Design for the Environment

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Design for the Environment
A voluntary partnership-based program that works
directly with companies to integrate health and
environmental considerations in business
decisions.
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Design for the Environment

• Changing general business practices to
  incorporate environmental concerns.
• Working with specific industries to evaluate the
  risks, performance, and costs of alternative
  chemicals, processes and technologies.
• Helping individual businesses undertake
  environmental design efforts through the
  application of specific tools and methods.

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DfE partners include

• Industry
• Professional institutions
• Academia
• Environmental and Public Interest Groups
• Other Government Agencies

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DfE Approach

• Encourages front-end innovations through redesign
  rather than relying on end-of-pipe controls to
  reducing potential risks to human health and the
  environment.
• Uses Cleaner Technologies Substitutes Assessments
  (CTSAs) and life cycle tools to evaluate the
  performance, costs and environmental and human
  health impacts of competing technologies.

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DfE Programs

• Printing projects
• Electronics projects
• Garment and textile care
• Laundry partnership
• Auto refinishing projects

• Supplier Initiative
• Wall Paints
• Adhesives in the Foam Furniture and Sleep
  Products Industries
• DfE-PETE Education
• DfE Approaches to Developing EMS

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Govt regulations affecting printing industry

• VOCs affecting air, water and health
  regulations- CERCLA, RCRA, CAA, SARA
• main chemicals
• acetone
• methanol
• ethyl acetate
• toluene
• xylene

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Design for the Environment Printing Projects

• Lithography project
• Flexography project
• Screen Printing project

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Design for the Environment Lithography Project

• gt 50 of industry - books, newspapers, magazines,
  etc.
• offset printing process-transfers image from a
  plate to a blanket then to substrate
• primary concern is solvent-based blanket washes

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Design for the Environment Flexography Project

• 17 of industry - packaging, plastic bags,
  labels, etc.
• printing from a raised image on a printing plate
  to substrate using quick-drying inks
• primary concern is solvent-based inks

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Design for the Environment Screen Printing
Project

• 3 of industry - t-shirts, textiles, fine art,
  printing on electronic equipment
• Rubber squeegee presses ink through stencil
  (image) on porous screen to substrate
• main concern are solvents used in removing inks
  and emulsions (stencils) to reclaim screens

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Design for the Environment Screen Printing
Project

• Technical Studies
• Implementation Efforts
• Outreach Activities

(methodology applicable for each industry)
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Technical Studies

• Cleaner Substitutes Assessment (CTSA)
• Factors Include
• Chemical composition
• Performance
• Cost
• Occupational Risk and Exposure
• Regulatory Concerns
• Did NOT
• rank a product as better or worse than another
• recommend green products

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Implementation Efforts

• Training Video
• Cost Assessment Software

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Outreach Activities

• Informational materials
• Industry Conferences/workshops
• Case Studies

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Case Study Action Graphics

• Eliminated need for ink remover by
• reclaiming screens immediately after a print run
• using a high-water pressure system
• switching emulsion and haze removers
• Reduced amount of solvent used by finding more
  efficient products and reusing rags.

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Comparison of Yearly Operating Costs
Yearly Operating Cost Savings 9,400
Data not available for change in labor costs
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