Wright Global Graphic Solutions, which provides packaging, point-of-purchase materials and other branding and marketing solutions to the bedding industry, has begun printing materials using chemical-free printing plates.
The change allows the Thomasville, N.C.-based company “to produce significantly less chemical waste during the printing process, reducing the need to dispose of harmful chemicals into the environment and decreasing the negative environmental impact often associated with traditional offset printing,” the company said.
During the offset printing process, an inked image is transferred from a plate to a rubber mat and then to a final surface. The image is typically burned onto a metal plate using chemicals. Chemical-free printing plates use water instead.
“Our company is very conscious of the environmental concerns long associated with the printing industry and we have always been committed to making the printing process as eco-friendly as possible,” said Greg Wright, president and chief executive officer. “The decision to switch to chemical-free plates seemed like a natural progression in reducing our carbon footprint and advancing our environmental mission.”
Wright has adopted a number of other eco-friendly policies, including using recycled materials, printing with renewable soybean ink, and installing both energy-efficient lighting and solar panels at its headquarters.
