Abstract:

All kinds of materials that become useless during production activities, damage the environment and must be exterminated are generally called waste. Waste is also defined as all materials thrown away by its manufacturer or a person or entity who owns it and causes a harmful change at environment. The most important of the solid, liquid and gaseous wastes produced in the printing industry before, during and after the printing process are waste ink, ink sludge and solvents emerging after machine washing, wastewater of water-based ink, plate and film developer and fixer solutions, waste papers, waste films, faulty prints, cleaning solvents and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions emerging from IPA use. Some of these wastes fall into the hazardous waste category due to their processing characteristics during the production process. Effective and regular extermination of these wastes is necessary to protect the environment and employee health. This can be provided only by the application of waste management. Some wastes are recycled and reused at printing industry, but in some cases that recycling is impossible, these wastes should be eliminated without harming human health and environment. Especially the materials whose disposal is compulsory should be classified at the source and sent to licensed disposal companies. As a new sector, waste management industry should develop new and special processes for printing technologies wastes. Owners of printing companies should be informed about waste management. At waste management process, the most appropriate clean production techniques should be used, waste production should be prevented or minimized and wastes should be recycled effectively. The aim of this study is to provide suggestions and contributions for the possible best ways of preventing the wastes from harming the nature and disposing or recycling of the wastes generated during production in the printing industry.

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