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King County Washington home

Printing

Printing is a regular part of County operations, from business cards and tax forms to posters, reports, and bus timetables. But printing uses a lot of resources—paper, ink, and energy—and can harm the environment.

Inks can release emissions that affect air and water, use large amounts of energy, deplete raw materials, and create disposal issues.

Best Practices

  • Use inks made from renewable resources like soy, vegetable oil, or cellulose (biodegradable).
  • Choose paper and other media made from recycled content.
  • Make sure paper and media are recyclable after use.

Policy and Goals:

From in King County's Sustainable Purchasing Executive Policy (CON 7-22-1-EP),

  • Buy 100% recycled copy paper.
  • Print double-sided whenever possible.

Quick Tips

Choose

A printing service which:

  • Uses recycled-content paper and media
  • Minimizes volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions
  • Uses bio-based or vegetable-based inks
  • Operates ENERGY STAR® or EPEAT-certified equipment

Avoid

  • Virgin (non-recycled) paper
  • Petroleum-based ink
  • Petroleum-based ink
  • Vinyl (PVC) materials

 

One minor thing is to add: An EPA checkmark indicates a certification, or standard is recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Conservatree: History of paper and list of environmentally preferable papers

Environmental Defense Fund: Paper Calculator

European Printing Ink Association: Environmental Impact of Printing Inks