I decided to look at the environmental impact of the print industry and the solutions to these problems. I'll put some other designer's solutions in the design context blog as well.
I initially looked into the environmental impact and issues thats derived from the papers/stocks that are used to print on. The main implications for the environment seem to be with the logging process which tends to reduce the biodiversity (range of species) in forests by a frankly ridiculous 90%, even if trees are planted in replacement of the ones cut down. Also there are problems in the actual production where 3 tons of wood are used to make 1 ton of paper as well as large amounts of wasted water and the industry's notorious status as the world's number 1 air polluter. On top of this the bleaching process releases chlorine into the water polluting it which can cause damage to humans. A solution to this, that I can use in my own print practice is to use paper made of 100% Post consumer content (PCC) or 100 recycled paper, also using paper free of chlorine (from the bleaching process.) I could also use alternatives not made from trees i.e. hemp, kenaf, terraSkin (derived from rocks) or recycled denim. It's almost universally agreed that there is no difference in quality between recycled and non recycled paper anymore and the prices are competitive with virgin (non-recycled) paper.
I also looked at the problems with inks, a lot of the time they're petrol based which makes them dangerous to dispose of, they can release volatile organic compounds as they decompose, these can be harmful to humans and cause birth defects when pregnant women are exposed to them. Also warm red inks and metallic inks contain barium, copper and/or zinc, which again can be harmful to humans when put into landfill. A solution to this when I'm designing is to find a printer who uses soy or vegetable oil based inks which are much better for humans and our environment. Also as a designer I can avoid reds and metallics in my work as much as possible unless specifically identified by a client.
I also looked at Fabrics, the most important elements of which are again to specify using vegetable based inks instead of PVC plastic or petrol inks and to make sure the cotton you use is 100% organic to avoid pesticides and chemical bleach processes which are harmful to the environment. A lot of this can be achieved by finding environmentally friendly printers who are on the increase. I've decided that this environmental research I have done will help inform the content of my 16 page booklet. I'll post work I've done on that as I go along.
