Manufacturing plants can have a tremendously negative impact on the environment if not managed properly. EBSCO manufacturing divisions use responsible recycling and disposal practices to minimize, if not eliminate their emissions. Vulcan Information Packaging, in Vincent, Alabama, screen prints with UV curable ink when possible; this is preferable to conventional solvent-based inks that emit harmful pollutants into the air as they dry.

Vulcan Information Packaging uses enormous amounts of vinyl and cardboard during manufacturing. All scraps are collected for re-use or recycling. Vulcan recycles more than 240 tons of vinyl and more than 375 tons of binder board and corrugated boxes annually. They also collect used compact discs and send them to an outside vendor where they are ground down and used to manufacture new CDs.

EBSCO Media in Birmingham, Alabama, recycles all alcohol, oil and other chemicals used to clean printing equipment. The “drum room,” where waste is stored until it is picked up, is protected by wet and dry fire extinguishing systems that are activated by smoke or heat. All employees handling these chemicals are trained hands-on in proper disposal and safety methods.