Press Room Products
Back when we worked at other commercial print shops, we joked about some of the harsh chemicals and solvents, especially press washes, that we were required to use as production workers. It was industry standard to use press room products that contained dangerously high levels of VOC's, Hazardous Air Pollutants, ozone depleting chemicals, and sometimes even carcinogenic ingredients. At the time we classified these types of products as "Squirrel Killers" and the subsequent research to locate more sensible cleaners and products was a sort of "crusade for the squirrels."
Now, ten years later, state regulations have become stricter for the printing industry, forcing many shops to adopt safer production practices. And now "green" is a buzz word, placed on everything from SUVs to televisions, but here at Stumptown Printers "green" is an ink color, not a marketing gimmick, and we continue to offer environmentally responsible printing as we always have.
Blanket Wash
We've chosen a vegetable-based, VOC neutral blanket wash as our primary press cleaner. Lacking the petrochemical content that most washes have and manufactured with renewable resources grown on American farms, it is the safest and most sustainable press cleaner on the market. Our cleaners and other pressroom products are friendly to the squirrels and also don't make us loopy when we use them.
Paper
PCW (post consumer waste content) recycled paper is where it's at. 100% PCW is the best. Also available is 100% recycled paper, which is a mix of post-consumer and pre-consumer recycled fiber. We've worked with a couple regional paper mills to develop custom paper for our packaging. Thicker than most commercial paper stock and with a higher PCW recycled content, these papers are truly unique, and available only through Stumptown Printers. Many of our package weight papers are manufactured to our specifications and contain 100% PCW fibers or a blend of recycled fibers.
Ink
These days many printing inks feature a vegetable oil base, whether from soy or other vegetable sources. These inks are great because they have a very low or no VOC content, are stable on the press, print well, and have a more pleasant scent than petroleum based inks. The inks that we use are manufactured locally and utilize soy and other vegetable bases.
Dampening Systems
You think Grandpa's whiskey breath smells bad? Try a nose full of Isopropyl Alcohol. We hate that stuff. It's a dangerous VOC emission source and it's extremely flammable. The dampening systems that we chose for our offset presses are alcohol-free.
Transportation
We utilize several local suppliers and vendors for the work that we do here at the shop. For around town deliveries we like to deliver by bike. Magpie Messenger Collective handles our bindery deliveries or paper pick-ups with their fleet of Human Powered Machines cargo bikes.
And speaking of bikes, we have a company-wide commitment to bicycle transportation, which includes a yearly bicycle maintenance stipend for all workers. Not only do all the workers at Stumptown Printers commute by bike, as a company we donate to bicycle and appropriate transportation advocacy organizations in Portland and beyond. Over the years we've sponsored or contributed to SHIFT, North Portland BikeWorks, The Brett Jarolamik Fund, The Bicycle Transportion Alliance, World Car Free Network, Filmed By Bike, and Multnomah County Bike Fair, to name a few.
Local Sustainability Awards
The Portland Office of Sustainability has recognized Stumptown Printers as a Blueworks business 2006-2008 and a Recycleworks 2008-2011 business. The BTA recognized us as Bike Commuter champions in 2008 and 2009. We were named as a finalist for a BEST Business Award in 2009.