Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1517535
8 P E R S P E C T I V E | M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 4 S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y The ADG Green Report B Y K A R E N S T E WA R D , A D G G R E E N C O M M I T T E E S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y C O N S U L TA N T ADG GREEN COMMITTEE MISSION STATEMENT: THE ADG IS COMMITTED TO MAKING POSITIVE AND LASTING CHANGES IN THE FILM, TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, AND PROMOTING A MORE SUSTAINABLE ART DEPARTMENT BY PROVIDING RESOURCES, EDUCATION, ECO- FRIENDLY SOLUTIONS, AND PARTNERSHIPS AMONG AND WITH THE MULTITUDE OF INDUSTRY CRAFTS, VENDORS AND PRODUCERS. A. KAREN STEWARD B. ASTEK DEMONSTRATING THE CAPACITY TO PRINT BACKINGS ON THEIR LARGE-FORMAT PRINTER. On September 29, the ADG Green Materials Sub-Committee visited Astek Wallcoverings (15924 Arminta St., Van Nuys, CA 91406) to follow up on an earlier field trip set up by the ADG Education Department. Asteks' Chief Executive Officer and President is Aaron Kirsch; the company is not only a wall covering company, but also a busy print shop offering design services to the film business, interior designers and international events. Astek is a favorite of Art Departments (which make up over 40% of their business), and we found them to be explorative of broader goals and genuinely interested in circularity and greening their business. The business started as a small wallpaper distributer that Aaron eventually expanded by storing huge container-loads of wallpaper purchased from overseas (primarily England, Germany and France) and was able to fill a gap within the film business by offering easy accessibility to a wide variety of patterns. Around 2004, he began to buy printers and hire designers to create custom prints and patterns, as well as expanding warehouse storage. Astek can now print on almost anything, like pillows, bedding and particular fabrics, carpet, flooring and rugs, clothing and swag, etc. Some of their existing specialties include large- format printing on all kinds of material like fine art murals, dimensional wallpapers, and they specialize in precision color matching. They also do lenticular printing (a type of 3D printing that creates a color-changing image), haptic printing (raised ink printing that creates a relief up to 1mm), and full fabrication of signage (they have a hybrid routing/cutting machine for custom projects with routing capabilities up to 1½ to two inches depending on the material). Their printing process is touted as being completely VOC-free. Theoretically, this means they already use zero solvents in their product, which makes for a safer workplace for employees, a safer product for customers and ultimately an ecofriendly way to print. However, as a cautionary tale, some of these low/no VOC things might be better for smog creation, but without knowing all the ingredients, and without proper testing, it is probably best not to claim anything is healthier for people using them. Also, the inks do have a specific aroma to them and do better on some fabrics more than others. A B