Consider the fountain pen as an example of an eco-friendly piece of equipment – one that will eventually save you money. In the same way, if you are looking to buy or lease new production equipment this year, remember to look at the sustainable business and environmental aspects, not just performance and cost.

The not-so-humble fountain pen has many benefits to illustrate this thinking. Over ballpoint, roller ball, felt tip or gel pens, it is permanently re-useable as the consumable raw material is continually replenished from a recyclable glass bottle of non-toxic washable or permanent ink.

It is a sad reality that racial, sexual, lifestyle and political harassment occurs in our workplaces. Even worse is the occurrence of violence, especially repeated bullying. It can even be caused by an overspill of domestic violence with related family in the workplace. In order to address these issues and offer some mode of legally required protection to potential and actual victims, the Government of Ontario  is ratifying changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).

The forthcoming Bill 168 changes the Occupational Health and Safety Act of Ontario to encompass very specific responsibilities for employers and employees. This is in keeping with its “shared responsibility” edict. I offer here a summary of its key points so that you can be prepared in advance.

Summary Explanation

The Bill adds Violence and Harassment to the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Subsection 1 (1) of the Act is amended to include definitions of workplace violence and workplace harassment.

Workplace harassment means “engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome (“harcèlement au travail”).”

Workplace violence means “(a) the exercise of physical force by a person against a worker in a workplace that causes or could cause physical injury to the worker; (b) an attempt to exercise physical force against a worker in a workplace that could cause physical injury to the worker (“violence au travail”).”

Documented Policies Required

Section 32.0.1 of the Act requires an employer to prepare policies with respect to workplace violence and workplace harassment and to review the policies at least annually. The program must include measures for workers to report incidents of workplace violence and harassment and set out how the employer will deal with incidents and complaints.

Risk Assessment

Section 32.0.2 of the Act requires an employer to develop a program to implement the workplace violence policy. Section 32.0.6 of the Act requires an employer to develop a program to implement the workplace harassment policy. The program must include measures to control risks of workplace violence and harassment identified in the risk assessment that is required under section 32.0.3, to summon immediate assistance when workplace violence occurs and for workers to report incidents or threats of workplace violence. The program must also set out how the employer will deal with incidents, complaints and threats of workplace violence. Section 32.0.3 of the Act requires an employer to assess the risk of workplace violence and to report the results of the assessment to the joint health and safety committee or to a health and safety representative. If there is no committee or representative, the results must be reported to the workers. The risk must be reassessed as often as is necessary to protect workers from workplace violence.

Domestic Violence

Under section 32.0.4 of the Act, if an employer is aware or ought to be aware that domestic violence that is likely to expose a worker to physical injury may occur in the workplace, the employer must take every reasonable precaution to protect the worker. Section 32.0.5 also requires an employer to provide a worker with information and instruction on the contents of the workplace violence policy and program.

The Bill amends section 43 of the Act, which deals with a worker’s right to refuse work in various circumstances where health or safety is in danger and to include the right to refuse work if workplace violence is likely to endanger the worker.

The Bill provides for authority to make regulations, including requiring an employer to designate a workplace coordinator with respect to workplace violence and workplace harassment.

For full details please email me requesting EcoSafe Bulletin 5-09.

So, you’ve researched the latest technology in pressroom or prepress equipment, determined your needs, considered the environmental aspects and decided on your purchase.

The immediate impacts of your decision on your business would require careful planning for the installation. Think of how to reduce the disturbance to current workflow as much as possible. Then, there are the extra costs involved, like electrical, water or compressed-air hook up, delivery, installation and staff training. Unless you have negotiated these or some of them into the initial price, they can add up.

Be aware of the warranty conditions, limitations and effective period; why not ask for more? They can only say no. Is there a performance guarantee? Does the stated criteria meet your real world expectations?

You want as seamless a transition into your new (or new to you) piece of equipment as fast as possible, but don’t forget one important and sometimes neglected legal requirement. Under Ontario Regulation 851 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (and other provincial equivalents), a pre-start health and safety review has to be conducted.

Check out section seven in your “little green book” that has to be available and posted in any industrial establishment for full details. Failure to do this before the apparatus is in operation contravenes this regulation. Should it not be done and an accident occurs, subsequently requiring an MOL inspection, it will have serious consequences. Your due diligence defense as an owner, employer or supervisor will be negated no matter how diligent you have been otherwise.

The regulation has a table under section seven that lists all the criteria covering the requirement for conducting and documenting this review. It covers just about all the prepress, pressroom and bindery equipment I can think of, plus lifting devices (eg: cranes, tow motors and fork lift trucks), flammable liquids dispensing and dust collectors that may be added to bindery equipment. As such, a pre-start health and safety review has to be conducted by a professional engineer. So, try to offset this cost during your negotiations with the supplier. They probably have access to professional engineer services that can be included in the deal, though they are not required to do so. If not, it is far better to have it done during the installation as part of your own agenda than that of a Ministry of Labour inspector who will require the device to be shut down while the review is arranged and conducted. If you do need help I can arrange for a review quickly and at a competitive cost.

Back to environmental issues; be wary of “green washing,” if the claims of the supplier include such terms as “environmentally friendly.” What does this mean? Unless it is solar or wind powered and has zero waste or emissions, there will be a negative impact on the environment. For example, it could be a claim such as eco-friendly “waterless printing,” but such a unit can use more energy than a traditional equivalent, creating more green house gas emissions, and just how much water are we saving for the additional costs?
If the new piece of equipment, such as a plate or CTP processor or press dampening system, is to be hooked up to a drain, and only a sanitary sewer drain is permissible, then determine if there is some form of treatment device included. This should not include any device that uses municipal supplied water for dilution purposes. Dilution is not the solution and is stated as a no-no in sewer bylaws.

They vary from municipality to municipality, but they all have limitations and bans on listed pollutants, dyes and pH levels amongst other criteria. Under no circumstances should you hook it up to a storm sewer, as this will probably contravene both municipal bylaws, provincial water resources acts and the federal Fisheries Act – and you do not want to go there. Your choices will be to either collect the effluent for pickup by a licensed waste hauler or investigate the various on site treatment systems on the market.

Another option is to install a closed loop-recycling unit to reduce chemical costs, usage and waste. This can be combined with a treatment system or licensed disposal of the residue. I recommend having your facility effluent tested on an annual basis to see if they meet your local sewer bylaw requirements. This offers both due diligence and peace of mind.

For waste chemical containers or ink/toner cartridges does the supplier or OEM take them back? They should acknowledge their cradle to grave responsibility for them. This will and is starting to become a regulatory requirement. Enjoy your new equipment; I hope it makes a bundle for you.

Global warming may be a hard sell to Canadians with record snowfalls this past winter, but with spring upon us, we can look at what has already been achieved since the first Earth Days. Yes, there are two; first, the UN initiative founded in March 1969 by peace activist, John McConell and the more familiar Earth Day founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson as a “teach-in” in 1970 and celebrated in many countries in April.

Thirty-nine years ago this month, the environmental movement came of age in North America. When April 22, 1970 dawned, millions of Americans of all ages and from all walks of life participated in Earth Day celebrations from coast to coast. But, the precursor to this was Rachel Carson who must be credited with initiating the environmental movement. She raised awareness of environmental damage by pesticides and our responsibility to protect nature in her book The Silent Spring published in 1962. To quote Carson from one of her last interviews, “man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself‚Ķ[We are] challenged as mankind has never been challenged before to prove our maturity and our mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves.”

From pesticides to smog and acid rain and ozone depleting substances and now green house gas emissions, we have created many deadly challenges for ourselves. Whether this is through ignorance, or greed or both, we have shown that we have the technology and intellect to reverse the damage – all we need is the will. The psychopath looks on without compassion at another’s demise; those who continue to perpetrate industrial pollution do so on a global scale to Mother Earth.

What has happened to the Great Lakes is an excellent example of what has been achieved already. In 1970, scientists told us that Lake Erie was dying and that the other Great Lakes were threatened by pollution from the steel plants, oil refineries, paper mills and city sewage plants, which had polluted the world’s largest fresh water system. Rivers were literally catching fire. By 1980, the lakes had won a stay of execution, thanks to an international effort between Canada and the U.S. Federal and Provincial legislation, notably the Clean Water Acts, have provided us with the means to control new threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem. Phosphorus levels, which once threatened the lakes with death by eutrophication, are declining. DDT is leaving the Great Lakes food chain faster than expected. Then, during the Mulroney government years, we dealt with the seemingly insurmountable acid rain problem killing our lakes and, again through joint Canadian U.S. initiatives, cleaned it up. Who talks acid rain now?

Think of our own industry achievements since the first Earth Day. We no longer have highly toxic substances in inks like lead oxide in white and chrome in yellow. Before WHMIS (1987), we had no effective way to know what was in chemical products. Methyl ethyl keytone, Toluene sulphonic acid, carbon tetrachloride, benzene and other carcinogens were common cleaning solvents damaging both ecosystems and employees. We were poisoning fish with silver thiosulphate from film processing, and through ignorance and the lack of sewer bylaws, pouring pollutants down the drain.

So long as the human race inhabits the Earth, sustainable management of its resources will be the most fundamental issue we face. That was the great lesson of Earth Day. It must never be forgotten. Have a great spring, enjoy the birds and say thanks to Rachel Carson.

There are many forms of waste that can suck the life blood (money) out of your business. I’m here to recommend best management practices and technology to reduce or eliminate the bleeding and suggest ways to get funding to do it.

Today, reducing waste is often a question of survival, so don’t miss any opportunity to eliminate your waste problem.

Canadians do not have a historically brilliant culture of conservation – quite the contrary as we are so used to seemingly unlimited natural resources. According to the United Nations reports, we are per capita the most wasteful nation on earth. As Al Gore tells us, if other countries consumed and wasted resources like North Americans we would need four earths to maintain our exorbitant lifestyle. So, shifting our business paradigm to concentrate on reducing waste is tough for us. Too bad, so sad – we gotta do it to improve our bottom line.

What waste are we talking about? The common concept of waste in print shops is the tangibles: solid waste (paper, plates, ink cans, skid wood etc), liquid waste, (film or plate process wash water, etc) and hazardous waste (solvents, developers, fountain solutions, ink etc.)

But, the intangible waste can be even more costly including air emissions, energy, time, space and opportunities.
Waste is very expensive; consider what it costs to replace the money spent on waste (and all waste boils down to money). If you are realizing a 10% profit by the end of the day, then for each $100 lost in waste, you will have to sell at least $1000 in sales to make it up – not so easy these days. Instead of thinking “ah well,” paying out to have that all the waste picked up each week as a cost of doing business, think of it as a cost doing you out of business. Start to strongly hate it.

To quote Shoichiro Toyoda, president of Toyota, waste is “ anything other than the minimum amount of equipment, materials, paperwork, space and workers time, which are absolutely essential to add value to the product. Let’s go through the various processes and areas that create waste and discuss what can be done.

Prepress

CTP developers are corrosive with a high pH value so, if you do not have a pH-neutralizing unit, then it is illegal to discharge to drain. These units can save costs in haulage, but by installing a developer recycler, you can cut your replenisher chemical costs in half and staff time in mixing the replenisher solution. Also, you will reduce sewer discharge by half. Have you studied your water bill? More than half the costs are in sewer use charges.

Most companies that still process film know that it is mandatory to have a silver recovery system in place. It is also important to have a secondary ion exchange cartridge and a final treatment filter with a carbon element to co-mingle and treat spent developer, fixer and wash water prior to drain. This, again, saves haulage costs and municipal sewer surcharges if you are inspected.

For spent proofing, photocopier and inkjet printer cartridges call the Canadian Association of Food Banks. They have a program that turns collected inkjet or laser printer/copier cartridges and old cell phones into food for food banks and milk for underprivileged kids at the rate of eight glasses of milk for each cartridge recycled. Participate in the thINK FOOD program by calling 416-516-7465 or go online to www.think-food.com. Anything, especially contaminants like ink, not thrown in landfill, saves you money and helps the environment.

Pressroom waste

Solvents: by their very nature, solvents are volatile. They evaporate quickly, so take a walk around and see how many drums or cans of rubber rejuvenator, blanket wash, alcohol etc. are open, bungs and caps off, the red dispenser cans of solvent by the press with their lids open. Years ago, I did a study that showed in one particular print shop they were losing 14% or $4,200 of purchased solvent like this through unnecessary evaporation. What a waste! These harmful fugitive emissions are being breathed in by workers throughout your facility, possibly wasting time and productivity (money) through sickness. Write up a big notice: “Keep containers closed when not in use.”

Buy in bulk to save costs: drums instead of gallon cans, totes instead of drums. My grandmother always said it is expensive to be poor and cheap. Recycle, filter and reuse options. For those with auto blanket wash units, you’re lucky because you can install a made in Canada Uni-ram distillation solvent recycler (best in the world). They work very well, reducing virgin solvent purchases, VOC emissions and the associated truck deliveries by 70% – 85% depending on the solvent. No requirement for a special explosion proof room either, like vacuum distillation units, as they meet fire code. It usually pays for itself within a year. This has proven in many locations to successfully gain savings, not just on the cost of the solvent, but also on the reportable VOCs in the solvent previously purchased. The savings on the waste haulage alone is often enough to pay for the recycler in a year. Then, there is the reduction in the deliveries and pickup, reducing truck emissions and staff handling time.

Fountain solutions: Compliant and conscientious printers usually collect and have waste fountain solutions picked up by a licensed hauler at an average cost of $200 per drum. Unconscionable printers pour this toxic brew down the drain, but they are not our focus group here.

The most effective solution is to install an in-line closed loop-recycling unit. They range in price from expensive imports like the Flo-Clear to made-in-Canada Nu-Klear units that printers can now rent on a monthly basis (send me an email for details). The savings in virgin fount concentrate, waste haulage costs and press operator time is huge. Then, there are the reduced costs of waste manifesting and MOE fees for hazardous waste haulage. The other option is to install an ultra filtration membrane system to treat the waste for safe disposal to sewer. I recommend the hollow tube rather than spiral wound type membranes as they can be cleaned physically and quickly and last longer. This will reduce waste haulage costs. These savings can add up big time; for example, if you are a printer and pay $200 per week to have a drum of waste solvent picked up for disposal that’s $10,400 per year. How much in sales do you have to generate to pay for that waste?

Still running Isopropyl alcohol in your dampening system? I recommend installing a reverse osmosis treatment unit on incoming water (they are not expensive) and using an automated centralized dosing and delivery system for mixing the fountain concentrates. RO filtration will reduce surface tension of the water and remove soluble minerals – less piling. The dosing system will ensure a consistent concentrate-water mix ratio and conductivity. It will greatly help in running IPA free and save the press operator’s time no longer spent on mixing fount and getting the conductivity right. The productivity will be improved as its one less variable and the quality of the printed word enhanced as IPA is an ink diluent reducing colour saturation. Cleaning time is saved as RO filtration eliminates bacterial growth and algae in the dampening solution by removing microbiological organisms from the raw water – no more bio-slime. It also extends plate life by removing the salts of calcium and magnesium that are deposited on the plate surface from untreated tap water. IPA is also a 100% VOC - nasty stuff in the atmosphere.

Ink Waste

An excellent P2 system to reduce ink waste is the Color-Matic Ink Doser. This computerized system precisely measures the ink for any required colour, process, specialty or PMS and extracts the exact amount directly from the suppliers can. The compression head of the extractor removes all ink down to <1%. Traditionally, the average wastage from residual ink left in cans, mixing pallets, skinning and ink knives from manual blending is 5%.

Purchasing ink in bulk also reduces waste and the delivery, handling and storage of those 2.2 kg cans. How many cans do you purchase in a year? If you run two 5-colour presses, single shift, it can be over 3500 cans per year. Each can has some waste ink residue going to landfill.

Space Waste

The amount of old unused equipment taking up valuable space in print shops amazes me – get rid of it, sell that old stitcher, platen press, silver master camera or whatever to a scrap metal merchant. Make a few bucks and use the space profitably or rent it to a subcontractor.

Energy Waste

We are blessed and cursed with some of the lowest energy costs in the world. If we were paying $0.43 per kW-hr like the UK instead of our $0.05 cents perhaps we’d use it more wisely. We tend to use most of our production energy during typical peak periods when the cost of hydro and gas is most expensive. We can try spreading the timing of production runs to reduce peak period costs, or more practically, by installing a device called a harmonic balancer. Discuss this option with your electrician. Support clean energy initiatives by purchasing through Bullfrog Power, who supply only from wind turbine of hydro-produced electricity; no coal, oil, natural gas or nuclear.

Compressors: If you run a compressor, duct the intake air from the outside through a wall or roof. This will save wasting energy because cold winter air is much more dense than the warm air inside a building. And, that’s helping the unit to “compress” more efficiently. In the summer, switch back to air-conditioned inside air.

Water heaters: When we process film or plates from an image setter we have to heat or temper the water otherwise, as the film or plate exits the warm developer chemistry and hits winter cold water, reticulation and fit problems occur. A typical medium-size company will use 135 - 150 tonnes of tempered water per year to process film and plates. This equals to 0.33 – 0.45+ tonnes of CO2 emission. So, by installing a wash water recirculator, it will reduce water consumption and sewer use costs, heating energy costs and CO2 emissions at the same time.

Computers: The average desktop computer consumes up to 250 watts per day, without the monitor. If you use it for only four hours a day and then turn it off, the savings would be about $80 per year for each computer device. Plug all computer, printing, photocopiers and fax machines into a power bar with a surge protector for each work station. One switch turns them all off. Kill all the lights and devices at quitting time.

Office / Facility Waste

Make it less convenient to print out emails and unnecessary documents. Use a common printer for a number of workstations and offices rather than one per computer. Print on both sides of paper. This will save paper cost, paper waste and ink cartridge costs. Use the reverse side of used copier paper for incoming faxes. Have a footer on all internal emails stating “this is an eco-friendly company; please do not print out this email unnecessarily.” Also, remember to shut down all electronic and electrical equipment and lights at night.

Fluorescent tubes recycling: they contain mercury and phosphor and most often end up in landfill. Each 8ft tube contains 23mg of mercury; each 4ft tube 12mg. The mercury becomes a leachate toxic entering our streams and lakes where it is converted by bacteria into methyl mercury. This molecule collects in the fatty tissues of fish and the animals that eat fish. The toxic effects on animals and humans are well documented. It is very corrosive; it’s also harmful if inhaled and can be absorbed through intact skin. So, collect and send your spent tubes to FLR Cambridge for deconstruction and mercury capture. Over 98% of the lamp is recycled by FLR. Products recaptured include glass, aluminum and brass. The real trick is separating the mercury from the phosphor powder ensuring that nothing is land filled. They can turn fluorescent lamps into anything but toxic waste. Call 1-800-324-9018 for details.

E-waste: The National Cristina Foundation and Dell have partnered to provide computer technology to people with disabilities, students at risk and economically disadvantaged persons. There’s no charge to donate used or obsolete computer technology. The process is straightforward. Plus, by donating no longer needed systems, you can reduce storage costs and administrative time and expenses. You can donate this equipment to help local, non-profit organizations and public agencies provide skills to disabled and economically disadvantaged children and adults throughout Canada. A great idea as an Earth Day event; get some marketing mileage out of it and offer to pickup e-waste from your clients or, even better, have a drop off station at your plant.

General Waste

A good percentage of items thrown into the garbage are misplaced recyclable items in the wrong waste stream. This can often be reduced with an initiative for plant, office and kitchen waste by 20%. Create a procedure on reduction of general waste via an internal source separation recycling or green box program for production, office and kitchen waste. A designated “green team” could be created representing each department to initiate a company wide program.

Environment: If we understand and better control the environmental aspects of our business, we will improve our profitability. You see, it really boils down to reducing or eliminating waste. Isn’t pollution an avoidable business cost from mismanaged or unnecessarily created waste? Prevention is better than cure, and pollution prevention saves money over waste treatment. There is a common false paradigm – “we are doing our best by treating our waste.” In actuality, what is best for our business and the environment is not to produce the waste in the first place, or at least recycle and reuse it or reduce it (hmmm‚Ķ3 R’s‚Ķnow that could catch on‚Ķ).

P2 Resources: The definition of pollution prevention is “eliminating or reducing waste at its source.” An active commitment to pollution prevention practices and waste management reduces operating costs, protects capital investment and increases business efficiencies. Two of the best exponents of P2 initiatives are the Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention (C2P2) and the Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement (OCETA); they have a synergistic relationship.

FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR WASTE MANGEMENT PROJECTS AND TECHNOLOGY

Thanks to funding provided by the Government of Ontario, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) has created the SMART Program to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs manufacturers up to 500 employees) including printers in Ontario improve their productivity so they can compete more effectively in the international economy. A wide variety of productivity improvement projects are eligible, including energy efficiency improvement, environmental impact reduction, lean manufacturing, and design and quality improvement. Projects of any size can be proposed for funding. SMART funding is available for up to 50% of project costs or $50,000, whichever is less, including capital equipment, installation and administration costs. Good projects shouldn’t be too big or too complicated. This would be ideal for the waste treatment systems and the on-site recycling equipment I discussed. It would also include pollution prevention assessments encompassing waste management as it covers professional fees and benchmarking a project. Preparation of benchmarking analyses and any associated travel, detailed project planning, specifications for new equipment or software to be acquired and associated procurement activities (RFPs, RFP evaluation, etc.). Validation of internally prepared benchmarking and/or project plans by outside experts. For full details go to www.cme-smart.ca.

Funding through Tax Credits; the federal and provincial governments reward companies that invest in research and development projects. This would include the investment in researching and developing waste treatment systems specific to your facility. For a small, privately-owned printing company, CCPC tax credits might pay back as much as 68% of eligible expenditures. Talk with your accountant or call companies like Service Optiprint (888-471-5092) that specialize in helping printers with SR & ED tax credit issues.

Funding is available through the Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement to conduct P2 and waste management Assessment. OCETA partners with many municipalities to provide cost share funding for pollution prevention and waste management assessments. They have assisted dozens of printers with recommended action plans, capital cost recovery and savings through better waste management.

In Summary

With these economically challenging times, such initiatives may turn loss into profit for you, just by doing the right thing for your business, community and our environment. Waste costs us a lot of money and we either only get a fraction of it back or have to pay to have it safely disposed of. It never actually goes away, just goes somewhere else. There are better ways and pollution prevention practices is one of them. I hope 2009 is kind to you.

It is becoming evident that economics is now driving environmental action. Economics used to be the excuse to avoid environmental concerns as “not economically viable.”

Sustainability is the new buzz word for corporate shareholders, banks, municipalities, financial and insurance companies. BMEs (big and medium enterprises) and most SMEs are being asked to show, in shareholder meetings, loan applications, questionnaires, vendor applications, RFQs and annual reports on how prepared the company is to sustain its business in reaction to the effects of global warming and climate change. Companies that want to be suppliers to these institutions have to complete vendor questionnaires or show compliance with their corporate environmental policies and standards.

A good example is the CIBC Environmentally Responsible Procurement Standard, which requires an environmental evaluation form to be completed by all suppliers. Some of the questions are as follows: Question A1: Does your company have a documented environmental management system (EMS)? A2: Is the EMS externally certifiable under ISO 14001, or similar standard? If yes, you can skip the next seven questions. Further questions ask about supporting sustainable forest management (FSC or SFI certification) and regulatory compliance. It shows the understanding that if there is a companywide EMS in place, issues such as regulatory compliance, environmental impact, staff training and waste are being managed and are sustainable. (I’d be happy to discuss EMS implementation with you if you wish; my contact info is below.)

Heads up!
As part of Ontario’s Clean Water Act, backflow prevention devices are now mandatory on all commercial, industrial and institutional water meter systems. For the GTA, this came into effect last October and the deadline is Dec. 31, 2008 under the municipal code chapter 851 (Water Supply Bylaw).

Guelph has had a similar bylaw for 23 years and B.C. for 37; Toronto is obviously behind here. Please contact me for more info or visit: www.toronto.ca/water/protecting_quality/backflow_pervention/index.htm.

Climate Change
The debate has ended on this subject. Nobody questions the reality of climate change anymore, and we are past a significant tipping point. The question now is how bad the effects will be and what we can do to minimize the impact on our businesses and, in some cases, our lives.

David Suzuki said a few years ago at the first Printers Environmental Award ceremony, that the environment is the economics of the future. It is also the greatest opportunity since the invention of the steam engine for those companies and entrepreneurs with forethought, fresh ideas and understanding of transitional and adaptive management. Adaptation involves making adjustments in our decisions, activities and thinking because of observed or expected changes in climate in order to moderate harm (reduce negative impacts) or take advantage of new opportunities. It will be an economic boom for new cleaner technologies, renewable energy and rethought waste management systems.

The alternative is to face, unprepared, the myriad of new regulations and rising costs of paper, oil based solvents, inks, energy and waste disposal by trying to maintain business as usual; thus, starting off as an ostrich and ending as a dinosaur, which would not be able to adapt either.

Eco-prosperity
The concept of profitability and sustainability being linked to environmental initiatives, at the grass roots level, is well illustrated in the recent CFIB report “Achieving Eco-prosperity,” a SME perspective on the environment. The survey generated thousands of comments from its membership, many of whom are printers.

At a recent MOE workshop on proposed new toxics reduction regulations, I used examples from the report, and the ministry was all over this like white on rice. You can download it at the Achieving Eco-prosperity website link: http://www.cfib.ca/research/reports/rr3039.pdf.

Eco-risk
It’s a fact that an environmental incident or latent discovery is the one thing that can reduce the value of a property or business to below zero. Turning a once on-going concern into an un-saleable liability. So, to protect yourself and your business, I suggest that if you intend to sell or buy a facility in the near future have a Phase One Environmental Site Assessment conducted. You don’t have to use the more expensive, big outfits to do it. Many experienced, well-qualified individual consultants can provide reports of equal quality. In fact, many larger environmental engineering companies sub-contract out to these same individuals; I know this from being one.

If you intend to continue at your current facility, I recommend having a multimedia Pollution Prevention Assessment conducted, especially if you intend to expand. A properly conducted P2 assessment will discover cost reduction opportunities while recommending remedial action for issues of concern. Check out the consultants P2 credentials before hiring, as this requires a definite specialty skill set. Go to the OCETA website to view case studies of many printing and packaging companies that have benefited from these P2 assessments: www.oceta.on.ca/TORSUS/.

There are funding and cost sharing programs available to assist you. I’d like to help you gain eco-efficiency and reduce your liabilities so that you do achieve sustainability for the future.

Durham Region has come up with a plan to divert 70% of its waste from disposal by building a waste-to-energy (WtE) plant, rather than using landfill. I believe this is a positive approach to a very real problem. Toronto still intends to use its Green Lane Landfill site near London to truck its garbage, but should look at other options. For the GTA, the energy-from-waste (EfW) option has been readily available as close as Buffalo for some time.

For the print industry, I had sourced this as an alternative option for a large label printing company with respect to the vast amount of residual matrix from the dye-cutting process. Although generally paper-based, most of this waste has an adhesive backing making it non-recyclable and ending up as landfill. Being organic in nature, this type of waste bio-degrades to produce methane gas and having more than 20 times the potency of carbon dioxide, methane is ranked as a dangerous contributor to global warming. But, this waste stream has a high BTU rating and is desirable for incineration in WtE facilities. Other wastes from our industry, such as spent rubber blankets, waste lamination materials, general garbage and solidified inks that are normally difficult to recycle could be included in a WtE program.

Energy-from-waste or waste-to-energy is a process that takes industrial or municipal solid waste –including household trash -- and transfers it into combustion chambers where it is reduced to 10% of its original volume in the process. The heat generated from the combustion chambers heats up water in steel tubes that form the walls of the combustion chambers. The water is turned to steam and sent through a turbine that continuously generates electricity (Covanta Energy).

According to Covanta Energy, a major player in energy-to-waste, over the past 25 years, the EfW industry has developed state-of-the-art technology that makes it one of the cleanest forms of energy generation. The Energy Policy Act of 2006, Department of Energy and 23 states have classified EfW as a renewable technology, and the Department of Energy states that turning garbage into energy makes “important contributions to the overall effort to achieve increased renewable energy use and the many associated positive environmental benefits.” The advanced technology in combusting waste is the air quality (emission) control system. Energy-from-waste facilities meet or exceed the strictest federal standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and employ a multi-step process to achieve superior environmental performance.

Less dependence on imported fuels: For every tonne of waste processed in an EfW facility, we avoid importing one barrel of oil or mine one-quarter tonne of coal.

Net Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction: For every tonne of waste processed in an EfW facility, almost one-tonne of GHG is avoided. It’s interesting to think that our own garbage could be driving our printing presses or cooking our dinner while reducing global warming.

E-Waste: What could you do with your unwanted computer equipment? Consider donating unwanted items to support the National Cristina Foundation through the Dell recycling program. The National Cristina Foundation and Dell have partnered to provide computer technology to people with disabilities, students at risk and economically disadvantaged persons. Combined with training, this program enables these people to lead more productive lives. There’s no charge to Informco to donate used or obsolete computer technology. The process is straightforward. Plus, by donating no-longer-needed systems, you can reduce storage costs and administrative time and expenses.

E-waste Facts at a Glance
The amount of disposed computers and peripherals doubled in 2006 to more than 67,000 tonnes in Canada alone (Environment Canada).

Environment Canada reports that every year Canadians bury or incinerate 158,000 tonnes of dead and obsolete computers, monitors, printers, fax machines, TVs, mobile phones and similar products.

An estimated 4,740 tonnes of lead is contained in personal computers and televisions thrown away each year in Canada. Discarded personal computers contain an estimated 4.5 tonnes of cadmium and 1.1 tonnes of mercury (Environment Canada).
Computers and terminals that are no longer useful for your company may have several years of life left in them for a non-profit or public agency. Through Dell’s partnership with the National Cristina Foundation, you can donate this equipment to help local non-profit organizations and public agencies provide skills to disabled and economically disadvantaged children and adults throughout Canada.

In exchange, you receive a receipt for a tax deduction along with an online coupon for 10% off selected electronics and accessories purchased online through the Dell Systems Electronic and Accessories web site.

(VisitDell Recyclingand choose “Donate” to help disabled and economically disadvantaged children and adults obtain technology otherwise denied to them).

Waste cell phones and inkjet cartridges
The Canadian Association of Food Banks has a program that turns collected cell phones, inkjet or laser printer/copier cartridges into food for kids (e.g. - eight glasses of milk for each cartridge recycled). They also have a program for old cell phones Call 1-888-271-3641 for details or visit www.think-food.com. You could provide a drop box for your staff.

Challenge is the thing about Pollution Prevention (P2) that piques and maintains my professional interest as an environmental consultant. The first challenge for me was to learn how to change our industry’s business/environmental paradigm from grudgingly just complying with environmental regulations to embracing P2 as part of their profit centre.

It is amazing to think back to the 80’s and early 90’s when the “environment” was a real hard sell to industry. Our approach as environmental consultants, especially to small and medium enterprises (SME’s), was often totally wrong and arrogant. Our original focus was also mainly on waste management or treatment instead of prevention.

Here’s an actual incident from 1993: “Oh, hi John. I see you recommend that we start collecting our processor effluent and have it picked up for disposal at a cost of $200 a drum, ten grand a year, something about aquatic life forms eh? Well buddy, I got three little life forms at home that need their daddy to make some money, so when I see the fish swimming upside down I’ll worry about it then. You know where the door is...”

Seeing that treatment was not appealing to many clients, we then attempted “front of pipe” instead of “end of pipe” P2 solutions, but we still wore the enviro hat instead of the business solutions suit.

“Let me see, John. You want me to stop using XYZ solvent that has been working well for us for 10 years, is low cost, is readily available from a number of suppliers, and is a standard raw material in our industry. And you want me to replace it with a higher cost, slower working aqueous product available only from a couple of sources because it has less volatile compounts‚Ķthat would give my competitors a real edge‚Ķhmmm let me think about this while you show yourself out. You do know where the door is eh?!”

The P2 cause was helped, certainly, when tougher regulations came into effect. Most high profile and larger companies got on board in a hurry, but the majority of SME’s ignored the new rules until either forced to deal with them by inspectors or until they were shown a cost and efficiency benefit. Another challenge as a consultant, therefore, was learning the importance of understanding and relating P2 to their business model—in business parlance, reciprocity—I had to show a real Return on Investment.

The Toronto Region Sustainability Program, delivered through OCETA, has been very effective in making environmental stewardship more attractive to business owners. By offering a substantial cost-sharing inducement, the client becomes a contractual partner in the whole P2 assessment process. Now we can conduct a comprehensive, facility-wide confidential assessment, and make collaborative strides towards business efficiency, pollution prevention (P2), and community-based sustainability. The results have been amazing, leading to CCME and other national-award-winning success stories.

In our industry, we have come a long way in environmental awareness, and our current challenge is to promote and produce sustainable results in real reductions of persistent toxins and pollutants. This is best achieved by companies integrating waste reduction, R&D, and P2 procedures into core management systems. The approach has to be made from a cost saving or even revenue-generating perspective. Today, promoting a proactive “green” image is a growing marketing trend in business. As consultants, we must use a “consultative” approach, as that is what our clients pay us for. We need to feel their pain, share their problems, and, by becoming problem solvers, we will become a viable resource and therefore successful ourselves. Everybody wins: our clients, the environment, and ourselves.

One example is the printer who used an expensive, high-VOC solvent in a printing press auto wash system mixed 50/50 with water. He also had to pay a high price to have the spent waste solvent/wash picked up by a licensed hauler. By studying the process, discussing the background with the operator and suppliers, and investigating the options, we learned that the press equipment supplier dictates what type of solvent they use, according to the warranty on the press and the fact that they also supply the solvent. This type of monopoly really ties up the printer! He can’t use any different solutions without losing the warranty and technical support.

So we took another approach. I took a sample of the waste solvent/wash to a local manufacturer of recycling equipment. They modified a distillation unit to clean, separate, and recapture the solvent and the water. We tested the recycled solvent, both on the press and in the lab, and compared it with the virgin product. The recycled solvent proved successful, and the owner has realized an 80% savings, not just on the cost of the solvent but also on the reportable VOCs previously purchased. The savings on the waste haulage alone were enough to pay for the recycler in a year. Then there is the reduction in the delivery and pickup truck emissions (smog and greenhouse gases) and 21 tonnes of class 213I hazardous waste is eliminated. There is also a saving on the cost of floor space for inventory of virgin and waste drums and the manpower to handle them. The manifesting costs are saved, as is the reporting to the MOE—not to mention the tax credit for R&D and experimental scientific development. Cost savings were $45,760+ and VOC reduction was about 7.5 tonnes per year. This is just one P2 item with a whole lot of benefits for the business and the environment. (See P2 Case Studies examples on the OCETA web site for more details /www.oceta.on.ca/TORSUS/).

Most of us want to help “save the planet” (now there’s a challenge) from the negative effects of industrialization, consumerism, and ignorance. The old adage “think globally but act locally” is so true. If we are to succeed, we certainly cannot rely on our government. It’s up to us individually, and collectively, to educate, promote, and inspire others to take up “The Challenge.”

As I write this, I am sitting at my desk. Looking at my paper Starbucks cup, I notice a printed message that says:

“So-called “global warning” is just a secret ploy by wacko tree huggers to make N. America energy independent, clean our air and water, improve fuel efficiency of our vehicles, kick-start 21st century industries, and make our cities safer and more livable. Don’t let them get away with it!”

(Chip Giller, environmentalist, check out www.grist.org)

Sadly I know some folks who would actually take this tongue-in-cheek sentiment seriously…

Earth Day is next month, and April 20th will see Earth Day Canada’s annual free mega event at Downsview Park (check out www.earthday.ca/pub/events). Our planet has changed so much in the past year, which was the warmest year on record (just as the past 12 years have been). Our industry alone hungrily consumed 900 million trees for pulp and paper. Atmospheric carbon was the highest in 650,000 years. Forests disappeared at the rate of two acres per second and still do. We have all seen the pictures of drowning polar bears as the polar sea ice melted. There are droughts and wildfires, floods and species extinction on a massive scale—if all this did not change the global-warming-doubters’ views, then perhaps the destruction of a major American city by heat-driven hurricane forces may have. We should ask them to live near a bayou.

What we really need is more than one annual Earth Day event—we need to incorporate the essence of Earth Day into everyday life, at our businesses and homes. Our politicians do not have the will to do what is required; they have their own political agenda to worry about. In fact, our current federal government has actually closed down some significant environmental programs that helped support initiatives by our business community. Earth-saving lifestyle change must evidently be a grassroots, bottom-up movement, and a true lifestyle paradigm shift. It is down to you and me, and with a collective will to change, we can make a difference.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business, which represents the interests of small- and medium-sized privately-owned enterprises (SME’s) conducted a huge national environmental survey last year. This is true “grassroots” stuff. Over 10,826 respondees took up the call, including a number of printers. The published report states that there is a strong belief among most SME’s that it is possible to grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time. The report is therefore called “Achieving Eco-prosperity”. It contains a lot of terrific examples, ideas, and suggestions of what the independent business community is doing or planning to do. The CFIB’s report also recommends convincing all levels of government to enhance communication about environmental opportunities, simplify regulations, and reduce the paper burden and bureaucracy inherent in many environmental initiatives. In other words, take a common sense approach and deal with the most urgent issues now.

But how do you sustain Earth Day every day? Following are ten suggestions, from various sources, in no particular order:

1I like the idea of having an Earth-Hour every day: turn off TVs and computers, all unnecessary lights, and reduce the heat to a degree below normal room temperature. Enjoy each other’s conversation, read, or take a walk. Open windows and shut off the A/C in the summer. Most of the 25 tons of CO2 that each Canadian generates annually comes from our homes.

2According to the U.S Department of Energy, 75% of all hydro consumed in the home is standby power, used to keep all those DVD players, sound systems, and computer monitors running. Did you know that the average desktop computer can consume up to 6 kWh of power per day, not including the monitor? (To put it in perspective, a fridge consumes about 12 kWh of power per day.) If you use it for four hours a day and then turn it off, you could save up to $80.00 per year and reduce your CO2 emissions by up to 83% for each computer.

3Plug all computer, printing, photocopiers and fax machines into a power bar with a surge protector for each work station. One switch turns them all off. Kill all the lights at quitting time.

4Many cities have anti idling by-laws, a 3 minute limit is usual. But don’t let your vehicles idle for more than 10 seconds, any longer and you are using more gas than necessary for restarting. Post “No Idling” signs at your loading docks. If every driver of a light duty vehicle avoided idling by five minutes a day we collectively save 1.8 million litres of fuel per day, almost 4500 tonnes of GHG emissions, and $1.7 million in fuel costs each day (assuming fuel costs of $0.95/L).

5Avoid drive-through line ups, my pet peeve. All those cars spewing carbon monoxide, CO2, nitrous oxides and VOC’s just for a coffee! Is it really that hard to park, pop in, and pick up the coffee? You might actually talk to another human being, and you will probably save time. If you idle for ten minutes in the line up, your large double-double will cost a lot more than $1.38 in gas and wear on your car.

6Replace incandescent (regular) light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. which use 75% less energy. They last many years longer, too—but don’t put them in the regular garbage, as they contain mercury. You’ll need to recycle them at a white goods depot—look on your municipality’s website for further information.

7Promote and use paper with high recycled content. It uses 60% less energy to produce than virgin pulp paper. Each ton purchased saves 4,000 kWh of energy, 7,000 gallons of water, and 17 trees. Promoting FSC-certified papers helps protect our forests, and FSC-certified paper with post consumer recycled content is the best of both worlds.

8Do not to print out e-mails unless absolutely necessary.

9Install an Enerflow harmonic electrical balancer at your facility; it will result in 8%—10% more efficient use of electricity, potentially saving thousands of kWh and related greenhouse gas emissions.

10Practice P2—treat it on site. Solvent recyclers, UF membrane filters for treating waste liquids or recycling fountain solutions, pH neutralizers, and CTP developer recyclers are some of the pollution prevention (P2) options available that also save money.

Finally, get involved with your own Environmental Event in April, involve suppliers and clients, promote and talk it up on your web sites or newsletters. Do something green!

And have a great Earth Day, week, month, year…

Recently, while performing a pollution prevention assessment for a medium-sized printer, I completed a study on the pros and cons of using an auto blanket wash system (as opposed to manual cleaning). Even though their Roland press equipment was equipped with an Autowash system, all cleaning of blankets and rollers on the presses is done manually using solvent-soaked rags (printer’s towels).

I found out that this practice is not as unusual as I thought in our industry. Manual cleaning can be an expensive, hazardous and environmentally questionable practice, for several reasons. First, there is a total loss of the solvent. Second, it involves excessive use (at great cost) of printers’ towels, which have to be picked up and laundered off site—the laundry service charges a premium for handling hazardous solvents, an energy surcharge, and an “environmental charge” for solvent disposal (even though it can be recaptured for re-sale). Third, there are greater reportable VOC emissions. Finally, press operators have more contact with hazardous solvents.

This particular print shop did not use their Autowash system because of a problem with the particular solvent used, which created an oily residue that dripped onto the paper stock. Other reasons included the cost of collecting the large amount of used solvent & water mix from the holding tanks and the hazardous nature of the manufacturer-recommended solvent used for their Autowash systems.

A study done many years ago by Baldwin indicated that, on a per-cleaning basis, the volume of solvent required to clean the same area of a blanket was less with an automatic system. I have no real reason to dispute the general claim, but what is interesting is that printers that installed these systems have reported that there was an overall increase in total solvent consumed and emitted. There could be a variety of reasons why this seemingly paradoxical increase in solvent use occurs, but it was clear that overall solvent consumption rose when they installed auto systems.

Benefits to Autowash

Today, the end benefit of using an auto blanket wash system is the ability to recapture, recycle, and reuse the cleaned solvent. This recapturing can save up to 80% (there is always some loss) of the cost for solvent purchases and reduces the corresponding reportable VOC emissions. Recycling units such as those made in Ontario by Uni-Ram are specifically designed to handle water-miscible blanket washes. They distill and separate water from the solvent, rendering clean water for reuse or safe disposal as well as the cleaned solvent. The other benefits to an auto wash is reduction in the number and costs of printer’s towels and the pressman’s reduced contact with hazardous solvents.

There are now many less toxic and lower VOC auto blanket washes available than there were in previous years. On striking a balance between cleaning efficiency, lower VOC emissions and toxicity, I would recommend you consider vapor pressure as the key component. Check the manufacturer’s technical and material safety data sheets for comparisons. Washes with low vapor pressures allow you to have solvency, no oily residue, and minimal employee exposure. A good starting point is to look at washes that have vapor pressure of less then 5 mm Hg at 20 degrees C or 68 degrees F.

Avoid solvents with aromatic content—such as xylene, cumene, toluene, naphthalene etc—because the aromatic solvents have more and greater toxic effects. Finally, consider the flash point. Generally, solvents with high flash points have low vapor pressure. High flash point is also safer, as it is less flammable. My preferred solvent materials are aliphatic petroleum distillates and C11 Cycloalkane. Such solvents have low vapor pressure, high flash points, and low photo-reactivity. Remember that Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) are smog precursors. By reacting with Ultra Violet rays (sunlight) they create low-level ozone that captures carbon and nitrous oxides and particulate emissions over our cities. Strong sun is why smog is so prevalent in summer.

No one that I know has done any study comparing hand wipe to auto system usage. However, the state of California is pushing to reduce the VOC content of roller and blanket wash to less than 100 grams per liter. I hesitate to recommend any particular solvent because it depends largely on the wash system, rollers, and type of press, but the recommendations that follow are based on my personal experience, for what that is worth.

From the study I conducted of over 50 solvents acceptable for Auto Wash systems; Anchor (Fuji), Day-Varn, and Rycoline have products that meet the above-mentioned criteria. Also, Tower Products and Printers Service (Prisco) have products on or coming on the market in the next month or so. Currently, over three dozen printers in the USA are using vegetable-based solvents out of Europe (Bottcher and Vegra). It seems that because of the chemical makeup of the solvents, printers use much less solvent (50-60 percent) in both hand and auto wash. I have been testing a Canadian product from Eco-Mist that is also vegetable- and tree-extract based. The waste stream depends on the type of solvent used, and the size and number of presses. However, the low vapor pressure, high flashpoint solvents generally generate more waste than their counterparts.

I will be involved with the testing of a number of the newer products in an auto-wash system and will keep you posted. In the meantime, if any reader has experience with an auto-wash solvent (good or bad), please let me know by emailing ecosafe@rogers.com.