Confused by all the environmental terms and phrases being thrown around these days? Take a look at our definitions to understand some of those confusing terms and acronyms.
Printing
Vegetable-based Inks
The best option on the market at this moment is vegetable-based inks as they contain less VOCs and IPA solvents than petroleum-based inks. If you also print using waterless or alcohol-free methods, you will lessen your environmental impact. Some vegetable inks could contain soya oil.
SOURCE: www.re-nourish.com
Soya-based Inks
These inks are also agricultural-based and contain less VOCs than petroleum-based (mineral-based) inks. However it is difficult to determine if the soybeans used were GMO in origin. Moreover, there is no universal standard for what “soy-based” ink means. It could have anywhere from one drop of soy oil to 100% soy oil content. However, it is important to mention that both vegetable- and soya-based inks could contain petroleum. And obviously, unless otherwise specifically mentioned, these inks are manufactured and shipped using fossil fuels. Ideally, their method of manufacture and shipping would be local and renewable. Soy-based inks would be the next best option after vegetable-based inks.
SOURCE: www.re-nourish.com
UV Inks
UV Inks are a mixed bag. They typically use less solvents and contain small amounts of VOCs but they are not from renewable sources.
It is best to avoid petroleum-based inks as they emit higher VOCs (typically 25-40% distillates in printing) and are not renewable. Also avoid finishes like foil stamping, varnishes, and laminates as they are difficult to de-ink and consequently make it difficult to recycle the paper.
SOURCE: www.re-nourish.com
Petroleum-based Inks
Petroleum-based products have serious health and environmental implications. Traditional petroleum-based inks emit high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming and indoor air pollutants that carry serious health effects.
VOCs (Volatile organic compounds)
VOCs are organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere. A wide range of carbon-based molecules, such as aldehydes, ketones, and other light hydrocarbons are VOCs.
SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_organic_compound
Aqueous Coating
Aqueous coating is available in gloss, dull or satin finish, and is applied on top of a printed piece to avoid smudging the ink. You cannot "spot" aqueous coat an area due to the application process.
Aqueous coating is a water-based lacquer coating that is often the best overprint choice in terms of environmental impact. Paper with aqueous coating can be recycled and does not emit harmful byproducts. These coatings are also the most cost-effective. The cleanup process does not require toxic cleaning detergents nor does it necessitate high temperatures for drying.
SOURCE: www.re-nourish.com
UV Coating
UV coating is applied like ink to paper and dried by ultraviolet light. It can be used as an overall protective coating or "spot" applied to an area of the printed piece.
The process of UV coating emits no toxic byproducts. However, the clean-up process from UV coatings requires utilizing dangerous chemicals that necessitate strict safety measures and could be hazardous to workers' health if not handled properly. In addition, the UV coating process requires high energy use due to UV drying lamps and air conditioning requirements.
The ability to recycle paper with heavy UV coverage may be limited. Too much of this coating in a batch may contaminate the pulp which prevents the paper from being used to make recycled paper products.
SOURCE: www.re-nourish.com
Varnishes
Think of varnish as ink without pigment, requiring it's own printing unit on press. This coating comes in gloss, dull and satin and is extremely strong. Varnishes recycle more easily than the UV coated stock. However, they emit harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the coating process which can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, loss of coordination, nausea, as well as damage to the liver, kidneys, and the central nervous system. VOCs are also suspected to cause cancer in humans.
SOURCE: www.re-nourish.com
Alcohol-Free Printing
Alcohol-free printing offers lower ink and water settings along with the ability to print a given density using an ink film that isn’t diluted by alcohol. The result is better quality printing with sharper dots and less tendency for emulsification.
SOURCE: www.pneac.org
Digital Printing
Toner-based digital printing avoids using film, plates, and the harmful chemicals used in traditional offset printing. This process is the least environmentally impactful because it is completely digital. It eliminates large volumes of waste during set-up and proofing, and there are no chemical washes or solutions on press. Digital printing is considered "print on demand", allowing for small quantities and less excess.
Emissions
Carbon Management
Carbon management is an emerging trend for both companies and individuals. Being carbon neutral is a very simple concept involving the purhcase of carbon offset credits which fund emission-free energy projects as wind farms and solar installations.
SOURCE: wikipedia
Carbon Neutral
Being carbon neutral, or carbon neutrality, refers to neutral (meaning zero) total carbon release, brought about by balancing the amount of carbon released with the amount sequestered or offset.
When an individual or an organization sets out to become carbon neutral it is usually achieved by combining the following three steps:
- Limiting energy usage and emissions from transportation (walking, using bicycles or public transport, avoiding flying, using low-energy vehicles), as well as from buildings, equipment and processes.
- Obtaining electricity from a renewable energy source either directly by generating it (installing solar panels on the roof for example) or by selecting an approved green energy provider, and by using low-carbon alternative fuels such as biofuels.
- Offsetting the remaining emissions that cannot for the moment be avoided or generated from renewables in a responsible carbon project, or by buying carbon credits.
SOURCE: wikipedia
Carbon Offest
A carbon offset is a credit for CO2 emission reduction that can be bought. If you add polluting emissions to the atmosphere, you can effectively subtract them by purchasing ‘carbon offsets’. Carbon offsets are simply credits for emission reductions achieved by projects elsewhere, such as wind farms, solar installations, or energy efficiency projects. By purchasing these credits, you can apply them to your own emissions and reduce your net climate impact. Carbon offsets are bought and sold through brokers, online retailers, and trading platforms.
SOURCE: wikipedia
Green Energy
Green energy refers to electricity generated by renewable resourcesx such as wind power, hydro, and biogas.
SOURCE: wikipedia
Biogas
Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Biogas originates from biogenic material and is a type of biofuel.
SOURCE: wikipedia
Paper Production
Recycled Content
Recycled papers may contain either pre- or post-consumer waste. The mobius loop (the three arrow symbol) is commonly used on printed recycled materials. Its use is not monitored, nor does the symbol represent any specific waste content.
SOURCE: wikipedia
Recyclable
This term simply means that the product is able to be recycled; it does not mean that the product contains any amount of recycled content.
SOURCE: wikipedia
Post-Consumer Waste
Paper that has completed its life cycle to the end user then re-enters the production process through recycling bin collection.
SOURCE: wikipedia
Pre-Consumer Waste
Pre-consumer recovered fibres come from paper scraps generated during the papermaking, converting, and printing processes – paper that has not reached the end user. These are regularly reused to make new paper.
SOURCE: www.environmentalpaper.org
Mill Broke
Mill broke means any paper waste generated in a paper mill prior to completion of the papermaking process. It is usually returned directly to the pulping process.
SOURCE: www.epa.gov
Alternative Fibres
Papers that include an alternative to wood-based fibre. It is claimed to be more eco-friendly considering the product's entire life cycle. Example sources of alternative include wild plants, such as bamboo, kenaf, hemp, jute, and flax.
Virgin Fibres
Virgin fibre paper is manufactured without the use of any recycled/alternative fibres. Trees are the usual source of the virgin fibre. However, they can also be drawn from fibres such as kenaf and hemp.
Mixed Fibres
Quite often paper is made up of a mixture of recycled and unrecycled fibres as well as pre- and post-consumer fibre. The reason a number of papers have mixed content is because paper cannot be recycled indefinitely. Paper can be recycled about 5-8 times before the fibres become too short and weak to hold together.
Bleaching Process
When wood is pulped, it is naturally discoloured. The environmental challenge is to bleach the pulp white while minimizing harmful side effects on the environment.
SOURCE: wikipedia
Chlorine
Chlorine is an ideal chemical to remove lingin from paper pulp to increase its strength and also make the paper a brilliant white. However Chlorine also releases deadly organochlorines, PCBs, and dioxin into our water supply (from releases at paper mills.)
Processed Chlorine-Free (PCF)
Processed Chlorine Free is reserved for recycled content paper. This includes all recycled fibers used as a feedstock that meet EPA guidelines for recycled or post-consumer content. PCF papers have not been rebleached with chlorine containing compounds. Minimum of 30% post-consumer content is required.
SOURCE: www.chlorinefreeproducts.org
Totally Chlorine-Free (TCF)
Totally Chlorine Free is reserved for virgin fiber papers. TCF papers do not use pulp produced with chlorine or chlorine containing compounds as bleaching agents.
SOURCE: www.chlorinefreeproducts.org
Elemental Chlorine-Free (ECF)
Elemental chlorine-free. ECF papers are lightened/whitened mainly with chlorine dioxide. A slightly better option than chlorine gas, this process nevertheless results in harmful organochlorides that are damaging to wildlife and other biological systems.
SOURCE: www.re-nourish.com
Environmental Organizations
Forest Management Systems
Papers from Forest Management Systems are partially or totally derived from resources that are managed to ensure their renewability for generations to come.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is a world-wide group of people dedicated to better utilize, manage and promote responsible use of our forests. Through its chain-of-custody certification program, the FSC ensures that the world’s forests are managed in an environmentally responsible , socially acceptable, and economically viable manner. In an unbroken chain of commitment from forest to consumer, the FSC label carries the promise that a product comes from a forest friendly source.
SOURCE: www.fsc.org
Programme for the Endorsement
of Forest Certificaiton (PEFC)
The PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization, founded in 1999 which promotes sustainably managed forests through independent third party certification. The PEFC provides an assurance mechanism to purchasers of wood and paper products that they are promoting the sustainable management of forests.
SOURCE: www.pefc.org
Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI)
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) program is based on the premise that responsible environmental behavior and sound business decisions can co-exist.
- SFI meets the standards of responsible forest practices and is PEFC-endorsed
- established in 1994 by the American Forest and Paper Association
- governed by the Sustainable Forestry Board, an independent, multi-stakeholder group
SFI program participants practice sustainable forestry on all the lands they manage. They also influence millions of additional acres through the training of loggers and foresters in best management practices and landowner outreach programs.
SOURCE: www.sfiprogram.org
Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
The Canadian Standards Association is a not-for-profit, membership-based association serving business, industry, government, and consumers in Canada and the global marketplace.
- meets the standards of PEFC forest practices for sustainable growth development
- formed in 1994 by a group of Canadian foresters wanting to establish independent standards for responsible forestry in Canada.
- no chain-of-custody involved with CSA as it encompasses forestry harvesting
SOURCE: www.csa.ca
Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices, and consumer behavior.
It sets standards for sustainability that conserve wildlife and wild lands and promote the well-being of workers and their communities. Farms and forestry enterprises that meet the comprehensive criteria receive the Rainforest Alliance certification seal. The Rainforest Alliance also works with tourism businessesx to help them succeed while leaving a small footprint on the environment and providing a boost to local economies.
SOURCE: www.rainforest-alliance.org
Bullfrog Power
Founded in 2005, Bullfrog Power is a leading provider of 100% green electricity with service available to Ontario and Alberta residents and businesses. Bullfrog Power provides Canadians with a convenient way to support locally generated renewable power.
Bullfrog sources power exclusively from generators which meet or exceed the federal government's Environmental Choice Program EcoLogo standard for renewable electricity. Its power comes from clean, emission-free sources like wind power and low-impact water power instead of carbon-intensive sources like coal.
SOURCE: www.bullfrogpower.com
Green-e
Green-e is the nation's leading independent consumer protection program for the sale of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions in the retail market. Green-e offers certification and verification of renewable energy and greenhouse gas mitigation products.
SOURCE: www.green-e.org
Ancient Forest Friendly Paper
Ancient Forest Friendly papers are free of ancient forest fibre and contain 100 percent recycled fibre or 100 percent Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) virgin fibre or papers with high recycled content and the remainder of the fibre content being FSC.
SOURCE: www.greenpeace.org
Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
External certification and ongoing monitoring systems are designed to assure continuous reduction of environmental impacts. An EMS is designed to identify, evaluate, plan, manage, improve, and monitor the environmental policy throughout an organization.
EcoLogo-certified
EcoLogo is North America’s most widely recognized and respected certification of environmental leadership. By setting standards and certifying products in more than 120 categories, EcoLogo helps consumers identify, trust, buy, and sell environmentally preferable (“green”) goods and services.
Launched by the Canadian federal government in 1988, EcoLogo has grown to serve buyers and sellers of green products throughout the United States and Canada, and around the world. In fact, EcoLogo is North America’s oldest environmental standard and certification organization (and the second oldest in the world). It is the only North American standard accredited by the Global Ecolabeling Network as meeting the international ISO 14024 standard for environmental labels.
SOURCE: www.terrachoice-certified.com
ISO 14001
The ISO 14000 environmental management standards exist to help organizations minimize how their operations negatively affect the environment.
ISO 14001 is the international specification for an environmental management system (EMS). It specifies requirements for establishing an environmental policy, determining environmental aspects and impacts of products/activities/services, planning environmental objectives and measurable targets, implementation and operation of programs to meet objectives and targets, checking and corrective action, and management review.
SOURCE: wikipedia
Eco-Management Audit System
EMAS - the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, is a voluntary initiative designed to improve companies’ environmental performance.
Its aim is to recognize and reward those organizations that go beyond minimum legal compliance and continuously improve their environmental performance. In addition, it is a requirement of the scheme that participating organizations regularly produce a public environmental statement that reports on their environmental performance. It is this voluntary publication of environmental information, whose accuracy and reliability has been independently checked by an environmental verifier, that gives EMAS and those organizations that participate enhanced credibility and recognition.
SOURCE: www.iema.net
Green Seal
Green Seal is a non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the environment and transforming the marketplace by promoting the manufacture, purchase, and use of environmentally responsible products and services.
SOURCE: www.greenseal.org
