Inks and Chemicals — Environmental Challenges

"There is a greater attention to product life cycle impacts. Companies like DuPont and Dow Chemical are increasingly seeking to sell accountable services rather than selling products. For example, DuPont does not sell paint to companies like Ford; they sell advanced protective coating services. They take responsibility for the reclamation and reuse of all of the solvents and waste materials associated with the coating process. Ford pays to have cars coated on a unit or square inches coated basis rather than buying gallons of paint and coatings. We may see the same thing in printing over time—printers will not buy ink by the pound or solvent by the gallon. You're buying the service to add a coating or remove the waste products associated with the process."