|
Long Term View
When you’ve been around since 1909, you gain a unique perspective on environmental conservancy and stewardship. McAra Printing has long recognized the importance of reducing print’s environmental impact. Our goal is to produce technically advanced and appealing eco-friendly print products and this drives our mandate of ecological business practices.
McAra Printing leads the industry through early adoption of green printing technologies such as alcohol-free printing and the use of low V.O.C. vegetable-based inks. McAra has been recycling scrap paper for more than 60 years and has been key in establishing environmental best practices in the commercial print industry.
McAra continues to innovate and embrace emerging print and eco-friendly technologies. On Earth Day 2011 McAra proudly became a renewable energy producer.
 Solar Power
Our goal is to reduce the carbon footprint of our customers’ printing. At McAra we’ve opted for a hands-on approach to renewable electricity generation through our recently installed solar module array at our production facility. Our south facing plant is ideally situated to take advantage of Alberta’s sunny weather and offset our electricity consumption, ensuring our print products are produced as greenly as possible.
With peak electrical generating capability of 11,280 watts, Phase I of McAra’s rooftop installation of 48 photovoltaic solar modules takes advantage of an uninterrupted stream of sunlight during Calgary’s abundance of clear days. McAra Printing is one of the first commercial printers in Canada to install solar modules to generate electricity.
You can view McAra’s live electrical generation statistics online.
Energy Efficiency
McAra routinely audits all energy usage and implements procedures to reduce usage and improve efficiencies.
- Older print and bindery machinery with high-power consumption is retired and replaced with newer, energy-efficient technology.
- High amperage power service to building means greater electrical efficiency throughout the plant.
- Energy efficient lighting installed throughout plant and offices.
 Environmental
Standards
McAra Printing utilizes materials and processes to ensure our products meet or exceed many internationally recognized environmental standards.
If required, our papers can be certified to ensure they are made from fibre sourced from managed and sustainable forests through a detailed chain-of-custody audit. McAra specializes in reproducing sharp, accurate and detailed colour printing on a wide range of recycled papers in every finish.
Our knowledgeable print consultants can provide you with chlorine-free and recycled paper options to suit any specification or budget.
|
 Reduce, Re-use
& Recycle
The two principal waste byproducts produced by commercial printers are paper off-cuts/scraps and used aluminum printing plates. McAra Printing aggressively recycles both, reducing plant waste to near zero. To put things into perspective, every ton of recycled paper used saves: 17 Trees; 6953 gallons of water; 3.06 cubic yards of landfill space; 4077 Kilowatt hours of energy.
McAra averages more than 540 tons of paper recycled each year! Additionally, we recycle more than 9 tons of aluminum printing plates each year. But our commitment to the “three Rs” doesn’t stop there. Every step of the printing process at McAra is carefully scrutinized to minimize waste while maximizing efficiency.
- Starting with prepress, high-quality digital soft proofs reduce the need for multiple paper proofs.
- Processless printing plates require no chemistry, only rinsing after imaging.
- Make-ready sheets are used multiple times allowing the press to come up to colour without consuming clean paper.
- Computer-controlled Heidelberg presses automatically set ink levels further reducing the number of sheets needed to achieve perfect colour.
- Re-useable cotton towels are used to clean the press. These are cleaned by a local service where the fluids trapped in the rag are centrifuged out then safely disposed of. The clean towels are returned to McAra.
- All waste paper and cardboard is recycled.
- All aluminum printing plates are recycled.
- Packaging materials are reused or recycled as applicable.
 Processless
printing plates
While most printers have now adopted an eco-friendly film-free Computer-to-Plate workflow, McAra has taken one step further by using processless printing plates. The aluminum plates are imaged by a powerful laser then rinsed with a small amount of water before going on press. All the developers and chemical waste has been eliminated, ensuring a cleaner, greener printing process.
Vegetable-based Printing Inks
McAra was an early advocate of vegetable-based inks, adopting their use in the mid 1990’s. Vegetable-based ink is made with vegetable oils, such as soybean, linseed or canola oils, used as a substitute for petroleum. These inks significantly reduce the amount of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) released into the air during printing.
Alcohol Free Printing
For many years, an Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) solution has been the standard method of dampening printing plates on press. While the use of IPA made printing easier for many, the environmental hazards posed by the VOC emissions and the ensuing disposal problems far outweighed the benefits. In 1997, McAra Printing was the first printer in Canada to order a new Heidelberg press with rollers specifically designed to accommodate alcohol-free printing. McAra’s pressroom has never looked back.
 An eye on
the horizon
McAra Printing is focused on being an enabler and productivity partner for our clients. We want to assist them to produce progressive, relevant and environmentally friendly products that will impact their businesses in a positive way.
McAra Printing is committed to ongoing investment in green print and alternative energy technologies on behalf of their customers, and more importantly – the planet.
|
