IMPACT As much as we strive to reduce the impacts of our printing, the fact is that there is no environmentally perfect printing system. But for any given printing scenario there are better and best choices. In general, these choices strive for fewer solvents and toxic ink and process related compounds. But there are trade-offs. For example, if you get rid of one bad chemical, you may need more water for clean-up or energy for curing. If you remove PVC from the plastisol formulation, the ink cost might go up. It is all an environmental balancing act. To make matters even more complicated design, application, durability and price all end up in the balancing act! It is important to know that no matter what printing systems you are considering (waster based, solvent based, plastisol, etc) the composition of inks varies widely. Some inks contain chemicals that would be classified as hazardous. Inks frequently get their color from the metals or hazardous pigments they contain. Inks containing metalsand/or those inks using a solvent carrier are often classified as hazardous. It is the responsibility of those working with them to determine whether the inks used in their operations are hazardous. For assistance in making this determination, review the product MSDS.
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