Sustainability

There is a growing recognition that global resources are limited, and that products must be manufactured in a more sustainable manner.
To be truly sustainable one must strive to improve the triple bottom line of sustainability -- People, Planet and Profit.
Learn more about how UV/EB can help achieve your sustainability goals!

Sustainability...

• Is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations
• Includes responsible and proactive decision making and innovation that minimizes negative impacts
• Incorporates economic and social development along with environmental protection
• Requires continual improvement and the incorporation of best practices

UV/EB & Sustainability

Sustainable manufacturing requires a holistic approach encompassing People, Planet & Profit. It addresses the safety and well-being of employees and others. It incorporates environmental, social and economic aspects. Sustainability emphasizes conservation and preservation of resources, along with improvements in efficiency and reductions in waste generation and emissions throughout a product's entire life cycle. And finally, manufacturing cannot be sustainable unless there is financial success.

Now, more than ever UV/EB versatility, high productivity, low toxicity, ability to enable unique processes and lower energy and fossil fuel requirements can help manufacturers, marketers and consumers achieve their sustainability vision and goals.

Webinar

Demystifying UV & EB Technology: A Webinar for Government Regulators, Technical Assistance Providers and New Users. 2014. Doreen M. Monteleone, Lisa Fine & Stephen C. Lapin.
Ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) inks and coatings are being used throughout the printing industry. These radiation curable technologies provide numerous environmental, health and safety benefits over traditional systems. Equipment, specifications, requirements and benefits will be covered to help you better understand the practical uses of these technologies.

Additional Reading

What’s the Score? A Method for Quantitative Estimation of Energy Use and Emission Reductions for UV/EB Curing. 2012. Ronald Golden. RadTech Report Issue 3

Validating UV/EB Sustainability for Customers. 2014. Doreen M. Monteleone. RadTech Report, Issue 2.
This article emphasizes the importance of tracking metrics to validate sustainability claims of UV/EB systems and avoid "greenwashing."

EB Gravure: Novel Printing Concept for Sustainable Packaging. 2011. Mikhail Laksin, Sean Evans, Ken Fontaine and Subh Chatterjee. RadTech Report, Summer.
Read about how EB gravure offers a new approach to manufacturing high-performance packaging materials with the additional benefits of zero VOCs, improved ink and print consistency, significantly cleaner press room environment and more.

Sustainabilty Advantages of Ultraviolet and Electron Beam Curing. 2008. Ronald Golden. RadTech Report, July/August.
Consumers and suppliers of consumer products are taking an increasingly active interest in environmental issues and "sustainable development." A number of RadTech members have been approached by their customers with requests to provide information on the contributions that their products can make to the sustainability initiative. In some cases, sustainability may be considered as a criterion in purchasing decisions.

Additional Resources

Sustainable Green Printing Partnership
SGP is a non-profit organization that certifies printing facilities' sustainability best practices, including and beyond regulatory compliance. SGP strives to assure a sustainability-driven supply chain to the print buying community through strategic industry partnerships.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. EPA's main responsibility is the protection of human health and the environment from pollution. The Agency develops, implements and enforces regulations that include air pollution, waste management and disposal, waste water discharges, storm water discharges, reporting the release of toxic chemical use and disposition, hazardous chemical storage, oil spill prevention, controlling the manufacturing and importation of toxic chemicals, accidental spill release reporting, and response and cleanup of contaminated property.

In addition to the federal requirements, there are state and local requirements as well. U.S. EPA sets the minimum standards that need to be met, and the state and local government agencies can and sometimes do impose stricter requirements.

As an Affiliate, RadTech promotes U.S.  EPA’s SmartWay program to its members. SmartWay helps business reduce transportation-related emissions that affect climate change, reduce environmental risk for companies and increase global energy security. SmartWay Partners move more goods, more miles with lower emissions and less energy.

Occupational Safety & Health Administration
OSHA assures safe and healthful working conditions of working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and providing training, outreach, education and assistance. Regulations include machine guarding, Lockout/Tagout, Hazard Communication, Personal Protection Equipment, etc. OSHA works with employers and employees to foster effective safety and health programs which reduce workplace hazards. It is part of the U. S. Department of Labor.

U.S. Department of Labor
DOL administers and enforces mandates and regulations that cover many workplace activities for about 10 million employers and 125 million workers. They include labor-management standards, wage and hours, OSHA, and pension and welfare benefits.

U.S. Department of Transportation
U.S. DOT oversees is the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA which establishes regulations that ensure the safe and secure movement of hazardous materials by all transportation modes, including the nation's pipelines. Shippers of hazardous materials need to understand the registration and meet the training requirements for employees involved in the management of hazardous materials.

Consumer Products Safety Commission
CPSC oversees consumer product safety issues and is the agency responsible for implementing the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). This act limits the amount of lead and phthalates allowed in children's products and requires testing and certifying the lead and phthalate content of such products.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
DHS protects the American people and country from many different threats. Relevant to manufacturing is the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standard, which is a risk-based performance standard aimed at facilities that store certain chemicals above specific thresholds.