 percent vegetable oil-based and is designed for easy cleanup when combined with a special VOC-free water solution. The Printwise™ system has been proven to provide print that matches the quality of traditional lithographic inks at no greater cost based on tests by one Georgia printer.

Other ink systems available are UV (ultraviolet) and electron beam cured inks. Both of these systems are available, but in limited use. These inks usually contain much less solvent than traditional inks.

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Solid Waste Issues

Sources of Solid Waste

The majority of solid waste attributable to printers and publishers is in the form of used or scrap paper and plastic. Scrap plastic and bonded plastic and foil films are generated in large quantity by flexographic package printers. Solid waste from printing such as trim, set-up, and nonconforming product can represent 4% to 20% of all material costs in a printing plant. Large printers in Georgia produce up to 100 cubic yards per day of trim wastes per facility. Paper trim waste is usually recycled; mixed plastic trim is almost always landfilled.

- Proof and Setup Waste

As described in the printing process section of this report, paper and plastic substrate is used in the make-ready or proof stage until the product is in the desired form and color. All of the substrate used in this stage becomes waste product that can either be reused for other proofs, recycled, or disposed. The amount of ink applied, color of the ink, and image registration is adjusted during setup. Registration is the synchronization of the different colors applied on a press so that the images properly align. The amount of setup waste is greatly affected by the skill of the press workers and level of technology used.

Setup and startup of print jobs can generate heavily printed, non-usable product. Paper that is heavily printed is often not recycled. One of the reasons for this is that pulp recycling plants deink waste paper. Recyclers will sometimes refuse to accept heavily printed paper that is generated during press setup or as scrap. One newspaper printer and one gravure printer indicated that they are unable to recycle heavily printed paper. Coatings applied to the paper can also reduce recycling options.

- Substrate Process Waste

Paper and plastic from rejected printing runs, overruns, and any other complication during the printing process or post press stage is waste. Plastic and paper are also trimmed from the edges of printed sheets and from between each individual printed page. Although most large printers have a paper recycling program in place, many smaller printers do not recycle their waste paper and dispose of it with general facility wastes. Plastic process waste is seldom recycled since the plastic is often not a single material, but several different types of plastic, foil, and paper bonded together.

- Lithographic Plates

In most lithographic facilities, scrap materials remaining from the platemaking process, including used plates, are sold for metal recovery. However, some smaller facilities reported discarding such metal with general municipal waste. One facility indicated that the aluminum sheet used in the plate would cost the printer about $2.00, but they would receive only $0.20 for the material when sold as scrap. This printer generated approximately 3,000 scrap plates each month.

- Flexographic Plates

The cured rubber plate materials are commonly disposed of as solid waste. There may be some recycling opportunities for use in the manufacture of crumb rubber or as a fuel replacing coal. Rubber press blankets that are damaged are also disposed of as solid waste.

Pollution Prevention Options

- Substrate Process Waste

Solid waste can be reduced by avoiding quality problems such as improper ink colors or web breaks. Finding the causes of process errors and correcting the errors before production begins will reduce solid waste.

-Setup Waste

Worker skill can affect setup waste. Training of operators is critical to reduce setup waste.

Newer technology can be used to reduce waste. Optical and computerized systems on newer presses can avoid registration problems. Ink colors can also be reproduced more accurately by using computerized blending systems. Ink waste is reduced as well as waste substrate that may be incorrectly printed.

- Recycling

Paper and cardboard can be easily recycled in urban areas. Separating paper or cardboard from other wastes is necessary in order for a recycler to purchase the material. The same is true of plastics. Mixed plastics are not easily recycled. Segregated plastics are recyclable. For example, polyethylene film should be separated from paper, other grades of plastic, and other waste streams. Rubber waste can also be recycled as crumb rubber. Recyclers for different materials can be found in local telephone listings as well as by contacting P²AD.

Some materials that can be recycled are:

Paper (glossy or flat), Drums, Cardboard, Plastic and steel buckets, Pallets, Steel banding, Plastic and Rubber.

-Reuse

Another option for packaging printers that extrude their own plastic film is to regrind plastic waste and re-extrude. The film is made from plastic pellets extruded through a screw and rollers to form a thin plastic sheet. Unprinted trim from the printing and post press operations can be reground and fed directly back into the extruder.

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Wastewater Issues

Spent Photographic Chemicals

Spent photographic chemicals (developer and fixer) used in the imaging and plate making stages are often disposed of by dilution prior to flushing the chemicals into the local municipal wastewater system or publicly-owned treatment works (POTW). Large printers typically utilize a silver recovery system to reclaim the silver from spent solutions prior to disposal. The recovered silver can then be sold. Silver nitrate can be recovered by treating the spent solutions chemically and then reused. Silver recovery units are sometimes seen attached to hospital x-ray processors and one-hour photo processors.

Silver recovery units are small, low cost devices that should be fitted to all automatic photographic processors. One of the most simple silver recovery units consists of a container filled with steel wool. The iron in the steel wool replaces silver in wastewater. The silver settles into the bottom of the container as a sludge which can be recovered by a metal recycler. Photographic processing and various printing processes are also a source of ammonia.

As mentioned above, most photographic solutions are disposed in POTWs and can greatly affect wastewater quality and compliance with wastewater limits set by the POTW. Larger printers typically have permits which allow them to discharge large quantities of these chemicals into the POTW. However, most smaller printers assume they do not generate significant quantities to require such a permit.

Plate Making

Wastewater contaminated with metals and polymer resins is generated from flexographic plate and gravure cylinder manufacturing.

Rinse Water

Wastewater is generated by rinsing photographic sheets and image plates during manufacture. The wastewater generated carries away photographic chemicals and metals. Wastewater volume can be reduced by using techniques such as spray rinsing and counterflow rinsing. Water usage can be reduced by 50% or more by using these techniques. Flows through rinse tanks and automatic developers is often not well controlled; reducing flow by installing a metering valve can save water without affecting quality.

Fountain Solutions

Various types of inks used in lithographic printing require different types of fountain solutions. Newspaper printers using soy ink traditionally used neutral or alkaline solutions containing very little alcohol or other solvent, but which are a source of phosphates. Commercial printers use acid solutions that require the use of alcohol or glycol. Disposal of either type can cause wastewater problems. The printer has a choice of reducing these materials in process or by pretreating water to remove wastes prior to disposal. Few printers in Georgia have wastewater pretreatment facilities.

Fountain solution traditionally contained up to 15% isopropyl alcohol which is a VOC. Fountain solutions containing glycol ethers have been developed in recent years and are used by most larger printers. Glycol ethers are also TRI reportable chemicals, but evaporate more slowly than alcohol reducing overall VOC emissions. Disposal of spent fountain solutions in sewer systems can also cause regulatory problems.

Fountain solutions are disposed often due to the buildup of ink and fiber in the recirculating systems. Ink and fiber can be removed by filtration. Some printers have installed simple cartridge filters capable of filtering down to 10 microns. Disposal of fountain solution is virtually eliminated with use of these filter systems.

Pollution Prevention Options

• Use counter flow and spray rinsing to reduce water usage.
• Optimize (reduce) water flow in existing rinsing and washing systems.
• Install silver recovery units on photo processing systems.
• Replace alcohol-based fountain solutions with glycol solutions.
• Install filtration units on recirculating fountain solution systems.
• Do not dispose of solvents by pouring them into the drain. Dispose of as hazardous waste or recycle.

Note that recycling a hazardous waste reduces disposal volume and cost; however it does not reduce reporting requirement.

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Cleaning Waste Reduction and Recycling

Cleaning Wastes

- Cleaning Solvent

Solvents, used to clean the ink rollers and rubber blankets between color changes and print jobs, are either released into the air or absorbed into cleaning rags. In between color changes or at the completion of a print job, the press must be cleaned to remove the residual ink. Typically, cleaning solvents which are 100% VOCs are poured over the press and wiped off with rags. Alternatively, rags are soaked in solvent and used to wipe rollers and blankets.

Waste liquid from press cleaning typically contains ink and various solvents. Some facilities dispose of liquid cleaning waste as hazardous waste. Some facilities in Georgia distill cleaning waste and recover a mixture of clean solvent while disposing of the ink solids as still bottoms. Since the recovered solvent is a blend of solvents, it typically cannot or is not used to thin inks. Solvent recovered in this manner is normally used only for press cleaning. Facilities that recover and distill waste solvent usually choose to use high-VOC solvents that are not listed on the TRI.

- Cleaning Rags

Rags can be collected and processed to recover the solvents or sent to special laundering facilities. Rags can also be cleaned and reused. However, most small printers dispose of solvent wet rags as typical solid waste.

Rags are an inefficient method of cleaning with solvent. Most of the solvent is absorbed by the rags and does not come in contact with the press. In general, rags are allowed to dry before being placed in collection cans or they dry in open topped cans. This is a significant source of air emissions and worker exposure. A rag will absorb approximately three ounces of solvent. A printer employing 100 workers may use 1,000 rags per week representing 3,000 ounces or 27 gallons of solvent. Much of this material will be evaporated in the press room.

- Regulatory Note

Many printers mishandle hazardous waste or do not properly report hazardous waste generation to regulatory bodies or waste handlers. This is primarily associated with rags used for cleaning presses and other equipment. Rags and wipes are almost always considered a regulated hazardous waste by the Georgia EPD and U.S. EPA. Cleanup rags contain flammable and toxic solvents, and toxic metals from ink. Allowing the rags to dry, recovering solvent by centrifuging and distillation, or washing the rags on-site may decrease the amount of hazardous waste disposed, but it does not decrease hazardous waste generation or reporting requirements. Shipping hazardous rags to a laundry without proper reporting and manifesting is a dangerous and illegal activity. Rags and solvent should be handled and reported as hazardous waste.

Pollution Prevention Options

Solvent Recovery

- Rag Centrifuges

Solvent absorbed in rags can be recovered in an explosion-proof centrifuge. A centrifuge resembles a residential clothes washer with only a spin cycle. They cost from approximately $18,000 to $30,000. The rags are spun to sling the solvent from the rags. The solvent is then collected. In the above example, it may be possible to recover 80% of the solvent contained in rags which is worth $4.50 or more per gallon. The solvent can be reused to clean presses if it is clean enough. Filtration or distillation can be used to return the solvent to nearly new condition for critical cleaning. The payback for purchasing a rag centrifuge and distillation unit is about 2.5 years. A case study of a printer using a solvent centrifuge and distillation process on blanket wash is provided below.

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Case Study - Lithographic Printer, Atlanta, GA - Solvent Recovery System Reduces Hazardous Waste and Chemical Usage

- Solvent Distillation

Solvent stills may be installed in a facility to reclaim and recycle used solvent. The solvent is essentially recovered through a distillation process in which the solvent is separated from the contaminants. As the mixture is heated, the solvent vaporizes, leaving behind a sludge of contaminant (considered hazardous waste). The solvent vapors can be condensed back to a liquid and reused, while the waste product volume is significantly reduced.

Lithographic printers which use little solvent other than blanket and roller washes have found solvent recovery stills to be highly effective in reducing hazardous waste disposal. This is because only one solvent blend is used and the solvent is only used for cleaning of blankets or rollers. Roller washes and blanket washes must often be segregated in order to successfully recover usable solvent. The recovered solvent is essentially the same mixture as virgin cleaning solvent. Flexographic printers have not fared as well in solvent recovery since a number of solvents are used for ink thinning and cleaning. The recovered solvent can only be used for cleaning and not thinning. Situations can exist where more solvent is recovered than is actually needed to clean presses.

Alternative Press Cleaning Solvents

Cleaning solvents traditionally evaporated very fast and contained solvents such as methyl ethyl ketone and 1,1,1 - trichloroethane. Rapid drying of printing press components such as blankets and rollers allowed for quicker cleaning and press startup, but generated significant air emissions and hazardous waste. Low- and zero-VOC cleaners exist for any type of printer and are available from most printing supply companies. The decision to use these more environmentally friendly cleaners is not easily made since there are advantages and disadvantages to both.

Slower evaporating solvents and materials used in low-VOC cleaners now available are typically more expensive than traditional cleaning chemicals by up to 100%. They also typically do not clean as quickly and require more effort on the part of the press operator. Also, residual low-VOC cleaner that remains on the rollers and blankets affects start-up quality of the printed substrate, thus increasing downtime and solid waste generation. The amount of hazardous waste generated may either be decreased or increased by using low- or no-VOC cleaners depending upon the flash point of the cleaner used and content of the inks to be removed from the press. Since low-VOC cleaners do not evaporate as quickly, more liquid waste that must be disposed may remain after cleaning. Air emissions are typically reduced by using low-VOC cleaners. Some printers have found advantages in switching to low-VOC cleaners, such as reduced hazard insurance rates and reduced environmental reporting. Several newspaper printers cited reduction in insurance rates as the driving force behind the decision to switch to non-hazardous, low-VOC cleaning solvents. In some cases, hazard insurers have requested that their customers switch to nonhazardous materials and to upgrade handling practices to reduce the risk of fire.

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Case Study - Lithographic Printer, GA - Elimination of Toxic Chemicals from Blanket Wash

Alternative Cleaning Methods

- Automatic Washing Systems

Solvent usage can be reduced by using automatic washer systems. Automatic washers are systems that are installed on a printing press that automatically flush inked areas such as blankets and rollers with a cleaning solvent. Wipers or cloth strips are sometimes automatically engaged to removed ink and solvent residue. Using automatic washer systems removes the human factor from cleaning. Alternative low-VOC solvents can sometimes be used that may not be as aggressive as MEK or methylene chloride. Since the system is doing the extra mechanical work required to effectively clean with an alternative solvent, workers are less likely to resist the change. Automatic systems typically store the used cleaning solvent in a tank that must either be disposed or recycled.

Some companies using automatic systems actually see an increase in hazardous waste generation and disposal. There are several reasons for this increase. Less solvent may evaporate leaving more liquid waste due to better enclosure or due to using solvents that evaporate slower. Some systems are triggered by the operator more than once; two or three automatic cleaning cycles may be completed when only one is needed. This creates more hazardous waste. Operators must be trained to properly use automatic cleaning systems. Some systems also use water during the cleaning process. Overall use of toxic chemicals are reduced when using water, but the resulting waste is often a mixture of solvent and water which is more difficult to dispose or recover than pure solvent waste.

- Dry Ice Blasting

At least two printers in Georgia clean rollers, pans, ink kits, and similar parts off of the press with a dry ice blasting system. This system replaces a solvent spray wash system. Ink is allowed to dry onto the components after they are removed from the press. The dry ink is blasted from the parts using a dry ice blaster that is similar in concept to a sand blaster. The dry ice particles remove the dried ink and then evaporate. The only cleaning waste that must be disposed is a small amount of dried ink that can be collected in a dust pan or vacuum cleaner. The cost of such a system is approximately $20,000. The benefits are reduced worker exposure, disposal cost, and air emissions of solvents.

- Baking Soda Blasting

Baking soda blast systems are used by some printers to clean parts off press. Baking soda is blasted either mostly dry or mixed with water to remove ink from anilox rollers. These systems can be manual or automatic systems. Baking soda is not hazardous. Rinsing with water usually follows blasting. Wastewater from rinsing generally can be safely disposed in the sewer system. Consult with the local sewer system operator before installing such a system.

- Aqueous Systems

Anilox rollers are also cleaned off the press by some flexographic printers. The rollers are placed in a tank with a water-based cleaning solution. The solution is assisted with ultrasonic actuators. The high-frequency vibrations effectively remove ink from the pores on the roller surface.

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Case Study - Flexographic Printer, GA - Elimination of Solvent by Off Press Cleaning with CO2

Improved Manual Cleaning Techniques

Solvent usage can also be reduced by using low cost techniques. Eliminating solvent buckets from the press area and replacing them with squeeze bottles is one method. Solvent is then directly applied to the rollers and other press components. A rag or wiper is used to remove the solvent residue. Evaporation from open buckets and solvent absorption by the rags are reduced. Using squeegees and shaped scrapers can also be used to remove gross amounts of ink prior to cleaning with solvent.

Various nonabsorbent scrapers and squeegees can be used instead of rags for removing gross amounts of ink from blankets, rollers, and pans. The squeegees can be easily cleaned and reused since they are not absorbent.

Alternatives for Noncritical Cleaning Solvents

Often, printers use the same aggressive solvents that are used for press cleaning to clean noncritical equipment. Press exteriors are wiped with solvent. Floors are mopped using solvent in a mop bucket and a residential style mop. This is an extremely inefficient use of solvent and a source of air emissions and hazardous waste.

Floors and machine exteriors can be covered with paper, plastic, or a strippable chemical coating. When dirty, the paper or plastic can be peeled up and turned over. Eventually, it will be discarded. Strippable coatings are used in paint booths to prevent paint from sticking. The coatings are sometimes rubberized and are peeled off. Others are water soluble, allowing the coating and any ink on top to be washed off with water and a sponge.

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Poor Housekeeping and Material Handling Issues

Housekeeping

Most printers, regardless of the type of printing done, could improve housekeeping. Typically, open buckets containing solvent, ink, and solvent-wet rags are left around the press room creating a significant source of solvent emissions. At some print shops, most of the solvent purchased for cleaning is lost to evaporation without full utilization.

Material Handling

Solvent handling methods are typically poor in print shops. Some of the issues are primarily housekeeping such as leaving containers open. Others are lack of the proper tools to handle solvent and a lack of operator training. Solvent should be handled in closed containers such as safety cans or squeeze bottles. Some method of metering the required amount of solvent into a container is also needed to avoid excessive waste. Solvent is often delivered in large 5-gallon cans to presses and then transferred to smaller buckets for cleaning. Large amounts of solvent are wasted by pouring more than is needed into a bucket. What is left over either evaporates or is a hazardous waste. Pouring solvent from one container to another results in many spills as well.

Work Methods

Often press cleaning, press setup, and other common tasks are not well defined. Some of these tasks are very complex, but no standards or documented process exists for new and existing workers to follow. Each process should be documented to identify how it is done, important setup parameters that should be followed, and the chemicals and other materials that should be used. Once the process is documented, all workers should be trained to use these methods and not alter them without approval from the manager. Documenting and using set work methods will avoid improper setup and improper use of solvents and other raw materials.

Pollution Prevention Options

• Keep solvent and ink containers tightly covered at all times.
• Keep material stored in the proper area when not in use.
• Provide proper tools for storing and transferring solvents.
• Eliminate all open buckets and provide solvent in easily used, closed containers.
• Identify an employee or group of employees to inspect work areas daily.
• Mark all containers to identify the contents to avoid improper handing or disposal.
• Keep track of solvent usage by department to identify sources of excessive waste.
• Create documented work procedures for all processes such as cleaning and setup.
• Train workers to use documented work procedures, good housekeeping, and correct material handling methods.

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Pollution Prevention Assistance Needs of the Georgia Printing and Publishing Sector

Organizational Needs

• Education on the concepts and benefits of pollution prevention planning providing for audits, waste cost accounting, and implementation of projects.

The majority of the printers interviewed for this project indicated that there is resistance on the part of their employees to using the new, environmentally-safer printing materials. Most empl