Radtech's UV/EB 2008 conference cannot get much greener.  Sustainability and Green Chemistry are all the rage at the Energy Curable Industry's bi-annual event.  Awards for greenest products are being handed out. Conference sessions are dedicated to the topic. The trade press is dedicating lead articles (e.g. Ink World, The Radtech Report, Finishing Today, Food and Beverage Packaging).

Is it overkill?  We don't think so.  Energy curable technologies have been delivering sustainable manufacturing solutions for decades and are a proven approach for increasing industrial energy efficiency.  However, UV and EB technologies gained traction by delivering unique performance advantages - not by having lower carbon footprints.  Now in this time of record energy prices, record environmental awareness, and record spending on green advertising campaigns by brand owners and retailers, energy curable technology is finally able to market its greenness as a true competitive advantage. 

Fact: Transitioning from thermal curing to energy curable technologies can enable manufacturers to decrease energy consumption by an order of magnitude and eliminate VOC emissions while still maintaining quality and speed.   That is pretty green.