Lithograph offset printing
Pre Press:

• Metal plates or plastic plates, job specific
  

On Press:

• Petroleum based ink or Vegetable based ink (G) react with water on the
  printing plate to create an image on a rubber blanket that offsets to paper.

Post Press:

• Cleaning Solvents –So Cal required low VOC emissions (G)
  
• Metal plates recycled (G), plastic plates to landfill
  
• Metal plate chemicals neutralized for sewer (G);
  
• Plastic plate chemicals hauled away by certified waste hauler (G).

Digital printing
Pre Press:

• Electronic based, no consumables (G)

On Press:

• Toner fine powder electrically charged to drum then to paper, no consumables (G)

Post Press:

• Toner cartridge and drums recycled (G)

Intaglio Printing (engraving)
Pre Press:

• Copper plates exposed by film and etched in acid

On Press:

• Water based ink (G) applied directly onto paper

Post Press:

• Wash up with water (G)
• Copper engraving dies recycled (G)
• Acid and film chemicals hauled away by certified waste hauler (G).

Letterpress Printing
Pre Press:

• Magnesium and wood type-high cuts or steel backed polymer plate

On Press:

• Petroleum based ink or Vegetable based inks (G) applied directly onto paper

Post Press:

• Cleaning Solvents –So Cal required low VOC emissions (G)
• Type-high cuts and polymer plates sent to landfill.
• Acid for magnesium dies hauled away by certified waste hauler (G).

Thermograph offset printing
Pre Press:

• Metal plates or plastic plates, job specific
  

On Press:

• Petroleum based ink or Vegetable based inks (G) react with water on printing plate then a resin powder is heat-sealed to the ink.
  

Post Press:

• Cleaning Solvents –So Cal required low VOC emissions (G)
• Metal plates recycled (G), plastic plates to landfill
• Resin powder recycled and reused in production

Foil Stamping
Pre Press:

• Magnesium or copper dies etched in acid
  

On Press:

• Metallic or pigment foil glued to sheet with heat and pressure
  

Post Press:

• Mylar carrier goes to landfill,
  
• Acid and dies recycled (G)

Embossing
Pre Press:

• Magnesium, Brass, or copper dies etched in acid or hand tooled.
  

On Press:

• Paper (G) or resin make-ready to shape paper into image of die
  
• Post Press:
  
• Make-ready recycled (G)
  
• Acid and dies recycled (G)

Die Cutting
Pre Press:

• Metal blades into type-high wood cut
  

On Press:

• Cut paper away from sheet
  

Post Press:

• Wood cut to landfill
• Cut paper recycled (G)

Ink
Engraving inks are water based, not petroleum based and therefore emit no harmful VOC’s into the atmosphere.  Thereby making engraving ink the most environmentally friendly ink available in the printing industry.  Additionally, all engraving inks are mixed with new engraving inks and re-used, never discarded.

Offset inks are both petroleum based and vegetable based. 
Whenever possible, Burdge uses vegetable based inks for our spot  and CMYK printing.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
Burdge is a leader in using cleaning fluids and solvents which emit the lowest VOC’s possible. 
Our solvents emit under 100ppm where most printing facitlities across the country use solvents under 300ppm.

RecyclingRecycling
Burdge recycles all unused paper as well as copper dies and aluminum printing plates.

To view our Green Policy in a PDF, please click here.

For more details on our Green Policy, please contact us.