The History of Spectrum Industrial Services, Inc. Spectrum Industrial Services, Inc. based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, recycles lithographic ink generated primarily by commercial printers. The Company helps its customers save money and operate in an environmentally responsible way. After reformulating customers' waste ink to meet the specifications required for high quality re-use, they then return the useful product to the printer from whom it took the waste. Spectrum is purely a service business—it does not buy waste ink or take legal possession of it – providing recycling when possible and disposal when required in a professional and legally compliant manner. Recycling lithographic inks is a relatively new alternative to the more conventional methods of waste disposal. The concept is evolving in a fashion similar to the recycled paper industry, which, was initially met with skepticism. Spectrum endeavors to provide excellent service and a consistent recycled product while acting with the highest level of customer service and ethics. |
|---|
The Process The printer collects waste ink in 55-gallon drums or 2,000-pound tubs. Spectrum regularly arranges for these containers to be shipped to its facility, either by common carrier or Company truck. Within a period of time generally specified by the customer, Spectrum reconditions the ink into a black or process color ink that meets the quality of the standard virgin ink sold to the customer by their ink manufacturer. Although technical in nature, procedurally the process is relatively basic. The waste ink is blended to a uniform consistency and then analyzed for deficiencies. Raw materials are added to compensate for the deficiencies. Once the ink has been rebuilt to the proper specifications, it is filtered to extract contaminants. Then it is packaged in a container of the printer’s choice, from five-pound cans, thirty-pound kits, fifty-five gallon drums or two-ton totes. Environmental Impact - Recycling addresses a variety of issues for printers. It is well known that the generator retains liability for any future environmental effects caused by the waste ink. In recent years, landfill use has proven to be a less than optimal solution for generators of waste ink.
|
|---|
Customer Motivation Besides the meaningful environmental benefits derived, there are financial reasons that printers work with Spectrum Industrial Services. Spectrum always prices its services to be competitive with the cost of disposal plus the purchase of virgin material. For example, assume that it costs approximately $100 per drum to dispose of waste ink, or $0.25 per pound, and that virgin ink is purchased at approximately $1.00 per pound for a total cost of $1.25 per pound to get rid of waste ink and purchase new. At any price less than that, it makes financial sense to recycle, provided that there is no diminution in quality. Spectrum has a list of long-standing relationships that attest to the validity of this valuable proposition. We save our customers thousands of dollars a year.
|
|---|
Contact Spectrum Indutrial Services, Inc. If you are interested in learning how Spectrum Industrial Services can help your company, please contact us.
|
|---|
Hit Counter:
|
|---|
