eco friendly photo lab

GP: How green is your business - what green business practices do you embrace?

RC: The paper we make prints on is made from 100% post industrial reclaimed cotton fibers from cottonseed oil manufacturers. (These are called "linters" and they are too short to be woven and so typically wind up in land fill.) Our papers contain no acid, no chlorine, no optical brighteners. Our inks are water-based and 100% VOC-free. They do not outgas (or off-gas) any toxic fumes. We use 100% biodegradable adhesives to mount prints on 100% vegetable based, biodegradable "foamcore" that biodegrades into harmless constituents when exposed to anaerobic bacteria. We also mount to a unique 100% post consumer recycled "corrugate" made in a honeycomb structure up to 1-inch thick. This material is 100% recyclable in the normal paper recycling stream.

Our facility is super insulated with a combination of fiberglass, and isocyanate foams and is air sealed. We use a state-of-the-art wall mounted on-demand hot water heater for all heating in a specially designed, ultra high efficiency in-floor radiant heat system. Our average monthly heating bill comprises about $60 worth of natural gas for a nearly 2000 s.f. facility.

• We use NO water in any of our processes. In fact, there is no running water in our facility.
• We use the smallest, most fuel efficient pick up as a delivery vehicle.
• We recycle paper and other waste and accept returns for recycling.
• We ship in recycled mailing tubes via the least energy intensive methods available.
• Our papers are all locally sourced right here in Massachusetts to eliminate the greenhouse gases associated with shipping paper.

GP: How green are your products - what green products/components do you offer?

RC: We offer virtually 100% green large-format, photo quality, museum quality, archival prints up to 44-inches wide, plus green mounting, framing and green displays.

We are the world's first dedicated, virtually 100% green custom photo lab and "giclee" printer.

GP: Why did you choose to offer green products and implement green business practices?

RC: My wife was diagnosed over a year ago with stage-four cancer that's environmentally related. I decided that life is simply too short not to do what you're passionate about and for me, that's imaging. I also decided that I had to do this in the world's greenest manner with as little environmental footprint as possible. Last, I had to do so in a much healthier manner than the typical solvent printers whose products emit neuro- and respiratory toxins.

GP: How has offering green products and implementing green business practices affected your company?

RC: Pure and simple, that's all we do. Without being green, our company would not exist.

GP: What are your hopes for a greener photographic industry?

To eliminate darkroom worker hazards, elemental silver, chlorine and other toxic and carcinogenic substances from the photographic workflow. (I myself have mild asthma which is likely the result to exposure to the acetic acid in print fixer -a traditional darkroom chemical.) To eliminate all VOCs from all indoor images. To eliminate optical brighteners, the use of wood-pulp and petroleum-based papers, the use of chlorine as a paper bleach, and the removal of all toxic substances in imaging products.

GP: What is your favorite eco website or eco-product that we may not have heard of?

The Green Imaging Network on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1004747&trk=hb_side_g

Thanks so much to Rick Colson of greenphotoprint.com for taking the time to answer our questions!  Rick has been kind enough to extend an exclusive offer to GP members: A discount of 10% off total orders through year end for new customers.  Just mention GP when placing your order.

If you have an idea for a spotlight feature or interview, let us know!

A conversation with Jeffrey Lazo, Chief Operating Officer of ProDPI Photo Lab (Digital Precision Imaging, Inc.)

Q. How green is your business - what green business practices do you embrace?

A:

• ProDPI is proud to announce the investment toward making the greenhouse gas emissions associated with our lab energy use “neutral." All greenhouse gases produced to power the ProDPI facility will be offset by forestry programs, livestock manure management, and landfill gas management to remove our carbon footprint. Enrollment by ProDPI in the ClimateSmart program is in accordance with the California Public Utilities Commission.

• Reductions in internal paper consumption for reports and other documents. Effective immediately we will begin electronically delivering all invoices and statements. This alone will save over 2 tons of wood use, 25 million BTUs of energy usage and over 12,000 gallons of waste-water per year, all used in paper manufacturing.

• All silver halide prints (the great photo prints that you love) contain silver; this silver is left suspended in photo chemistry after processing. Since our first print rolled off our printers, we have been processing and removing silver from our chemistry prior to disposing spent materials.

Q. How green are your products - what green products/components do you offer?

A. ProDPI Press, a Division of ProDPI, offers many products that are ECO friendly including the use of substrates that have 30%-100% PCW (Post Consumer Waste), as well as substrates that are manufactured with 100% wind-power.  


Q. Why did you choose to offer green products and implement green business practices?

A. The ongoing success of our business and our clients businesses rely on the health and longevity of our planet.  It is ProDPI's utmost desire to continue to preserve and protect our resources while providing photographers with great quality printed products.


Q. How has offering green products and implementing green business practices affected your company?

A. Through both internal and external changes ProDPI is proud to help our world.  There is a cost to making these changes, however this is necessary to work toward our goals of protecting our environment for generations to come.


Q. What are your hopes for a greener photographic industry?

A. We hope to further offer a broad selection of substrates that fit into ProDPI's vision to be ECO-friendly.  We also urge photographic paper companies to further research and development in the area of recycled RA-4 paper.


Q. What is your favorite eco website or eco-product that we may not have heard of?

A. Fuji Film Website:
http://www.forests-forever.com/

Many thanks to Jeffrey for taking the time to respond to our questions! If you have an idea for a Spotlight feature or interview, let us know!