We live in an age where the health of our planet is more important than ever before. As we celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd, it’s important to remember everything we can do to protect our world. From recycling to volunteering, there are so many ways by which we can contribute. Believe it or not, this applies to our printing needs as well.

Most office supply chains urge us to recycle our ink cartridges after use due to a mixture of plastic, metals, and other hazards that are found in used cartridges. Research suggests that for every 100,000 used cartridges recycled, we can save over 21,000 pounds of aluminum, 40 tons of plastic, and over 264,000 gallons of oil. Of the 500 million ink cartridges sold every year, only 25% of that figure are usually recycled, leaving eleven ink cartridges improperly disposed of each second.

While recycling those tiny cartridges at home can do our planet well, there are alternatives that we can utilize instead. For those looking to do even more to save our planet, digital printing has come to the rescue. But how is this possible, you may ask? Actually, it’s rather simple.

Digital Printing Can Be Eco-Friendly

Digital Printing offers a number of environmental benefits over traditional printing methods. Due to advances in technology and more eco-friendly methods of printing, choosing to use digital printing goes hand-in-hand with playing a role in helping our planet. Let’s examine these developments in detail below.

Digital Printing Reduces Waste

Unlike traditional forms of printing, digital printing significantly reduces excess waste. Digital printers don’t run constantly, and therefore don’t require long setups. This means they can reduce the amount of excess paper that is simply thrown in the trash. Some print shops, like those used by Rhino Digital, also offer the use of recycled paper, cutting down waste even more.

Digital Printers Use Electronic Proofs

There’s nothing worse than receiving a sheet of proofs, only to find something came out wrong. We throw the proofs away, head back to the design, and start again. But because digital printers are, well, digital, proofs can be sent and approved electronically. Applications like those created by Adobe provide us with an accurate representation of what the final product will look like. While paper proofs may be needed every now and then, the difference when compared to traditional printing methods makes a sizeable positive impact on the environment.

Digital Printing Technology is Advanced

Conventional dyeing and textile print processes do little for the environment. They use large volumes of water that contribute to further waste as the polluted liquids are often left unfiltered, and head back into our waterways. Additionally, the heavy metals and other toxins used during conventional dyeing and textile print are simply unhealthy. Unlike these traditional methods, digital printing technology has revolutionized the printing process in various ways.

But We Can Do More

Technological advances in environmentally friendly digital printing are not enough. Truth be told, we can do even more to save our planet by printing digitally with a number of simple changes. Rhino Digital has taken many steps to ensure their entire operation is as eco-friendly as possible. Let’s take a closer look at those steps below.

 

• All of the power that’s purchased by Rhino Digital from PGE comes with the renewable green power option and the habitat support.
• All of Rhino Digital’s lighting is provided by LED and CFL bulbs, which are energy saving alternatives compared to the traditional incandescent bulb.
• The electronic equipment used by Rhino Digital is shut down every evening, of every single day – this even includes computers and monitors.
• Everything is recycled when possible, from toner cartridges to boxes.
• Rhino Digital employees are offered a “bicycle, public transportation, carpool” cash incentive. We encourage employees to use alternative and environmentally friendly means of travel.
• Rhino Digital’s shipping boxes are 100% recycled and use removable labels, so they can be reused.
• Finally, Rhino Digital offers seven different FSC Certified paper stocks, each of which is highly eco-friendly.

You can find even more information about Rhino Digital’s eco-friendly services through our website.

What’s Next?

As we can see, digital printing is a far more environmentally conscious option when compared to high volume traditional printing methods. Even those that print large jobs from home would do well to use these services, and play a role in helping our Earth. From technological advances, to the methods employed by Rhino Digital every day, digital printing can play a part in protecting our planet. And truth be told, eco-friendly printing services are just one of the many reasons to print digitally. We’ve outlined seven other reasons to choose digital printing elsewhere on the Rhino Digital blog.

We’re the digital printing experts serving the Portland, Oregon area and the U.S. – including eco-friendly digital printing methods. For more information, contact us. Or better yet, give us a call at: 503-233-2477. We’ll be happy to answer all your environmental questions and help you choose printing options done in the most Earth-friendly and economical manner possible.