How Green Booklet Printing Is An Example Of Positive Change

By Melissa Meyer


Making printed materials has come a long way from its beginning, which used many kinds of materials and processes now considered unhealthy, unclean and toxic. The change did not come until the latter half of the 20th century. Before that, printers worked in potentially harmful conditions that also gave impetus for saner health standards for industry in general.

But the industry has also been part of the lead that took the entire world to safer waters in terms of health and the environment. The changes in question have provided much in the way of finding better processes and using safe chemicals for green booklet printing. However, people need to be aware of why and how change did come.

Those were the days of very dangerous tech, but a lot of the movers did so because of economic or financial concerns. This did not make for an atmosphere of study or learning, even as the argument goes like, if these industries were not founded, newer techniques might not have been discovered. It took a lot of concerned people to fight for changes, it even took wars for eyes to open for safer possibilities.

A few decades following, the beginnings of industry are now seen as the culprit of many things. Printing became safer only through legislation and now the industry machines are lighter and less inefficient. The more progressive things now are for machines that are less gargantuan and very much more efficient.

The largest machines were gas guzzling or electricity consuming giants that were thought to be the best during their time. However, scientific studies also tagged them and the chemicals they used some of the most harmful on earth. And a lot of unhealthy or disease ridden workers went up against the companies that used them.

If the campaigns and movements did not take on strength, it would still be a dark time for people. Government took a long time to be able to face up to the fact of how industry was harming everyone and everything. It took the blood of many a worker before old factories started to be investigated and remodeled.

Exposure to risk is no longer an entrenched measure for printing, what with the use of responsible paper and safer inks. Responsible paper is often 100 percent recycled, free of acid, and other toxic chemicals like chlorine. Inks are often vegetable based, with chemicals colors that will not harm the environment.

The booklets that are printed do not usually come off offset presses, because the numbers might not work for a system that requires at least a 2,000 minimum order. Instead, newer digital systems are used, now very high tech, and eco and human friendly. The issues of previous eras are no longer present to haunt workers or managers.

The WHO, however, is still on the lookout for those printers that have not seemed to have caught the news about changes in usage and production. For them, the consideration to convert to safer and healthier systems are seen as beyond their budget or knowledge. So the regulations and government agencies run after them so that they start subscribing to change or else close out, which is a very healthy way of making the environment safer.




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