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One of the major elements of a sustainability program is the conservation of energy. When one considers the major investments that have been made in the printing industry to add drying systems and thermal add-on controls for emission reduction, one has to evaluate the impact of these investments on both the sources of energy and the cost of operating the systems. The basic fuel for web presses in most cases is natural gas and the emissions include NOX and CO2. Sheetfed presses use electricity. If we are to be sustainable, how can we best eliminate these usages and their cost to the business.

Added to this consideration is the aging of the systems, many of which were installed in the late 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. Is there a technology that will be more cost effective, eliminate the use of natural gas or any other fossil fuel, and provide side benefits that will enhance the conservation of energy?

The answer has been there for a number of years. That technology is bioremediation of air emissions. We now have a very reputable printer who has engaged and endorsed the use of this biological approach to elimination of air pollutants. The added value comes from the generation of heat by the process, which can then be channeled into drying systems and eliminate the need to use natural gas as a fuel.

EarthColor of Parsippany, N.J., is the green printer whose sustainability program has engaged the bioremediation equipment and technology sold by Air & Water Solutions Inc. In addition to the purchase of power generated by wind farms, EarthColor has invested in bio-oxidizers that capture and consume airborne volatile organic compounds and particulates. EarthColor has been recognized for its efforts to commit to 100 percent renewable energy by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

In a program managed by the Director of Sustainability David Podmayersky, EarthColor has integrated green efforts into nearly every practice at its company. Progress is tracked using such measures as recycling percentages, re-utilization of materials, carbon reduction, and other miscellaneous data.

According to CEO Robert Kashan, "Doing the right thing for our customers, our employees and the environment is EarthColor's primary mission."

The bio-oxidizers manufactured by Sam Sofer of Air & Water Solutions have been used in a number of smaller printing plants, a couple with whom I was instrumental in making the connection at the start of Sofer's introduction of his technology to the printing industry.

The basic technology engages enzymes with the pollutants to break them down to relatively safe compounds. At the same time, the process generates energy in the form of hot air. The heated air can be channeled to the drying systems of a press or coating machine. This, in turn, eliminates the need to burn natural gas to fuel the dryers. With the pollutants in the air eliminated, there is no need for a thermal oxidizer to burn off and destroy the air emissions. In many ways, it is a win--win situation.

The CAP Bio-Oxidizers have the capability of impacting sustainability efforts in a number of ways according to its inventor, Sofer.

1. Lower capital costs, lower operating costs, and lower installation costs compared to other forms of air emission control.

2. No nitrous oxide or carbon monoxide emissions as experienced with thermal systems.

3. Safer and easier to control and easier to determine destruction efficiency.

4. An added positive is improved indoor air quality since the Bio-Oxidizer destroys fugitive emissions as well as those going up the stack. This in itself creates a much healthier environment for the personnel in the pressroom.

For further information on the bio-oxidation process, go to the Air & Water Solutions site www.cleanairplant.com.

The message behind this development is one that must be considered as printers move ahead in the years to come. There is considerable innovation taking place in our industry. We must be ever alert to read, hear and visit these developments if we are to build for a more sustainable future.

Fred Shapiro is president of P-F Technical Services Inc., Silver Spring, Md., a technical and environmental management consulting firm to the graphics arts industry. Contact him at (301) 598-7949.