Case study: the Petty facility tackles emissions, waste & practices

The Petty Direct Mail Facility is located in Effingham, Illinois; a small town in the Midwest U.S. Worldcolor's Petty Facility is a leading American provider of direct marketing printing along with bindery and mailing services. This location has a 600,000 square-foot facility and employs more than 800 people. Many of the environmental improvements made at the Petty facility are the result of investment in new equipment and technologies. Some are the result of careful selection of more environmentally friendly products and processes and others are the result of efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle. In total, these strategies reflect a significant contribution to preserving our environment.

Investments in New Technology:

• New afterburners have been installed to reduce emissions release. Controlling the emissions from press dryers has resulted in a reduction of over 84 tons (168,000 lbs.) per year of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions.

• High-efficiency non-mercury lighting has been installed.

• Additional drip pans and self-closing faucets at chemical dispensing areas have been installed to prevent or reduce the possibility of a release.

Petty Facility Reduces, Reuses, Recycles

• By improving work practices and recycling activities, the amount of waste offset ink shipped off-site has been reduced by 21,000 lbs. per year and waste blanket wash shipped off-site has been reduced by 7,200 lbs. per year (comparing 2002 to 2004).

• Because of the low quantity of hazardous waste generated, the Petty Facility is considered a “Small Quantity Generator.”

Environmentally Friendly Alternatives & Practices

• More environmentally friendly water-based glues have replaced emissions-releasing solvent-based glues.

• More environmentally friendly water-based ink-jet inks have replaced those with hazardous air pollutants such as methanol or methyl ethyl ketone.
• Low-vapour pressure blanket wash (1.43 mm Hg at 68° F) is used to reduce fugitive air emissions.

• Meetings between Petty and ink manufacturers have resulted in development and usage of offset inks that have lower VOC contents than in the past.

• Developing and implementing preventative afterburner maintenance programs have reduced the likelihood or duration of a malfunction.