This April, we’re celebrating planet Earth! 🌎
As a commercial print provider, it’s our job to give back to the planet that allows us to use its resources to get our jobs done. 📖🖨️
Solo Printing’s mission revolves around sustainability. That’s why we not only use environmentally friendly ink solvents but also partner with programs like One Tree Planted to help give back! When we print your project, you are assisting us in planting trees and restoring the habitats of national forests around the United States! 🌲
The print industry can have multiple impacts on the environment: it consumes forestry products by printing on paper. Its printing emits dust, noise, heat, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from inks, solvents and other chemicals. Solo Printing reduces or eliminates these negative impacts by investing in and using the best available technologies.
At Solo Printing, our team:
- Purchases and operates energy-efficient equipment
- Imposes operating standards that are safe and healthy for both humans and the environment
- Is committed to and certified for the highest of forestry standards
- Uses products and processes that reduce or eliminate the emission of VOCs
- Recycles and disposes of waste products in ways that do not harm the earth
SUSTAINABLE PRINTING SOLUTIONS
KOMORI PRESSES
LED UV CURING SYSTEM – A SUSTAINABLE PRINTING SOLUTION
Solo invested in two Komori presses— a ten-color Lithrone perfector (1040P) and a six-color Lithrone G40 (GL640)— which are equipped with LED UV and IR curing technology. These presses allow us to meet even more demands and be twice as efficient for our clients.
We’ve chosen these Komori presses for their ability to deliver advanced automation that results in greater efficiency, color accuracy, and quicker makeready to reduce waste.
- The Komori presses are equipped with an LED UV curing system, which allows the ink to cure instantly, eliminating the need for drying time and powders.
- LED UV lamps last 10 times longer than traditional UV lamps, allowing savings in cost, time, and waste.
- The LED UV curing system improves both the working environment and the environment as a whole by eliminating heat, ozone, and mercury.
- Since UV inks are solvent-free, LED UV curing technology cuts out the release of VOCs (volatile organic chemicals) and their environmental and health risks.
- The addition of value-added coatings is optimized.
- Strike-through and other high-end printing effects are possible with impressive results.
WHAT MAKES THEM SUSTAINABLE?
IR CURING TECHNOLOGY- A GREENER PRINTING SOLUTION
Apart from being efficient, our presses also boast a greener way of printing as a result of Komori’s many environmental initiatives that fall in line with our values of being a reduced waste and greener commercial printing company.
Their IR curing technology allows for the use of water-based inks, eliminating the need for solvent-based inks, and thereby significantly reducing VOC emissions.
IR curing is an energy and cost-efficient solution to large offset printing projects.
BENEFITS OF GREEN PRINTING:
- Reduced use of consumables
- Low VOC emissions
- Reduced power consumption (reduced CO2 emissions)
- Reduced paper and ink consumption
- Reduction and recycling of waste
HOW ARE WE GIVING BACK?
To further our sustainability efforts, we began a partnership last year with One Tree Planted. That means for every print job sold, you will help us plant trees to help reforestation!
One Tree Planted is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to global reforestation.
They plant trees to restore nature and biodiversity. They also raise awareness about the importance of trees, offer businesses like ours a simple sustainability solution, and motivate younger generations to do something positive for the environment.
As print providers, we want to ensure we are doing what we can to give back to our environment. With your help, we can do just that. Trees clean our air and water, create habitats for biodiversity, contribute to our health and wellbeing, and create jobs for social impact. We’re honored to have reforestation through One Tree Planted as an integral part of our business model.
Reforestation is consistently identified by scientists as one of the top solutions to the climate crisis and the trees planted as part of this initiative will support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Aside from our work with One Tree Planted, we have a goal to annually get the Solo Printing team outside somehow! In 2020, we donated to the Biscayne Bay Foundation to help with our waterways. In 2021, we were able to partner again with the Biscayne Bay Foundation to do an employee beach cleanup to help give back to our South Florida community.
