Tag: green

As screen printers it’s important to be mindful of how our craft effects the environment, especially what goes down our drains. Check out the Sgreen Filtration System here:

Transcript:
The screen printing process involves a lot of waste and a lot of water both of which eventually end up down the drain. Over time, this can be problematic for your plumbing and bad for the environment.

The good news is that with the proper process and a few simple tools you can decrease your environmental impact, and protect yourself from recourse or fines from local water bureaus.

A water filtration system is a great solution and when combined with good practices your pipes and water will be running clean so and green in no time.

There are two main issues to be concerned about with water disposal. First and foremost is high solids: this can be anything from tape, dried ink, thick cured emulsion, and solidified ink. Second is the ink solids itself.

Proper process at the beginning of the screen making and screen cleaning process can help you avoid many common problems.

Ensure your emulsion is coated without a lot of thick bubbles or edges, card off ink using an ink card or spatula, and dispose of all tape and other debris prior to going into the sink.

But even if you have the best process, there will always be some ink left, a few pieces of small tape that sneak by, and thicker areas of emulsion that don’t degrade all of the way. This is when the filter comes in very handy.

The Sgreen Filtration system catches the water as it comes out of the sink and sends it through 6 stages of filtration. The first stage is a disposable filter, this catches all of the big particles immediately, then the water goes through a series of 3 reusable screens: 110, 156, and 200 mesh. The water then separates into the pump holding tank where a high powered industrial sump pump is triggered, pushing the water through the final two stages, a 70 and 20 micron filter.

With this 6 stage filtering process you can be confident that the water has been filtered multiple times, that most solids are removed, and the particulate has been reduced to 20 micron.

It’s important to note that the majority of plastisol ink will be caught in this filter but that water base or discharge pigments and emulsion could still make their way through, this is why cleaning your screens prior is very important.

Each state and local water board has different regulations for what is and isn’t drain safe and you should always check to confirm what your community’s standards are.

Having the Sgreen Filter in place does show you are proactive in your disposal practices if anyone were ever test your water. You can call an independent company like Pace Analytical to come test water.

The best part is that while most filters cost over $1000, Ryonet manufactured our Sgreen Filter to not only work better, but cost hundreds of dollars less than others on the market. Cleaning up your disposal and greening up your shop has never been easier and more affordable.

Check out the SGreen Filter on our website www.screenprinting.com and be sure to subscribe to our youtube channel for more great screen printing videos.

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