Against the backdrop of shifting environmental regulations and growing climate awareness under the Biden administration, Ship & Shore Environmental (S&SE) has announced that it has a full range of advisory services for printing, packaging, and other clients in the industry. These services include help with capitalizing on the full range of incentives available from various government entities.

S&SE recently provided this help for a major printing company, resulting in enough incentives to largely subsidize the client’s pollution control project and optimize the equipment’s ROI due to its high energy effectiveness.

The capital expenditures for pollution abatement projects tend to exceed allotted budgets, however S&SE helps guide clients through applying for the range of incentive opportunities in its market.

“Ship & Shore helped the operator recoup hundreds of thousands of dollars, enough to cover almost 75% of total abatement equipment costs,” says Anoosheh Oskouian, president and CEO of Ship & Shore Environmental. “We are now looking to help more flexo and similar manufacturers reap similar rewards for going green, so they can enjoy broad benefits to their business and do as much as possible to protect the environment.”

Even in the absence of government-funded incentives, there are always good reasons to design operations and processes for eco-friendliness. In 2020, Barron’s reported that “companies with higher environmental, social, and governance factors have outperformed the broad market.” Factors include that financing sources now integrate ESG risks into their assessments, climate change issues “resonate” with investors, and profitability increasingly links to ESG performance.

In a recent Environment Journal article, authors summarized an analysis of data from over 9,000 small and medium-sized businesses. The authors found that sustainability-oriented companies could better cater to new niche markets, present as leaders in their industry, demonstrate caring to employees (thus building morale and productivity), build loyalty among customers and stakeholders, and increase efficiency. The article notes that “as many as 75% of UK businesses that invested in green technologies subsequently enjoyed commercial benefits, even if financial concerns pose barriers to making these green investments.”

Flexographic printers that adopt green solutions will also find it easier to achieve eco-oriented certifications, which in turn may lead to additional benefits. For example, the Flexographic Technical Association serves on the board of the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership. SGP data reveals that “certified facilities enjoy an average cost savings of $43,000.”

One of the largest companies in the printing industry approached Ship & Shore for help in building a cutting-edge regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) into its flexo facility to mitigate VOC emissions. S&SE has extensive experience in VOC abatement across printing applications, including plastics and packaging. The company is also well-versed in environmental, regulatory, and financial considerations and has a 100% compliance track record. S&SE brought all this expertise to bear on making the solution affordable for the client.

S&SE helped the client apply for all available incentives related to their energy-efficient oxidizer as well as printing equipment. This process involves research, hands-on engineering time, gathering and analysis of current utility consumption, and assisting with the application filings. Ultimately, S&SE helped the client procure hundreds of thousands of dollars in incentive dollars, enabling the printer to maximize return on investment and operational savings while minimizing emissions and associated project costs. Having guidance through the bureaucratic maze of incentive opportunities made all the difference to the client’s bottom line and environmental mission.

To date, S&SE has helped customers receive over $5 million total in incentives. These funds are critical in helping clients minimize operating and capital costs, both on new and retrofit solutions. Every S&SE install is custom-designed for the client’s unique process needs, compliance requirements, and budget. No matter the specifics, though, S&SE consistently provides the most energy-efficient RTO solutions, capable of destroying over 99% of output HAPs and VOCs.