waste saving fact sheet
Managing waste in the
printing industry
Introduction
If you operate a small to medium sized printing business or copy
house, from printed packaging manufacturers to producers of
daily newspapers and other print media, then this fact sheet
could help you to:
n reduce input and waste disposal costs
n improve your environmental performance
n be more competitive!
This fact sheet provides practical and cost effective waste
management options that can be applied to activities such
as: printing; finishing; quality and process control; chemicals
handling; and equipment maintenance.
Some actions offer immediate savings and associated benefits
while others may involve an upfront cost that can be recovered
within a few months or years.
Major waste generating activities
The print industry uses large quantities of valuable raw
materials such as paper, cardboard, ink, wood pallets and
solvents. Many of these can be reused, recycled or even
avoided. Even non-paper printing substrates such as wood,
metals and plastic are often recyclable.
Typical waste generating processes include materials handling,
printing, cleaning and finishing. Some wastes generated
through these processes are classified as ‘hazardous’ and
require special waste management arrangements.
Benefits of reducing waste
Improving waste management can benefit your business and
the environment by:
n reducing the cost of purchasing materials (e.g. through
buying in bulk)
n minimising waste treatment and disposal costs (e.g. through
process improvements)
n reducing environmental impacts associated with waste
disposal and resource use (e.g. reviewing purchasing practices
to give preference to recycled or recyclable products)
n increasing profitability (as wasted product equals lost profit)
n improving the reputation of your business and employee
satisfaction through promoting an environmentally
responsible image
n providing a safer and more comfortable workplace (e.g.
through actions to reduce solvent emissions).
Things to consider when improving
waste management practices
Implementing waste management improvements may require
forward planning and some changes to the way your business
operates. For example:
n proposed changes may need to be discussed with managers,
workplace safety representatives, unions, insurers, investors,
suppliers and customers to check that they suit your
equipment and processes and will not impact negatively on
productivity, security or safety and other standards (e.g. will
recycled paper be compatible with your equipment or affect
product quality?).
n employee training and awareness may be required to
successfully implement actions and support the introduction
of new equipment or processes, such as better segregation
of waste streams.
n special licences or permits may be required by your business
or contractors to store, treat, transport or dispose of
hazardous and controlled wastes, such as used chemicals.
n results are more likely to be achieved and maintained if
you have a written plan and targets agreed by all areas of
management.
n monitoring waste generation and disposal, such as
checking collection contractors’ invoices or benchmarking
production against raw material purchases, is important for
environmental compliance, stock control and to measure
(and reward!) improvements.
The costs, savings and payback periods for the waste reduction
options provided below are a rough guide only. They include
estimates of up front costs such as capital, labour and installation,
but do not include ongoing costs unless these are fundamental to
the option itself (e.g. improved maintenance regimes).
The suitability and benefits of each option depend on the
nature and size of your business and the scale of application.
You should also check that they comply with local environment,
safety and other requirements. The waste hierarchy provides a
framework for managing waste: avoid; reduce; reuse; recycle;
and dispose. Waste avoidance generally delivers the best
financial and environmental outcomes.
waste saving fact sheet Managing waste in the printing industry

$ up to $1,000 $$ $1,000 - $10,000 $$$ $10,000 - $50,000 $$$$ $50,000+

Process change

Payback Waste
Option Cost Saving
period hierarchy

Implement a checking process to ensure that each job is fully Raw material
signed-off by the pre-press area to avoid waste from rework due nil use and waste n/a Reduce
to proofing, copy or artwork mistakes. disposal

Optimise substrate size to minimise excess trim by:

n fitting jobs to reel and sheet sizes Raw material
n training staff in efficient cutting and binding techniques nil use and waste n/a Reduce
 orking with customers to design jobs to suit paper (substrate)
nw disposal
dimensions

Manage stock and ordering to minimise damage or obsolescence Raw material

(e.g. store paper in an environmentally controlled area; use nil use and waste n/a Reduce
materials before their expiry date). disposal

Raw material
Use the blank side of used paper for press set up instead of
nil use and waste n/a Reuse
new sheets.
disposal

Find secondary uses for reusable wastes (e.g. make note pads from
Raw material
excess paper for internal use or clients; donate paper, inks and $ n/a Reuse
use
other wastes to schools).

Minimise solvent use (e.g. print lighter colours first; apply solvent
with a squeeze bottle or plunger rather than a soaked rag; use 0‑1 year
a separate container to clean each colour printing unit so that nil‑$ (5‑10 years Avoid/
Chemical use
solvent can be collected and reused for the same colour with only roller Reduce/
($$) and disposal
a small amount of fresh solvent; switch to water or soy-based cleaning Reuse
based ink systems and citrus-based cleaning products; or sealed or system)
aqueous roller cleaning systems).

Adopt a standard ink sequence to eliminate the need to clean out

the fountains to change the ink rotation. Clean ink fountains only
Chemical use
when changing colours or when the ink may dry out between nil‑$ 0‑1 year Reduce
and disposal
runs. Use non-drying aerosols to prevent ink drying out when not
being used).

Recover spent solvents from cleaning and ink make-up on-site or Chemical use
nil Immediate Recycle
via contractors who can return treated solvent to you for reuse. and disposal

Minimise ink wastes by: eliminating unnecessary length in ink

delivery lines and reducing trough volumes in delivery systems Chemical use
(or drain remaining inks from these systems and store for reuse). $$ and waste 1‑5 years Reduce
Optimise ink make-up using a computer-based ink management disposal
system to keep track of ink in your inventory and control ink mixing.

Further information
If you would like further information, or to talk to someone who can help get you started, please contact
Ai Group’s Energy and Sustainable Business Helpdesk on 1300 733 752 or at sustainablebusiness@aigroup.asn.au
or visit the Ai Group website at www.aigroup.com.au.

AIG8618