Eco-printing

Every time we are asked to print something for our clients, we think to ourselves: “Could we print this in a more environmentally friendly way?” And if we think we can, we’ll let you know.

So whether you need to print business cards, brochures, point-of-sale materials or large format printing, we can show you how to get the best possible quality at the best possible price and at the lowest cost to the environment.

If you would like to compare your current print prices with our ‘Go Green’ environmentally friendly print prices to see if you could Go Green without it costing the earth or compromising on the quality of the print or finish call or e-mail us today.

Go Green Challenge

Think before you print

Here’s how:

We will use recycled or renewable materials that include:

  • vegetable-oil-based inks
  • paper that is recycled, from a renewable source or chlorine-free
  • a minimal amount of solvents
  • biodegradable materials, specifically at the finishing stage
  • minimal energy consumption and waste in the whole production process

Think about … vegetable oil-based ink

These inks offer enormous advantages over petroleum-based inks by:

  • being made from renewable resources, including soya bean, linseed and corn oils
  • biodegrading more rapidly and being easier to remove when paper is recycled
  • reducing the levels of pollutants – such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – which are emitted during the printing process
  • producing a comparable, and often even better, result than petroleum-based equivalents.

And there’s more …

Until recently, you couldn’t get metallic inks from a vegetable-based oil, but recent developments have resulted in some superb environmentally friendly metallics.

However, fluorescent inks are still only available with a petroleum base.

Think about …paper!

Recycled paper contains recycled content measured as a percentage of post- and pre-consumer content.

Post-consumer content is paper that has been used and returned through a recycling programme, such as that run by a local council.

Pre-consumer content is paper that is a by-product of the printing process and includes paper used to generate the proofs you approve, as well as paper trim.

According to Friends of the Earth, producing recycled paper uses 70% less energy than is used to produce virgin paper. And, by asking for recycled paper, you help to increase demand for recovered waste paper and ensure that recycling programmes stay viable and effective.

Paper from a renewable source

When appropriate, mcr uses paper made from wood only from forests that are managed and harvested in a sustainable way. This is monitored by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), which promotes responsible management of the world’s forests and runs a certification system that ensures we ‘identify, purchase and use timber and forest products from well-managed forests’. To find out more about the FSC, go to www.fsc-uk.org
We minimise waste wherever we can and recycle what’s unavoidable. Our recycled and renewable stocks are of excellent quality and virtually indistinguishable from virgin papers.

Think about …carbon!

We are now offering carbon neutral printing, through our partners Life Size Media. To find out more see our new carbon neutral printing page.