Environmental Statement

Download PDF Statement Here

In September, 2010, Photo Craft flipped the switch on a 46 Kilowatt photo voltaic system. The 190 solar panels mounted on the roof of the Photo Craft Building at 55th St and Pearl Parkway in Boulder, Colorado, generate more than enough electricity to cover all of the power required for our digital printing graphics production.

Photo Craft has been active in reducing the environmental impact of its processes and products for over three decades. As a photo processor Photo Craft was a pioneer in the use of low wash and then washless processes for film processing and print production. Since the 1970’s Photo Craft has practiced best-technology-available for the removal of heavy metals (specifically silver) from waste effluents and the reclaiming/recycling of heat from processes and wash waters.

Today’s digital printing places much more emphasis or the production of large format graphics (banners, window graphics, vehicle graphics, trade show booths, airport graphics, etc.) bringing into play a vast array of new materials and processes.

In 2007 Photo Craft installed low solvent printers to replace standard solvent printers for producing vinyl banners, window/floor graphics and vehicle graphics.

In 2010 Photo Craft installed UV curable printing for roll to roll and flatbed direct to substrate printing. UV curable printing reduces the volatile compounds released by the inks during the printing process by instantly drying and curing the ink with high intensity UV light. Also, in UV flatbed printing the image is printed directly to the substrate, which eliminates the need for mounting. Eliminating the mounting of images to substrates saves the energy consumed in the mounting process as well as the need for mounting adhesives and the resulting trash that would be generated. UV Flatbed printing is currently the state-of-the-art in environmentally friendly large format production.

Photo Craft views its environmental stewardship by analyzing the following areas:

1. Minimizing the energy, water and material usage for all products and processes
2. Minimizing the overall energy and water usage of the facility
3. Viewing all materials used for post-production recycling options
4. Maximize recycling of overall facility, office and shipping supplies
5. Offer products that utilize materials:
   1. that are manufactured from post-consumer materials and/or
   2. that are biodegradable and/or
   3. that can be recycled or remanufactured after use and/or
   4. that are manufactured utilizing renewable resources
6. Purchasing priority is given to companies that have made a commitment to environmental stewardship.

 

Product	Use	Recyclable	Biodegradable	Sustainable
Insite Biodegradable 3/16” Foam Board	Mounting Substrate		X
gudy eco	Mounting Adhesive	X
BIOflex Banner	Low Solvent Ink Media	X	X
TriSolve Paper	Low Solvent Ink Media	X	X
Hahnemuhle Bamboo 290	Aqueous Ink FineArt Media	X	X	X
UV direct to Cardboard	Finished signage	X	X

Some specific practices practices in our facility

1. As much as possible cleaning materials are environmentally friendly
2. Incoming cardboard packaging materials are recycled or reused
3. Obsolete computers, printers, electronics, wires and cables are recycled
4. Office paper is reused and recycled, magazines and mail are recycled
5. Toner cartridges are refilled or recycled (many are returned to the manufacturer)
6. Whenever possible, internal office paper is purchased as recycled stock
7. Customers have the option of receiving invoices via email rather than paper
8. Plant HVAC systems are controlled by KVARs and on setback thermostats
9. Scrap mount boards are given to local schools for reuse
10. Florescent lighting. Incandescent bulbs replaced with compact florescent on turnover.
11. Staff encouraged to bike or bus to work

Updated October 2010