For Quad, It's Easy Being Green

In 2006, the solvent recovery systems in the company’s gravure pressrooms averaged 99.53 percent efficiency, which is considerably above the standard of 92 percent required by the EPA and the 96.76 percent industry average.

Waste Minimization. In 1992, Quad began challenging its press operators to come up with alternative strategies to reduce waste ink, Muehlbach explains, noting that the implemented ideas included better ink estimating, using ink from one press to another press running similar jobs, and segregating ink by color in order to blend it into new ink. Over the past 16 years, waste ink declined 74 percent (relative to output), and Quad’s hazardous waste has decreased 65 percent relative to output.