Friesens and the Environment
Making books requires that we pay special attention to the environment. Books are made of paper . . . and while paper is a renewable resource, all of us at Friesens work hard to ensure that we minimize paper waste, and that we recycle all waste paper. Friesens has invested in state-of-the-art equipment, used to collect paper waste throughout our plant. Through a series of vacuum pipes, paper waste is moved to a central bailer where it is bundled and returned to the paper mills for recycling.
There used to be a time when many chemicals were used in the prepress area of printing plants. Today, all of the work done to prepare a book for printing is done on computers and is digital . . . so no chemicals are needed. All waste water leaving the Friesens plant is clean.
Printers can’t print without ink. Many years ago all inks were petroleum based. Now, vegetable oil based inks are available for both black and white and full colour printing.
Printing ink used to come in small cans. When the cans were empty, they had to be sent to landfill sites. Today, ink arrives at Friesens in large drums. Once the ink in a drum has been used, they are simply refilled. This means that ink cans are no longer sent to landfill sites.
Printing plates are made of aluminum. When these plates have been used, they can be stored for future use, or they can be sold to a recycling company that will melt them into raw aluminum, so that they can be used again, and again, and again.
In the book binding process, a considerable amount of glue is used. Glue is what holds the book to the cover, and is also used to hold the pages in place. The glue used to make books is non-hazardous.
When making books, there is paper waste. Some of the waste occurs at the press make-ready stage. Paper is used by the press operators to adjust the ink until the colours look just right. When the edges of a book are trimmed in the Bindery, to make the pages even on three sides, the trim is also waste. At Friesens, paper waste is not burned or placed in landfill sites. Instead it is returned to the paper mills and made into recycled papers.
Not all products used by our company are used for making books. People working in the different Friesens plants drink juices, soft drinks and milk. The cans and cartons that are used by the staff are recycled, just like the aluminum plates used on the printing presses.
One of the most important components of the environment is the air we breathe. To make sure the air is clean and healthy for workers and customers, all of Friesens plants have a no smoking policy . . . or a specially designated smoking area.
At Friesens, we have a commitment to the environment and to the future.
We are working together with our suppliers and customers, to keep our planet a place where our children and their children can live in harmony with the environment.
