United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic
Substances (7406)
EPA 744-F-g,
May 1997
r/EPA
Your Screen
Reclamation
System
•sr
U.S.EPA
How safe is it for workers to use?
How well does it perform?
How safe is it for the environment?
How much does it cost to use?
I
nk removers, emulsion removers,
haze removers...
As a screen printer, you know that there are many
different chemicals you can use to reclajm your screens. You want to
use the chemicals that are best for your shoj^-prod/cte that perform
well, are cost effective, and just as important, are safe^workers
to use. ~ -
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(DfEj Screen Printing Project "has ^Wished tfietooklef Designing
Solutions for Screen Printers*:
Systems. This easy-to-read 52:page booklet summarizes the
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(1) chemical composition, (2) performaiTce* (3) ccit7(4f risk and
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exposure, and (5) regulatory concerns of 16 drjferent screen
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reclamation systems.
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Solutions for Screen
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System profiles in Desk
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Chemical .. \A
Composition
The chemicals that are found in each
component of a system—ink
remover, emulsion remover, haze
remover—are listed here. This
information can help you answer
questions about your own
reclamation system and identify
substitute products you may wish
to try.
Performance
Use this information to help you find out if a
particular system may be right for your
shop.
Each system was tested (1) in a
controlled laboratory environment and (2)
under actual production conditions in a print
shop (a volunteer demonstration site). The
opinions of the printers that used the
systems are documented, as are the
results of the specific lab tests. For each
demonstration site, the type of ink used on
the screens to be reclaimed, as well as the
number and size of screens cleaned by the
facility during the demonstration project,
are listed.
Comparing the production conditions of
your shop to those of the demonstration
site will help you assess the performance
information.
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Regulatory Concerns
Simple tables in each profile show which chemicals in the
reclamation system are subject to Federal environmental
regulations, such as the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air
Act. Because the tables list individual chemicals, not
specific products, they will help you to see if your facility
uses regulated materials. You can also use the tables to
find products that have fewer regulatory concerns.
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ibe how each system performed in five important categories.
stem and search for possible substitutes.
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Cost
The cost estimates listed in this section—along with
information on occupational risk and regulatory
concerns—will help you get a picture of what it
might cost to use a particular system. The costs of
each system include the basic purchase price of the
products, as well as the costs of actually using them
in a shop—labor hours required to reclaim a screen,
costs of wipes, and the volume of product needed.
Remember, however, that these alone may not
be the only indications of what it really costs to use
a reclamation system. Other less obvious factors
can be important, too: How flammable are the
chemicals? —More flammable materials can cost
more in storage requirements and insurance
premiums. Are they regulated materials?—If so,
this can mean added costs of staying in
compliance. How hazardous are the chemicals to
worker health or to the environment? —Hazardous
materials can add to the expense of protecting
workers and the environment.
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Risk and Exposure
Health risks that printers may face when using different screen reclamation
chemicals are a major concern of all screen printing companies. Designing
Solutions for Screen Printers presents information about specific chemicals that
may be of concern in each system. While you may not be using the exact same
products in your shop, your products may contain some of the same chemicals
that are profiled.
You can use this information to help assess the risks of your own system,
identify recommended safety precautions, and find products that may pose
less risk.
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SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
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i For more Information
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pro
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lO O TCI 6 r your free copy of Designing Solutions for Screen
Printers: An Evaluation of Screen Reclamation Systems, contact:
Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse (PPIC)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW (7409)
Washington, DC 20460
Phone:(202)260-1023
fax: (202) 260-4659
e-mail: ppic@epamail.epa.gov
You can also ask PPIC to send you a list of all publications available through EPA's Design for the Environment
Screen Printing Project.
About the DfE Screen Printing Project
-The Design for the Environment (DfE) Screen Printing Project is a voluntary
collaboration between representatives of the screen printing industry and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. The goal of the Project is to provide screen printers
with information that can help them run their facilities in a way that is more
environmentally sound.'safe for workers, and more cost effective", "the Project focused on screen
reclamation systems, and gathered information on the performance, cost, and health and environmental
risk trade-offs of different reclamation systems (ink removers, emulsion removers, and haze removers).
While the Project specifically examined screen reclamation systems, the partners of the Project encourage
printers-to consider the environmental impact of all the products they use in their shops.
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