How does Bradford & Bigelow manage waste in its production process?

Bradford & Bigelow operates an in-house recycling center designed to minimize waste at every stage of production. 98% of all material purchased is either sold as a finished product or recycled which reduces landfill waste and supporting a circular economy.

What happens to production waste
Print manufacturing generates several types of material waste: paper trim, makeready sheets, plates, and packaging materials. Rather than routing these to landfill, Bradford & Bigelow's recycling program captures and processes waste materials throughout the production workflow.

UV inks and VOC emissions
Bradford & Bigelow's offset platform uses UV inks, which cure immediately as the printed page passes under low-intensity lamps rather than requiring ovens and chillers running continuously. This eliminates the volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions associated with traditional heat-set offset printing, reducing toxic discharge into the local environment.

For digital production, Bradford & Bigelow uses advanced pigment-based inks that require minimal heat to cure, further reducing emissions.

Green roof and stormwater management
Bradford & Bigelow's facility includes a green roof that reduces energy consumption, manages stormwater runoff, and improves air quality for team members and neighbors.

What this means for your project
Printing with Bradford & Bigelow means your project is produced in a facility with a documented commitment to waste reduction and responsible production. For publishers with corporate sustainability goals or vendor environmental requirements, B&B's practices support those commitments.

For more detail on B&B's environmental programs, visit our environmental initiatives page.