Conventional Printing - the problems

A mountain of waste

The UK is the fifth highest consumer of paper and board in the world, accounting for more than 12 million tonnes every year. Despite the ecological and human cost of paper production, we continue to throw vast amounts of this resource away after using it only once, even though the capability exists to recycle much of it. Less than half of the paper used in the UK is recovered and over 5 million tonnes gets dumped in landfill sites, adding to the mounting waste disposal problem faced by this country and many others around the world (source: Friends of the Earth).

Harmful chemicals

Conventional printing ink is manufactured using petroleum, while some ink pigments also contain heavy metals. When such chemicals are introduced into the environment - either through wastage during printing, or the breakdown of materials in landfill - they have the capacity to harm wildlife and habitats.

Shortage of stock

Demand for recycled paper is growing, but it's not yet sufficient for the majority of printers to guarantee availability. Only a relatively small proportion of printers hold ready stocks of recycled paper, so that if a press run is urgent, the customer may be pressured into using non-recycled stock.

Glossy finishes (sustainability diminishes!)

Using recycled paper does not guarantee that a product can be recycled. This may seem obvious, yet there are many organisations - including those in the environmental sector - that are not fully aware of this distinction. The culture of 'glossy is good' remains prolific amongst the bulk of marketing materials (and junk mail in particular), yet it also extends to project reports, company accounts and other official documents. For example, it is not uncommon to see articles printed on recycled paper, only to be finished using harmful or non-biodegradable products, such as plastic coatings, laminates, foils, adhesives, labels, etc.

Click to learn about the benefits of sustainable printing.