HP and Signs By Tomorrow: Helping your Business Achieve its Sustainability Goals

By John Stevens, Strategic Accounts Manager at Hewlett-Packard

Through the introduction of its water-based latex inks and recycling programs, global sustainability leader HP is supporting Signs By Tomorrow sign and graphics centers around the country in producing greener custom signs and graphics. Read on to find out more about the various green products available and how your business or institution can use them to implement greener visual communications options!

Inks

As mentioned above, HP offers water-based latex inks that are odor free, HAP free and do not emit harmful levels of toxins, making them ideal for sensitive indoor environments such as schools, health care facilities and restaurants. HP’s green latex inks also produce eye catching indoor quality graphics with outdoor durability. These revolutionary inks can be used to produce a variety of custom graphics, including Posters, Wallpapers, Banners, Backlits, Vehicle Wraps, Custom Decals and Soft Signage. When combined with select HP media, you can have a true green (and eye catching) sign & graphic solution.

Paper

HP PVC Free Wallpaper is a FSC-certified paper based media that when printed with HP latex inks is GREENGUARD Children & Schools certified, providing you the reassurance you need for your indoor air quality requirements.

Banners

Custom Outdoor banners, used for a wide range of event types , can now be produced economically and in an environmentally-friendly way with the use of HP’s HDPE Banner Material.  At only 5.5 oz, this environmental banner material has the tear strength of a typical 13oz scrim banner without the PVC content.  At less than half the weight, you can reduce your carbon footprint significantly when shipping large amounts of banners to and from events.  And at the end of its useful life, an HP HDPE Banner can be recycled using HP’s Media Take Back Program free of charge as opposed to putting PVC into a landfill. Now available in a double-sided version for double-sided banners.

Textiles

Soft Signage, like indoor and outdoor custom fabric banners,  is a growing trend in the U.S. and by printing on HP Polyester based textiles, you can display very high-quality, odor-free soft signage that is not only  Oeko-Tex® certified but can be 100% recycled by HP at the end of its useful life.

Recycling

HP also offers eight FSC- or PEFC-certified paper-based products that, when printed using latex inks, can be recycled using commonly available local recycling programs.

And lastly, all waste items generated during the production of your signage & graphics can be 100% recycled using the HP Planet Partners program.  Empty ink cartridges, used print heads, maintenance cartridges and even the waste ink container can all be sent back to HP and be recycled free of charge.

To learn more about how Signs by Tomorrow and HP can help your business go green, contact your local Signs By Tomorrow Signage and Graphics Center or go to www.hp.com/recyle to learn more.  To learn more about the world of latex printing go to www.hp.com/go/latex.