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• LexJet's Environmental Mission Statement
• LexJet Introduces Banner Recycling Program
• LexJet's Expanded Inkjet Cartridge Recycling Program
• What's the best way to be "green"?
• The Big, Green Bandwagon

LexJet's Environmental Mission Statement

LexJet is dedicated to being a good steward of the resources with which it has been entrusted. Toward that end, LexJet's ongoing Environmental mission through its sustainable programs and products seeks to empower LexJet customers, and the wide-format printing and digital photography industries, with measurable and concrete education, products, and programs geared toward reducing our environmental impact.

The foundational philosophy of LexJet's Sustainable Solutions is built around the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. For instance, since 2005, LexJet has recycled over 100,000 HP 5000/5500 inkjet cartridges, thanks in large part to the dedication of its customers enrolled in the program. LexJet has recently launched a more comprehensive Inkjet Cartridge Recycling Program that now includes cartridges for printers wider than 17 in.

LexJet also adheres to its own unique version of the 3 Rs regarding the development and presentation of its Environmental Initiatives: Real, Responsible, and Right. In other words, LexJet avoids the term "green" when presenting LexJet environmental programs and products in its customer communications since both terms can be easily misconstrued and are often inaccurate. Rather, LexJet will always present its programs and products clearly and responsibly, without jargon, doublespeak, or marketing euphemisms meant to confuse and befuddle.

LexJet will continue to update and improve its Environmental Initiatives programs and products, and we invite you to call us at 800-453-9538 or email us at info@lexjet.com with your feedback, questions, and any helpful information you come across that we can share with the industry.

LexJet Introduces Banner Recycling Program

Largely based on its successful Inkjet Cartridge Recycling Program, which has saved hundreds of thousands of wide-format inkjet cartridges from polluting landfills, LexJet’s new banner recycling program aims to significantly decrease the wide-format printing industry’s environmental impact and give each LexJet customer a competitive advantage in their market.

LexJet partnered with Trex Company® to develop the program, which allows participants to bag used banners printed on LexJet 3R DuPont Tyvek® SUV (solvent/UV-curable compatible) and mail them to Trex to be recycled into decking, railing, and fencing products. The envelopes used to mail the banners are also recycled.

“LexJet’s banner recycling program makes it easy for wide-format print shops to offer their customers a completely sustainable solution that is simple, practical, and economical,” says Jeff Leto, LexJet’s product manager. “Nothing is wasted in the process since the LexJet Tyvek SUV banners are sent directly to Trex from the print shop and recycled. This is a true life-cycle sustainability program since the banner material itself is manufactured to exacting environmental standards, is extremely lightweight, and is being sent to a viable recycling outlet for direct use in consumer products.”

How the Recycling Program Works:

• Customers who use LexJet 3R DuPont Tyvek SUV in a graphics project – whether they’re LexJet Tyvek banners for a special event, trade show, or retail promotion – take the banners back after the project’s completion.

• Package the used LexJet 3R DuPont Tyvek SUV banners in the pre-addressed recyclable UPS envelopes available from LexJet. Each envelope can handle about ten standard-sized banners. There is a small fee for each envelope to cover shipping and handling costs.

• Send the envelope directly to Trex, which will recycle the contents of the envelope and the envelope itself into its recycled lumber products.

• Print, install, and repeat.

LexJet’s banner recycling program is part of the company’s Environmental Management Services, which were developed for print shops to decrease their environmental impact and increase the range of sustainable products they can offer as graphics providers.

“We will continue to build onto successful programs that we know work well and are making a significant and positive difference for the environment and our customers,” says John Lane, LexJet’s vice president. “LexJet’s environmental programs will always be well-researched and fully developed before they’re launched, ensuring viable and marketable solutions for our customers.”

For more information about LexJet’s recycling programs and LexJet 3R DuPont Tyvek in solvent/UV-curable (SUV) and aqueous (TOUGHcoat) versions, contact a LexJet account specialist at 800-453-9538.

LexJet's Expanded Inkjet Cartridge Recycling Program Reduces Environmental Impact

As part of an ongoing and comprehensive program of company-wide environmental initiatives aimed at significantly reducing the wide-format and photographic industries' environmental impact, LexJet announces its expanded Inkjet Cartridge Recycling Program.

The program builds on LexJet's extremely successful recycling program for HP 5000/5500 Series printer cartridges, through which more than 100,000 cartridges have been recycled since the program's inception in 2005.

The Inkjet Cartridge Recycling Program gives wide-format and photographic print providers a convenient method for returning used inkjet cartridges that will then be re-used or processed into recycled raw materials for use in consumer products. The program currently supports any aqueous and solvent printers wider than 17 in.

"After researching and evaluating the best methods for reducing environmental impact in our industries, we found that environmental programs incorporating the 3 Rs – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle – are the most effective means possible to do so," says John Lane, LexJet's vice president. "The Inkjet Cartridge Recycling Program is one of many steps LexJet is taking to provide the inkjet printing industry with programs that offer measurable and concrete results toward reducing the industry's environmental impact."

The program is free and easy to use. Participants will be provided with pre-paid shipping labels and envelopes in which they will pack and ship their used cartridges to LexJet. Once those used cartridges are received, participants will receive another pre-paid shipping label and envelope to continue their recycling efforts.

"Each cartridge returned to LexJet undergoes a series of stringent procedures at our state-of-the-art recycling center. The majority of returned cartridges will be reused for the production of ink replacement cartridges," explains Lane. "If the cartridge is not reusable, LexJet will dismantle and recycle the cartridge components. In either case, LexJet's processes ensure that toxic ink and solid waste are not disposed of in landfills, and that recyclable plastics are properly accounted for and transported to recycling centers."

For more information about LexJet's environmental initiatives and the cartridge models supported under the Inkjet Cartridge Recycling Program, and to register for the program, call a LexJet account specialist at (800) 453-9538.

Q: What's the best way to be "green" in the wide-format printing industry?

A: The formula is simple – Reduce, Reuse, and Recyle – but the steps in the process take some time and effort.

Whether you believe ecological catastrophe is around the corner, or that Global Warming is an irrational fear, most of us would like to improve the environment and lessen our impact on it for future generations.

There has been a recent groundswell in our industry to go "green" and, whether it's right, wrong, or somewhere in between, there is increasing pressure on imaging companies from graphics buyers to offer "green" solutions.

As of late, the easiest answer has been to offer "green" products. A small but increasing number of inks and printable materials are touted as being "green". Whether or not they truly are is debatable, but they have the label.

And, it depends on how you define “green”. In reality, there is no such thing as a 100-percent “green” product (thus the need for the scare quotes around the word green). And, something touted as “green” may actually be worse for the environment. Suffice it to say that there are levels of “green”, and the following is geared toward not only helping your company be greener, but to do it in such a way that it actually gives you a competitive advantage.

For your sake, and the sake of your customer, it is important to ask the right questions before you accept any "green" claims lock, stock, and barrel:

• If the material is said to be biodegradable, how much of it is biodegradable? Currently, there is no known material or ink that is made out of 100 percent biodegradable material. Therefore, at least some of the material will not break down into benign compounds.

• What does it degrade into? This is an excellent question because the end product could be worse for the environment when it breaks down in a landfill. For instance, lead-free vinyl, in and of itself, is not a hazardous material, though it takes up more space at a landfill. Once the vinyl breaks down into various compounds (and you should find out exactly what compounds a “biodegradable” substrate breaks down into), it may become water-soluble and mobile, allowing it to seep through the soil. So, vinyl that has been broken down into its core components could be a greater threat to groundwater than it would be in its original form.

• Can I recycle or reuse the material? Something with multiple ingredients may actually be more difficult to recycle, taking this possible solution out of the equation.

• What compromises will I make in price and quality? Certainly, economic factors must come into play. It may very well be that there are banana-based imaging materials coming down the pike that image well and are inexpensive. However, that's simply not the case right now as the movement to develop greener products is in its infancy.

• Can you provide documentation on the performance of your claim? If you cannot get a straight answer to any of these questions, and the documentation to prove the answers, you might want to look elsewhere for a "green" product. Your customers may ask these same questions, and may want documentation, so you should rely on your vendors to provide those answers.

The Right Answer: The 3Rs

A comprehensive 3 Rs program (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) is far better than offering one or two "green" materials, particularly when the actual "greenness" of the product may be minimal.

The company that can point to an extensive list of measures it's taking to reduce its environmental impact has a distinct competitive advantage over the company that doesn't have an environmental program, other than a material or two they call "green".

Conduct a careful audit of your operation. How can you reduce waste? What do you do with waste material? What can be recycled? And, what can be reused for another purpose? For instance, schools use scrap material and used banners for art projects.

Contact local recyclers and landfills to find out what you can do with the materials you use, and what their true environmental impact is. You may be surprised at what can be recycled, and what's safe for a landfill. Plus, they may know of organizations, such as schools, that use scrap material. Recycling and landfill operations are a lot more sophisticated than they used to be and have tools that can help you as you compile the list of things you're doing to reduce your impact.

Once you've done an audit and detailed the materials you use and what you can do to reduce, reuse, and recycle, put the plan into action, document it, and make a list that you can publish on your website and in other materials to pass along to your clients. And, let your customers know what they can do with your materials once they're through using them.

Be truthful. Do the best you can and intelligently and logically research and document your options. This is true responsibility, which will resonate with your customers.

For more information, go to the EPA’s WasteWise Program website. The program allows participating companies to design their own waste-reduction programs tailored to their needs. WasteWise partners can also highlight their participation by using the WasteWise logo, which is a symbol of environmental leadership.

The EPA also has a site that details how to implement an Environmental Management System (EMS). This is another way to implement and document a program that will lower your environmental impact, increase efficiency, and build a marketing program to promote your efforts to your customers.

The Big, Green Bandwagon

By Ken Mergentime, executive editor of Digital Graphics magazine

Reprinted from Sign Business magazine, August 2007

Have you noticed the growing number of “environmentally responsible” product options coming to the wide-format graphics end of the sign industry? Suddenly we're seeing promotional literature from manufacturers with words like “bio” and “green” attached to product descriptions. I see this as an important and an undeniably positive signal in the industry.

But we need to remember that there's a very big difference between talking green and being green. One problem is that true solvent inks printed onto vinyl banner materials is a very effective and economical printing solution for outdoor applications. It's tough to "go green" when straight solvent print is so profitable.

So, will using UV-curing printing systems get you off the VOC-issue hook? Not really. Although when fully cured, UV-curable inks are completely inert, they contain VOC compounds when in liquid form, some of which are quite toxic to humans and the environment. Liquid or partially-cured UV-curable ink is classified as a hazardous material. UV-cure inks are not necessarily a "green" solution — somewhat greener, perhaps — but certainly not an environmental panacea.

But now we have products on the market geared toward sustainability, and they are proudly marketed as such. Does this mean that by using solvent inks that have been derived from a renewable resource such as corn — rather than from petrochemicals — that you now run an environmentally responsible business?

What about the media that's being printed on? Does it contain PVCs that will remain in a landfill for all eternity? Maybe you're printing on a new biodegradable media, or recyclable PVC-free printable polyethylene film. Does that cover you?

Being "green" might also mean that you and all your employees bike to work, or drive only electric vehicles. Covered? Well, one might then ask, was the electricity used to charge that oh-so-green eco-car generated by burning pollution-spewing coal, or was the electricity generated by clean wind-powered means?

The point is that it's easy to jump on the big, green bandwagon, but the concept of environmental responsibility and "being green" can become a very deep topic — if it is taken seriously, as more than convenient marketing hype. Making a commitment and sticking to it isn't easy, and it will require more than one step.

There have been a number of articles recently in industry publications promoting the idea of corporate sustainability, rather than a simple awareness of health or environmental issues. The concept goes beyond installing proper ventilation in your printer room to meet OSHA standards, or capturing VOCs with an air filtration system to satisfy EPA regulations.

It's relatively easy to say one is "green" when there are no industry standards and no accepted definition for the term. Sustainability is a mindset that implies stewardship; a willingness to replenish what we use up — a deep subject indeed. The question is, can that be applied to businesses? — ones that actually want to make money? Surprisingly, the answer is, Yes.

Once we accept the idea that corporate sustainability is a journey rather than an end-point, then it's easier to see how, in practical ways, it can indeed be done while still remaining profitable. Like anything worthwhile, it requires a good plan.

One way to get this ball rolling is to implement an Environmental Management System (EMS). As the name implies, it is a systematic approach to sustainability. Rather than trying to make radical changes in your business, it allows you to take small steps, review their success, and improve your profitability at the same time. It’s a cyclical process that embodies the concept of sustainability as a journey. More information on this highly customizable program is available from the Environmental Protection Agency.

If you are serious about going green with your business, then it's a great place to start. Once you start the program, let your clients know of your efforts.

Right now I know of only a handful of digital print shops that are embracing this whole "green thing" — and they tell me they are doing so not simply because they are good environmentalists (which they are), but because their customers are demanding it. These printing pioneers are mostly located in geographic areas where "greenness" is already an accepted part of the popular culture (California, Washington, etc.).

But the question remains, what will drive this nascent movement into broader acceptance? The answer, as I see it, is threefold. The first driver is going to be customer demand. This won't happen until the general population becomes aware of the issues involved. Right now most people don't give a single thought to how graphics are made.

The second driver is effectiveness and profitability. Most businesses will not opt to "go green" unless the alternative solution actually works, and that it can be shown to be a profitable option. If the prints are still vibrant and durable, and the market will allow them to charge a premium for their "green graphics," that can motivate change.

The third driver, of course, is government regulations. One of the big reasons this movement is even on our radar screens is because of tougher regulations that have already been promulgated in Europe. Many U.S. manufacturers are realizing that it is only a matter of time before similar environmental legislation reaches our shores and are getting ahead of the curve by offering us greener alternatives now.

This will all take time, of course, but that's okay. As long as we are headed in the right direction.