Eco-Friendly Printing
Steffprint is proud to be an environmentally friendly printers. We are able to produce high-quality print whilst at the same time being kind to the environment. Paper and ink are two key components of print and we have thought carefully about how to reduce our environmental impact for each whilst also focusing on reducing waste and energy use in other aspects of our production process.
Eco Friendly Inks
Inks traditionally contained petroleum. Environmentally friendly inks contain vegetable oil instead and reduce the levels of so-called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that have traditionally been a by-product of the printing process. Eco-friendly inks also lead to a large reduction in water usage for press washups that can be in the region of a 60% saving. Vegetable-based inks do not compromise quality; indeed, they have better drying characteristics than traditional inks.
Recycled Paper
We always encourage customers to use recycled paper for their print requirements. By using recycled paper you are helping the environment by re-using material that would otherwise end up being incinerated or in landfill sites. Not all recycled paper is equal, and we are happy to advise on the best type of substrate for particular jobs. In most cases, using recycled papers need not lead to a compromise on quality.
'Sustainable' Paper
We can also use paper from sustainable forests. Such forests are designed with the local environment in mind and are carefully managed to balance the requirement for paper with protecting limited resources. Please contact us for advice in this area.
Printing
For the printing process itself, we are totally "alcohol-free". This means that we do not use alcohol in the press dampening system, and in doing so a large amount of solvent emissions are saved. As well as the environment as a whole, this helps the local eco-system as ground-level ozone from solvent emissions has been linked to crop-growth problems and respiratory health issues. Many printers still use Isopropanol, and Steffprint is pleased to have stopped this practice leading the way amongst Yorkshire printers.
General Production
We always seek to minimise energy use and waste from the printing process. In our factory we recycle all possible materials. We also make use of technology such as intelligent lighting to reduce our energy consumption. Small things can help, too: we even make sure we recycle drink cans and food packaging from our staff cafeteria and kitchen!