I like to consider myself somewhat of an environmental fellow. I’m not perfect, but I try. I recycle whenever it’s available, I ride the bus, and if I didn’t live on the 9th floor I might even compost! I think if everyone put in just a little bit of extra effort every year, we’d begin to see a huge improvement in the environment. So what can the Print Industry do to improve its impact on the World? Again, with a little bit of effort in your paper, ink and varnishes, you’d be amazed how easy it is to create eco-friendly publications!

There is a broad range of environmentally-conscious papers out there, but you have to work with your paper supplier and your printer to get them. The first thing to note is that the term “recycled” no longer means an enfeebled sheet of brown, speckled paper! Domtar’s line of 100% recycled paper has a brightness value as high as any virgin fiber and there’s actually surprisingly little fleck in the sheet. Unless you told someone that it was recycled, I’m not sure anyone would even notice! Personally I find a little fleck gives the design more character.

Almost all inks currently used today are petroleum-based. So along with your Summer trips to the cottage, ink is getting more expensive; not to mention the storage and disposal of these inks can be very hazardous to the environment if not done properly. Soy inks have been around since the 80’s, and while they are still not widely available, they are better for the environment. Soy-based inks make recycling paper easier, aren’t as hard on printing presses, and the colours available are brighter than oil-based inks. There are a few disadvantages, one being availability, the other being price. However, with the newspaper industry quickly adopting the new soy inks, it won’t be long before commercial printers start to offer it on a mass scale.

Nothing looks better on a page than a nice satin varnish. When done right, a varnish can really highlight elements on a printed piece and give it a level of professionalism that is simply breathtaking. The problem with varnishes - like ink - is they are based on oil. While very nice to look at, they can have a negative impact on the environment. I won’t say *never* do varnishes, but you should work with your printer to find out how they store and dispose of varnishes, and if you could get the same effect using an aqueous coating which - as the same implies - is water-based.

Whenever you take something and make something else - trees into paper, oil into ink, and both of these items into printed material - it’s important to be conscious of the impact that will have on the environment, and if there’s anything that can be done to lessen this impact. Working with your printer, paper supplier and client/designer will put you on the right track. Thanks to advances in environmentally-friendly printing, you can choose to use all soy inks printed on 100% Recycled, Bleach-free, Chlorine-free paper that is made by a WINDMILL-powered paper mill. That’s right, it CAN be done! With Google now adopting solar power, even web design will someday be green! Given the amount and methods of communication expanding more and more rapidly, I think it’s good to take a step back and examine what impact all this will have on the environment.