Eco-friendly Screen Printing: A Greener Solution Against Environmental Pollution

"Most companies producing commodities such as sustainable t-shirts use the eco-friendly screen printing method in order to help preserve our environment’s fragile ecosystems. Being pro-environment is becoming a mainstream of our generation that more and more people and companies across the globe are finding out sustainable ways to provide for consumers without leaving unwanted environmental footprints as they go along.

Other commercial printers make their garments using plastisol inks because it is very easy to apply and it has along shelf life. However, plastisols contain phthalates and liquefied polyvinyl chloride that are both environmentally hazardous and are reported to be linked to several life-threatening diseases and medical disorders. The disadvantage about using plastisol inks is that they need to be cleaned with environmentally harmful solvents after the screen printing process. Water-based inks, on the other hand, neither contain phthalates nor liquefied polyvinyl chloride therefore solvents are not needed to clean the screens down after using. You can simply use water for cleaning them.

Most water-based inks are perfect for eco-friendly screen printing because these products do not contain ozone-depleting chemicals like aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons or hydro-chlorofluorocarbons, and volatile organic compounds that may be released into the air during the printing process. Also, they do not contain any heavy metals or toxic chemicals so printers and others closely exposed to the substances are perfectly safe from illnesses caused by the traditional screen printing formulas. These eco-friendly inks are exceptionally safe that they are being used for swimwear, underwear, and, most importantly, infant clothes.

Water-based inks are more difficult to use as compared to plastisols, since they quickly dry in air thus clogging up the screen during the printing process. Traditionally, water-based inks had lesser quality than the more common screen printing inks but newer and more sustainable formulas are now being distributed in the market. New water-based inks are more durable, have high opacity, and offers excellent colors. These water-based inks do not require the use of the environmentally unsafe discharge printing method. Discharge printing is a standard procedure for printing dark-colored garments by bleaching the already-colored fabrics by using solutions that have harsh chemical components. Unlike plastisol inks, water-base inks do not feel rubbery and are softer to the touch.

Eco-friendly screen printing users are extremely conscious about our environment’s interests that they are making sure that they try to reduce the negative impact that is left with the post-production processes in screen printing. They undertake waste-minimization programs and also educate the consumers about the benefits of purchasing sustainable products whenever possible. They also make it a point to work with only environmentally sustainable materials such as organic cotton, bamboo, and hemp. This is the result of the fact that it is now widely known that more and more people suffer illnesses or die from untreatable medical conditions as a result of conventional cotton farming that uses environmentally hazardous chemicals as pesticides in order to mass produce their cotton without any concern for the well being and health of humans and animals alike."

Article Source: http://www.lifestyle-information-services.com

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