Support for screen printers ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY BEST PRACTICE PROGRAMME

Your guide to the free help and advice available

This publication is aimed at

A waste reduction programme can bring large savings in solvent use,

supporting UK screen

screen cleaning costs, and use of raw materials such as ink and

printers. A key concern of

substrate, as well as lower your waste disposal costs.

the industry is how to

information outlined here will help you to put into practice many

improve competitiveness by

simple and low-cost measures that could:

producing the same for

The

save money for your company

less. If this is an area where independent, free

help your company improve sales margins

help and advice could help

help towards achieving certification to ISO 14001

your company, then this leaflet is for you!

contribute to a better working environment and compliance with health and safety legislation

This leaflet guides you through the publications appropriate to screen printers that are produced by the Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme - a Government programme making UK industry more competitive through improved environmental performance.

How will waste minimisation help my company save money? Many companies are discovering that reducing waste goes hand-in-hand with increased profits. Waste minimisation is also an excellent way to start tackling the environmental impact of process operations. Reduction of solvent use, waste substrate and ink can be achieved in a screen printing company using waste minimisation techniques.

Reducing waste reduces operating costs Waste minimisation is a profitable activity. Many companies only count the cost of waste disposal, but there are many hidden costs of waste. Instead of wasting raw materials, time and effort, and paying disposal costs, taking steps to stop waste occurring in the first place will add to your bottom line. MEASURING TO MANAGE Good Practice Guide (GG60) Practical Measures to Save Money in Screen Printing provides an approach for companies that wish to look at improving their environmental performance, in particular, by reducing their solvent use. It describes, with the aid of a worked example, the ‘Measuring to Manage’ technique of solvent management. This technique can be applied to all printing industry wastes. Industry examples describe the savings and other benefits achieved by four screen printers through a Measuring to Manage programme.

SCREEN CLEANING AND RECLAMATION WHERE ARE YOU NOW? Inefficient use of organic solvents to clean and reclaim screens increases operating costs and reduces profits. Do you know how your solvent use compares with that of others in the industry? In Environmental Performance Guide (EG142) Material Use in Screen Cleaning and Reclamation you can discover how much your company uses, typical costs, and compare your material consumption with that of your competitors. Based on a survey of UK screen printers, EG142 gives a picture of the state of the industry, identifies where poor practice can be improved and will help you to gain a range of data and information to benchmark your company’s performance. It will help screen printers reach a fuller understanding of the costs involved and assess the scope for cost savings.

HOW TO DO IT Efficient use of screen cleaning and reclamation materials will reduce the use of organic solvents reducing your VOC emissions and waste solvent disposal costs. Good Practice Guide (GG143) Practical Measures to Save Money in Screen Cleaning and Reclamation explains how screen printers can reduce their use of screen cleaning and reclamation materials. The Guide covers practical measures that will help to bring good practice into your workplace, and improve workshop management, screen and printing quality. It also discusses alternative materials and methods, as well as material recovery and recycling.

REDUCING SUBSTRATE WASTE

SUBSTRATE

In printing processes, the substrate can form 80 - 90% of the raw material costs for any printed product. The technical challenge for any printer is to reduce production costs by reducing substrate spoilage and wastage, while maintaining printing speed, output and quality. Good Practice Guide (GG107) Costeffective Substrate Management for Printers focuses on identifying the true cost of substrate waste and the use of practical measures to prevent and reduce the loss of substrate during the printing operation.

Reducing costs through STARTING OUT

INKS

If you would like to discover how much ink losses cost you in a year, the four-page summary (GS163) Improved Ink Management Increases Profits gives a quick and simple method of estimating the amount and value. In the UK printing industry, an average of 3% of ink is wasted – at a cost of £12 million/year to the industry. The summary will help you to realise the savings potential of implementing your own ink management system and has suggestions to get you started.

Adoption of two simple measures has reduced emulsion remover consumption by 75% in one screen printing company. A lower-strength emulsion remover is used which is applied by spraying and removed using a high-pressure jet washer. These practices have been adopted for several years and no reduction in screen life or quality has been observed.

REDUCING SOLVENT USE Good Practice Guide (GG28) Good Housekeeping Measures for Solvents is full of quick, practical and affordable measures to help you reduce solvent use. As well as saving money, applying the techniques described in this Guide will bring other benefits such as greater productivity, improved product quality, improved environmental credentials and provide a better working environment for employees. The Guide has suggestions for delivery, storage, on-site distribution and handling, processing, cleaning, waste recovery and disposal.

TRACKING SOLVENT USE Good Practice Guide (GG114) Reduce Costs by Tracking Solvents will assist any company that wishes to gain greater control of its solvent use and reduce costs. The Guide describes a simple and logical procedure based on understanding and measuring how much solvent goes into and out from your processes. To help you, the Guide comes complete with a spreadsheet template on computer disk to make it quick and easy for you to record information and carry out data analysis.

SOLVENTS

waste minimisation A screen printing company has achieved significant savings by improving its solvent management. Employees are not allowed to use solvent on the factory floor and screen cleaning and reclamation take place only in a controlled area. Installation of a screen cleaning machine has further reduced solvent use, which is now 35% less than before the measures were introduced.

WHAT NEXT? An effective ink management system prevents and reduces waste. Ink losses can arise from spills, evaporation and residues left on equipment. However, there are many ‘hidden’ costs such as the cost of substrate losses when ink causes spoilage, clean-up costs, the cost of waste disposal and the cost of controlling VOC emissions. Good Practice Guide (GG163) Cost-effective Ink Management for Printers focuses on achieving cost savings and other benefits through greater attention to ink management.

WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED? Hartcliffe Ltd, a screen printing company in Bristol, has modified most of its printing lines to accept both UV and conventional inks. As a result, total use of solvents, inks, thinners and cleaners has fallen by over eight tonnes, turnover has more than doubled and quality improvements have opened up new markets. Read about how Hartcliffe made the change and realised the business benefits in Good Practice Case Study (GC88) UV Inks Save Screen Printer Time and Money.

What free help and advice is available? Your company may have already taken steps to reduce costs and waste.

But it is always possible to do more and the

Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme can support you.

As well as the publications detailed in this

leaflet, find out more about the following:

The Environment and Energy Helpline on freephone 0800 585794. This is the gateway to support material and expert help. The Helpline has a panel of specialists who can work on a caller’s query for up to two hours free of charge.

Counselling Visits. Companies with fewer than 250 employees may be eligible for a free site visit from an Environmental Counsellor, who can advise on waste minimisation opportunities.

Useful publications for the UK screen printing industry Please send me copies of these free publications All Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme publications can be downloaded from our web site. Alternatively, they are available – free of charge – through the Environment and Energy Helpline on freephone 0800 585794 or by faxing back this page. Good Practice Guide (GG60) Practical Measures to Save Money in Screen Printing. Environmental Performance Guide (EG142) Material Use in Screen Cleaning and Reclamation. Good Practice Guide (GG143) Practical Measures to Save Money in Screen Cleaning and Reclamation. Good Practice Guide (GG107) Cost-effective Substrate Management for Printers. Good Practice Summary (GS163) Improved Ink Management Increases Profits. Good Practice Guide (GG163) Cost-effective Ink Management for Printers. Good Practice Case Study (GC88) UV Inks Save Screen Printer Time and Money. Good Practice Guides for reducing solvent use (GG28) Good Housekeeping Measures for Solvents. (GG114) Reduce Costs by Tracking Solvents.

For further information, please contact the Environment and Energy Helpline on 0800 585794. Fax: 01235 433066 Name: ................................................................... Company: ............................................................. Position: ............................................................... No of employees: ................................................. Address: .................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................. Postcode: .............................................................. Tel: ........................................................................ Fax: ........................................................................ e-mail: ..................................................................

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01235 433066 For more information about the Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme and how its free services can help you, please phone the

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY HELPLINE 0800 585794 world wide web: http://www.etsu.com/etbpp/

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THE ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY BEST PRACTICE PROGRAMME IS A JOINT DTI AND DETR PROGRAMME MANAGED BY AEA TECHNOLOGY PLC THROUGH ETSU AND THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY CENTRE ET226 © Crown copyright. First printed September 1999. This material may be freely reproduced in its original form except for sale or advertising purposes.

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