Acme Prints fancies themselves as one of, if not THE, greenest screen printer in Arizona. In a way, that's not saying much because the print industry is under-regulated and they really don't have much competition in the 'green' category. But since they’ve always been sincere about our environmental commitment, they go far, far beyond what any company has to. Acme offers special Eco-series water-based inks, 100% natural soy-based plastisol inks, and bamboo, recycled & organic apparel. They always use soy-based cleaners, employ multiple extra steps to ensure plastisol ink residue is managed responsibly, and have been among the top 10 purchasers of SRP Earthwise Energy for the past 3 years.
Oil-based plastisol inks are the standard inks used in screen printing all around the world. Fully cured plastisols are not environmentally hazardous, but un-cured plastisols pose a risk to the environment and health. The problem with plastisols is that they don't dry and must be cured at 300+ degrees in order to no longer be in a liquid state. So the ink on your shirt poses no risk, but the ink that gets cleaned off the printer's screens, squeegees, spatulas, etcetera, usually goes down their drain. Presently, this is completely unregulated. When cleaning their printing instruments at Acme, they use a recirculating sink to removing the inks. Every 8 to 12 weeks Solvent Recy-clean picks up our mineral spirits, filters it, and re-uses it.
Far worse than plastisols are the harsh chemicals used in the screen reclaiming process. These go down the drain in 99% of screen printing shops. Acme uses Franmar chemicals for screen reclaiming. They are 100% biodegradable, non-caustic, non-toxic and most are made from soybeans. Why don’t other printers use them? Because they cost more.
A common question is, “aren't water-based inks environmentally friendly?” Though water-based inks are generally thought of as more environmental, printing with water-based inks is usually even worse because of the harsh VOC solvents needed during the printing process, with the exception of Matsui's Eco-Series water-based inks, which we use. They are the most environmentally-friendly type of water-based screen printing inks commercially available. They are free of all PVCs, phthalates, heavy metals, azo compounds, nonylphenol and formaldehyde, and contain no harmful chemicals or toxic substances known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Acme also offers brand-new soy plastisol inks that print just like standard plastisols, but are entirely soy-derived.
Though they are a relatively small company, Acme has received awards for the last 3 years for being among the top 10 purchasers of SRP Earthwise Energy in Arizona, which produces electricity from renewable resources such as sun, wind, the earth's heat, flowing water in canals and even decomposing garbage in landfills.