OUR ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT

At Signboom Industries we strive to be environmentally responsible. Having embraced UV curable print technology within our production facility, and recycling practices where possible, we are minimizing our environmental footprint.

We have converted most of our printing production over to UV inks. With our remaining mild-solvent printers, we have converted them to bulk ink systems, removing the need to dispose of empty cartridges. All ink waste is stored and disposed of in a manner that meets or exceeds all local, provincial and federal environmental regulations.

Since their introduction, UV inks have become a standard for environmental printing practices. UV inks release no volatile organic compound emissions to the air. With conventional inks, as much as 40 percent of the liquid can evaporate in to the atmosphere.

Some facts on our UV inks:

• Contain up to 33% naturally-derived monomers and oligomers derived from renewable resources such as plants or biomass.
• Contain virtually no volatile organic compounds (VOC).
• Do not contain heavy metals such as antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium (VI), lead, mercury, and selenium.
• Are not toxic, known to be carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction, and comply with the Exclusion List for Printing Inks and Related Products (October 2006) issued by the European Printing Ink Association (EuPIA).
• Are not considered a hazardous waste under the US waste regulations (RCRA).
• The use of naturally-derived and organic substances in the ink increases the overall biodegradability of the printed matter.

UV printers and UV inks allow direct-to-substrate production, reducing the waste produced. Traditionally, with roll printers, the print is printed on a vinyl product with a backer, then this print is applied to a board with the use of a laminator. In some instances the print has to be pre-masked to avoid damage. Due to the poor scratch resistance of solvent ink, an additional over-laminate, which also comes on a backer, needs to be applied. By printing directly to the substrate, these additional steps are not required, eliminating the waste that otherwise ends up in a landfill.