More and more, consumers are basing their purchasing needs, at least in part, on manufacturer's green initiatives. They want to know that the companies they buy from and support embrace sustainability and engage in environmentally sound practices. This trend is exceedingly true for those in the print sector as well. There are many ways for printing companies to embrace a more sustainable, green workplace. These revolve around all aspects of the printing process, including inks, substrates, and even the printing technology itself. While each component has several options to improve upon, this article will discuss how utilizing disposable ink pan liners and catch trays can bring your operations in line with your company-wide environmental initiatives. Reduce Water Consumption Over the past few decades, freshwater, one of our most critical natural resources, is decreasing worldwide. Reducing the amount of water used in your press operations helps to conserve this precious resource. DIPCO's Quick-Change ink liner systems streamline the process of washing ink fountains and eliminate the need for water during clean-up after each run. Simply drain the ink and dispose of the liner in your solid waste or recycling stream. On average, DIPCO trays and liners save 3.5 million gallons of water annually and help to promote responsible green printing. That's a significant cost-savings to you and a massive benefit to the environment. Lower Water Contamination Of all the types of ink systems available to narrow-web printers, water-based inks are by far the most eco-friendly. Not only are water-based inks easy to work with, but they also have a reduced amount of volatile organic compounds (VOC) as compared to other ink types such as solvent or oil-based. VOCs are recognized as a major pollutant that has been linked to the deterioration of the ozone layer. While solvent and oil-based inks are dangerous enough, cleaning solvents and chemicals can further contaminate water sources during the ink station cleaning process. By utilizing DIPCO catch trays and ink pan liners, no ink enters your wastewater stream, helping to protect and save natural resources. Promote Renewable Plant-Based Materials As part of our eco-friendly manufacturing efforts, we work to preserve the natural resources of our planet by using repurposed, renewable plant-based materials in our tray construction (rather than with petroleum-derived materials). We are proud to share the fact that all DIPCO paperboard drip trays are USDA-Certified Biobased products. In addition, we recycle an average of 168,000 pounds of waste annually from the construction of our paper products. The phrase "going green" might sometimes sound like a catchphrase designed to simply make the public feel good about the products they buy. However, environmentally responsible practices are essential because the faster we reduce our carbon footprint, the faster the planet will heal and renew its precious resources. At DIPCO, we understand this. We work to provide you with time-saving tools to make you more productive while partnering with you to curb climate change to make our world a better place. Start your “Go Green Printing” efforts today by saving both water and the environment with DIPCO disposable trays and liners.