Plastic Card Printers - which one is right for you?

A quick search on Google for plastic card printers brings out a huge variety of brands, models and features available to anyone looking for a plastic card printer. But how can you know which one is right for you? How do you know what features are important and which ones are just "bells and whistles"?

Most people start out looking for the most affordable printer, which is understandable. Everyone wants the best for the least. However, it is important to consider other factors as well.

First, it is important to look at what your needs are. Are you looking to print a standard ID card? Do you need a printer that has the capability to provide an excellent full colour image? Do you need a fast printer that has the capability to print a high quantity of cards, or one that is designed to print smaller volumes? Each of the questions brings about a different answer...and one that goes beyond the price of the printer.

It is also important to look at the reliability of the printer. What type of reputation does this printer have? Does it have a good warrantee? Is it backed by a company who will be able to offer quick and trustworthy service, should it be needed. These are all questions that must be taken into consideration when evaluating the brands and models of plastic card printers currently on the market.

Our experience in the plastic card industry has given Cards Plus tried and true knowledge in what is available as well as what advantages and disadvantages are found in each brand of printer. It was with this knowledge that we have put our name behind Digital Identification's EdiSecure Plastic Card Printers. Not only does Digital Identification Solutions have the same customer focused, solution based business model, but they provide a product that is trustworthy, innovative and solid. From their affordable Value Line of desktop Plastic card ID Printers, to their highly secure XID Retransfer Printers, they provide consistantly excellent printers that far outshine their competition. And while we certainly understand that there are many in South Africa who are comfortable with their current brand of printer (and we will gladly assist them with any needs they might have), we truly believe that Edisecure is the best available - it's not the cheapest, but it is affordable. And it truly gives the best value for money.

We invite anyone who is interested to come by our offices and see a demonstration of EdiSecure brand printers - the cappucino is on us! Contact our customer service department to schedule an appointment. Call 011 894 3914 or 086 16 CARDS (22737)

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Environmentally Friendly Plastic??

A growing concern in the world today is our impact on the environment, and a new consciousness has arisen. A desire to be environmentally consciencious is filtering into many consumer based decisions - including our use of plastic cards.

At first glance, the newest kid on the block - PLA - otherwise known as "corn plastic" seems like the best alternative. In fact, a large retail chain in South Africa has adopted this as their plastic of choice, marking themselves as environmentally friendly. However, a few very important details have been overlooked, and this warrants a closer look.

First, the claim that the card is "biodegradable" needs to be called into question. Polyactic Resin - PLA is a byproduct of industrial lactic acid, which is derived from corn. Advocates of PLA claim that it is compostable into a fertilizer, which is true. What isn't widely known is that it requires very special treatment - not the type that comes from your garden's compost pile, or your local landfill. The Smithsonian magazine recently reported

" PLA is said to decompose into carbon dioxide and water in a “controlled composting environment” in fewer than 90 days. What’s a controlled composting environment? Not your backyard bin, pit or tumbling barrel. It’s a large facility where compost—essentially, plant scraps being digested by microbes into fertilizer—reaches 140 degrees for ten consecutive days. So, yes, as PLA advocates say, corn plastic is “biodegradable.” But in reality very few consumers have access to the sort of composting facilities that can make that happen. NatureWorks has identified 113 such facilities nationwide—some handle industrial food-processing waste or yard trimmings, others are college or prison operations—but only about a quarter of them accept residential foodscraps collected by municipalities.

Moreover, PLA by the truckload may potentially pose a problem for some large-scale composters. Chris Choate, a composting expert at Norcal Waste Systems, headquartered in San Francisco, says large amounts of PLA can interfere with conventional composting because the polymer reverts into lactic acid, making the compost wetter and more acidic. “Microbes will consume the lactic acid, but they demand a lot of oxygen, and we’re having trouble providing enough,” he says. “Right now, PLA isn’t a problem,” because there’s so little of it, Choate says. (NatureWorks disputes that idea, saying that PLA has no such effect on composting processes.) In any event, Norcal says a future PLA boom won’t be a problem because the company hopes to convert its composters to so-called anaerobic digesters, which break down organic material in the absence of oxygen and capture the resulting methane for fuel.'" An additional article on PLA's recycle-ability can be found at Oregon Live

Second, one must take into consideration the use of a food source to supply a consumer product. An excellent article at Guardian UK states "Bioplastics compete for land with biofuels and food crops. About 200,000 tonnes of bioplastics were produced last year, requiring 250,000-350,000 tonnes of crops. The industry is forecast to need several million acres of farmland within four years." With growing movements toward biofuels, and now food based plastics, what will come of our food crops?

Third, concern has been raised about the liklihood of emissions of greenhouse gas, methane. Again the Guardian reports:

"Concern is mounting because the new generation of biodegradable plastics ends up on landfill sites, where they degrade without oxygen, releasing methane, a greenhouse gas 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. This week the US national oceanic and atmospheric administration reported a sharp increase in global methane emissions last year.

"It is just not possible to capture all the methane from landfill sites," said Michael Warhurt, resources campaigner at Friends of the Earth. "A significant percentage leaks to the atmosphere."

"Just because it's biodegradable does not mean it's good. If it goes to landfill it breaks down to methane. Only a percentage is captured," said Peter Skelton of Wrap, the UK government-funded Waste and Resources Action Programme. "In theory bioplastics are good. But in practice there are lots of barriers."

In theory, PLA is a biodegradeable plastic, made from a renewable resource, however, it is clear, that at this time, this is not the most environmentally friendly plastic available.

While no perfectly "Green" plastic seems to exist at this stage, PET is a plastic worth considering. An acronym for poly (ethylene terephthalate), PET is a thermalplastic polymer of the polyester family containing the chemical elements of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. It's carbon foot print is quite comparable to the carbon foot print of all other cards whether considered green or not. (see article at Creditcard.com) In addition it is a enviromentally friendly plastic, is recyclable and does not create harmful gases or pollute the environment.

As technology, and consumer cries for greener products continue to grow, more products producing less of a demand on our environment will become more commonly available. Until then, be sure to take in the entire picture, and make an informed decision. Be wise, not just smart!

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