february 2008

Enviro Image Solutions’ green technology goes gold

Vancouver, BC – Enviro Image Solutions’ (EIS) new blanket recycling process has taken two top awards at the Print Action 2008 Environmental Printing Awards (EPA), continuing its winning streak in award competitions recognizing environmental achievement in the graphic arts. EIS offers printers a ‘cleaner solution’ by extending the lifespan of UV printing blankets by as much as 400 per cent while reducing annual blanket replacement costs potentially by 70%, without sacrificing the quality of printing.

EIS was lauded at last night’s awards gala in Toronto for its innovation and pioneering green technology, taking top marks in two categories:

Gold – Most Environmentally Progressive Vendor in Canada
Silver – Most Progressive Environmental Process, Vendor

“It’s extremely gratifying to see that something that is equally beneficial for our industry and the environment is gaining this level of recognition,” said EIS Director Mike Winteringham. “EIS will help printers around the world restore millions of blankets and as a result, prevent them from going to landfills. Awards like these reinforce our resolve to continue to explore ways to make the printing industry as sustainable as possible.”

Now in its third year, the EPA awards celebrate the efforts of those in the printing industry working to reduce their impacts on the environment. This year’s competition drew more than 130 entries in 14 categories (www.printaction.com/epa).

More than three years in development, the EIS solution was prompted by the huge explosion of energy curable (UV) inks. The patent pending program refurbishes blankets that are difficult to re-use due to latent image. Once a printer determines that a blanket is no longer usable, it is sent to EIS, where it is treated with various proprietary processes that restore the blanket to full quality. The blanket is then returned to the printer and re-installed on the press, its performance as good as new. The same blanket can be continually re-treated as long as it is not cut, with the average being four cycles. The process not only extends the blanket’s usability, but can save printers as much as 70 percent of their annual blanket costs.

The EIS solution also scores high on the sustainability scale. Once a blanket is no longer suitable for printing, its aluminum bar, rubber and fabric materials can be recycled for use in other applications such as roadways, track fields and alternative solid fuels.

EIS is currently the only company in the world able to offer this innovative program. The company worked closely with leading printers to refine the process, which has been tested repeatedly on multiple presses and used for projects that have gone on to win numerous awards.

Headquartered in Vancouver, BC, EIS was founded in 2004 by a small group of printing experts working almost exclusively with stochastic solutions and UV technology. In addition to its groundbreaking work with printing blankets, the company continues to explore methods to improve the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of print technologies

Media inquiries:
Penny Kallas
Marketing Director
T: 604 254 9544
E: pkallas@enviroimagesolutions.com