Solid Waste Management in the Printing and
Publishing Industry
THOMAS J. SORG, Chief
Basic Data Branch
Division of Technical Operations
Bureau of Solid Waste Management
Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, Ohio
INTRODUCTION
The printing and publishing industry in the United States is the largest supplier
of printing in the world and is composed of more than 40,000 establishments
scattered throughout our 50 States. The industry is recognized as a domain of the
small business man with approximately four out of every five establishments
employing fewer than 20 persons. As with many other industries, however, a
relatively small number of large firms concentrated in major industrial regions
produce a large percentage of the total output. This is especially evident in the case
of newspapers.
Historically, the industry has grown at a rate that closely approximates the
growth rate of the gross national product (GNP). In 1969, the value of printing
industry shipment was over $24 billion, capital expenditures estimated about $950
million, and total employment at approximately 1,091,000 persons. The total value
of shipments for the large industries alone constituted about 2.5 percent of the GNP.
The outlook for the printing and publishing industry as a whole is optimistic. With
the increase in population, the expected increase in education level, and the amount
of printed information available, the demand for all printed products should increase
over the next few years.
The purpose of a study conducted by Battelle Memorial Institute for the
Federal solid waste management program was to provide information on solid waste
management in the printing and publishing industry, defined as Standard Industrial
Classification (SIC), Code 27 and specifically including newspapers, SIC 271;
periodicals, SIC 274; books, SIC 273; and commercial printing, SIC 275.
The basic study technique was field interviews with plant personnel and
personal observations of waste management procedures. The survey sample consisted
of 105 firms from all major geographic regions of the continental United States.
Sample distribution was also in proportion to the number of firms in each SIC code
and to plant size. Furthermore, although most printing plants are located in urban,
industrial areas, plants in rural areas were also included.
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