For the past four years, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality's Waste Reduction Assistance Program (or WRAP) has been helping industries in Virginia reduce the amounts and toxicity of the wastes they create. A non-regulatory technical assistance program, WRAP can provide customized research on specific waste management problems through access to the national Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse. The program maintains its own clearinghouse as well, with more than 2,500 books, papers and reports on waste reduction.
Through an incentive grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency, WRAP has been able to provide outreach to a number of different industries in Virginia including ship building and repair, wood furniture finishing, and seafood processing. The video, "Printers Win through Pollution Prevention," comes after more than a year of development incorporating comments from printers, trade associations, and agency employees.
For more information on this video, or the activities of WRAP, please call or write:
Waste Reduction Assistance Program
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
P.O. Box 10009
Richmond, VA 23240-0009
(804) 371-8716
Recognizing that every printing operation is unique, we have provided the following listing of contacts for additional information rather than try to assemble an authoritative guidebook on pollution prevention in printing. We hope the real life examples highlighted in the video will persuade you to explore the technologies and substitutes currently on the market and to contact one of the organizations listed to find the best options available to you.
The following list is NOT a complete one, as there are literally hundreds of vendors and associations that may have potentially beneficial information. Therefore, printers are also urged to work with their current vendors, suppliers and associations who are familiar with their operations to find acceptable alternatives. Appearance of organizations in this publication does not suggest their endorsement by the Commonwealth of Virginia; similarly, non-appearance is not a negative statement.
The US Environmental Protection Agency is working with small and medium-sized printing businesses in an on-going project to develop pollution prevention manuals for industry use. These manuals and other outreach materials will communicate information on safer chemicals, technical substitutions, and better work practives. The aim of the project is to provide complete technical evaluations of alternatives, including cost information and performance tests. For more information on the project, contact Catherine Ramus, (202) 260- 1707. For technical assistance available related to the project, contact:
Design for the Environment - Printing Project
c/o Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse
United State Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Str., SW (PM-211A)
Washington, DC 20460
(202) 260-1023
Trade Associations can provide valuable information on the latest innovations in printing technologies, as well as assist you in long-range planning, business management and environmental compliance.
| Printing Industries of America Dr. Thomas Purcell Director of Environmental Programs 100 Daingerfield Rd. Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 519-8114 | National Association of Printers and Lithographers Monica McCabe, Editorial Director 780 Palisades Ave. Teaneck, NJ 07666 (201) 342-0707 |
| Printing Industries of Virginia Robin Worth, President 1108 East Main Str., Suite 300 Richmond, VA 23219 (804) 643-1800 | Waterless Printing Association Arthur LeFebvre, President PO Box 59800 Chicago, IL 60645 (312) 743-5677 |
| Printing Industries of Metropolitan Washington John Hawkins, Executive Vice President 7 West Tower 1333 H Str., NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 682-3001 | National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers James Sutphin, Executive Director 777 Terrace Ave. Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604-3110 (201) 288-9454 |
| Graphic Arts Technical Foundation Gary Jones, Manager, Environmental Information 4615 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (412) 621-6941 | Environmental Conservation Board of the Graphic Communications Industries Mark Nuzzaco, Executive Director 1899 Preston White Dr. Reston, VA 22091 (703) 648-3218 |
Members of the Printing Industries of America (PIA) or any of its constituent groups (e.g., PIVA, PIMW, etc.) can join PIA's Electronic Prepress Section for an additional fee. This section enters into collaborative relationships with technology suppliers to help guide printers in making the right decisions in their prepress operations. For more information, call PIA at (703) 519-8168 or (800) 742-2666.
Most retail computer software stores sell or can order any of the major desktop publishing programs used in printing operations. These programs are produced by companies such as Adobe, Aldus, Quark and Ventura. If a local store is not available, you can try to reach these companies directly at the following numbers:
| Adobe Systems Inc. | (415) 961-4400 |
| Aldus Corporaion | (206) 628-2320 |
| Quark, Inc. | (303) 894-8888 |
| Ventura | (800) 822-8221 |
| Polychrome Americas (local) | Polychrome Americas (corp.) |
| Bill Myers, Field Rep. | |
| 222 Bridge Plaza South | 11900 Durrington Dr. |
| Fort Lee, NJ 07024 | Richmond, VA 23236 |
| (800) 285-7659 | (800) 638-4463 |
Separation Technologies, Inc.
Hank Leonard, President
740-H South Van Buren Str.
Placentia, CA 92670
(714) 632-1306
The blending of used ink into black or into backprint ink is fairly common and your current ink supplier can assist you with this. A source of programs for mixing new PMS colors from used ink is:
Mixmasters, Inc.
Michael Holbrook, Sales Rep.
11 Colmer Rd.
Lynn, MA 01904
(800) 332-9321
Many ink suppliers now sell water-, soy-, and vegetable oil-based inks. Contact your current supplier or you can call:
| Flint Ink Corp. Jess Hand, Branch Mgr. 1812-B Mactavish Richmond, VA (804) 353-1231 | Sun Chemical E. Richard Fish, Branch Mgr. 3435 West Leigh Str. 23230 Richmond, VA 23230 (804) 355-8068 |
A newly emerging option for printers is on-site ink recycling carried out by mobile operators. For more information, contact:
| Pro Active Recycling, Inc. | 3R |
| Bert Wakefield, Mgr. | Mike Jones, President |
| 908 Niagara Falls Blvd. | 800 Vinial Str. |
| N. Tonawanda, NY 14120-2060 | Pittsburgh, PA 15212 |
| (716) 692-0465 / (519) 371-6511 | (412) 323-1733 |
As described in the video, waterless printing is gaining greater popularity in the United States. While there is significant opportunities for reduction in makeready and fountain solution wastes through the use of waterless printing, it currently requires the use of solvents in the plate-making process that could lead to more prepress waste. It is important to take into consideration the full range of costs and benefits to your facility before making such a process change. For more information, contact the Waterless Printers Association, listed above, or:
| Toray, Inc. John O'Rourke, Product Mgr 600 3rd Ave. New York, NY (212) 697-8150 | Tri-Service Susan Roberts, Sales Coordinator 1942 5th Ave. 10016 Melrose Park, IL 60160 (708) 544-5514 |
| Accel Graphic Systems 2478 Southwell Dallas, TX 75229 (214) 484-6808 | Epic Products International 2801 East Randol Mill Rd. Arlington, TX 76011 (800) 527-9529 |
| Sun Graphic Technologies 14801 Trinity Blvd. Ft. Worth, TX 76155 (800) 786-8325 | Thistle Boyd USA PO Box 581117 Tulsa, OK 74158 (918) 836-4016 |
Testing of alternative blanket washes will be taking place as part of EPA's Design for the Environment (DfE) program, listed above, and in cooperation with the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF). Results are expected in early 1994. For more information, contact Brian Sweeney at DfE, (202) 260-0720, or Gary Jones at GATF.
Last Updated: November 2, 1995