Nadia Maguire, operations manager at Papercor Maratek commented, ‘Only the
very largest printing companies in South Africa can afford to install their own
dedicated systems. Smaller printers will be able to make use of the service where
we will collect and remove the used cleaning solutions from their premises.’
Papercor Maratek is currently going through the arduous task of applying for its
Waste Management license which will allow it to collect and recycle used
cleaning solutions. The SRS300 Recycling system allows used blanket/roller
wash to be cleaned and recycled. The result is the clean and environmentally-
compliant separation of the used wash into three components namely, distilled
water, ink sludge and recycled solvent. The latter is then replenished to
reconstitute it back to a cloned version of the virgin product.
The company currently has been testing the process and has recovered and
recycled sample batches from various printers (who have been willing to work
with Papercor Maratek) in and around Johannesburg. Nadia commented, ‘The
tests this far have been very encouraging. We have been able to completely
recycle the cleaning solutions and reconstitute them to their original strength.
We will then be able to sell this back into the market.
‘The benefit to the printers is that we will be able to offer them the removal
service, recycle the cleaning solutions and then sell it back to the printers – as
good as new. This will not only help printers to become more environmentally
friendly but it should also reduce costs and save them money in the long term.
We are also looking for an environmentally suitable means of using the ink sludge
rather than assigning it to landfill, thereby making it a completely closed system.’
The recycling system can be used for blanket/roller wash from both the litho and
flexo printing processes. The distilled water, which is a by-product of the recycling
process is safe-enough for disposal down the drain and meets with SANS241
Class II specifications. Papercor Maratek is considering further filtration
processes of this water to upgrade it even further.
Once the necessary Waste Management licence has been issued, Papercor
Maratek will be able to process and recycle 20 000 litres of used cleaning
solutions per month. The system is designed to operate automatically and
can even operate unattended if necessary. The only manual processes are
the loading and unloading of the 1000 litre flow bins and the loading and
unloading of empty and filled sludge collection drums.
The one challenge facing the local market is that automatic cleaning systems
are often not used or even available on many presses. In the instance of hand
washing, Papercor Maratek is looking at an alternative means of handling,
capturing and recycling the solvents.
The final result of this initiative is that printers and the printing industry will
finally be moving one step closer to being seen as a green industry. It is obvious
from the various pieces of legislation which are in place that printing may be
considered an environmentally harmful industry. Initiatives like this can go
some way to correcting that impression.
The management from Papercor saw that there was a need for a solvent recovery
and recycling plant in the local market to assist printers, both now and more
specifically for the future when legislation tightens up further on the disposal
of hazardous cleaning solvents. Following a lengthy and extensive investigation
looking at systems from around the world, the decision was made to enter into
an agreement with Maratek.
In the North American market Maratek supplies its recycling systems to printers
of all sizes. The difference is that the vast majority of printers in the South African
market would not be able to justify the ownership of such a dedicated system.
This is where the service from Papercor Maratek will provide local printers
with the ideal solution. They do not need to have the high expenditure costs of
installing their own system and at the same time can be environmentally-friendly.
According to Nadia the environmental legislation is going to impact how printers
handle their hazardous waste disposal.
Nadia Maguire, operations manager at Papercor Maratek with operator Leanrmark Chirisa doing tests on the SRS300.
Vol 4 Issue 3 • HELPING PRINTERS TO CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENT
48
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