Protecting the Pressroom Environment
Another concern printers face regarding environmental stewardship and inks is the management of chemicals of concern (CoCs) within a pressroom. The EPA contains lists of CoCs that have limitations, monitoring and reporting requirements. VOCs are examples of indoor environmental hazards that also need to be controlled. Inks, coatings, fountain solutions, press washes, plate processing chemicals, aerosol sprays and conditioners all are potential sources for VOCs.
Total allowable VOCs are regulated regionally and by the EPA, and each component used in a pressroom has a safety data sheet that lists specific VOC levels. In North America, the Environmental Protection Agency uses EPA Method 24 as the lab test protocol required to help chemical producers report VOC percentages related to printing.
Some ink companies have taken their own eco-efficiency approach by looking at the environmental impact associated with the manufacturing of their products, starting with an analysis of the raw materials consumed and fine tuning manufacturing processes to reduce their carbon footprint.
One of the techniques being used by companies to help understand environmental impact is a lifecycle assessment. These analyses address the environmental aspects and potential environmental impact of a product’s lifecycle, from raw material acquisition and production to customer use, and sometimes can include final disposal.
If a brand takes dedicated steps to vet and study in depth the environmental practices implemented by its suppliers and partners, it will be rewarded by consumers.
These assessments can help ink manufacturers provide meaningful data to printers that they can report on their effort to be eco-friendly. Some of this data could help quantify the greenhouse gases associated with the ink’s manufacturing and distribution phases of the product lifecycle and determine the carbon footprint for key products. It is also useful in helping ink manufacturers identify areas to target for improvement, such as water consumption, emissions and waste.
Partnering with an ink manufacturer with such data and low VOC solutions will go a long way toward helping achieve pressroom eco-efficiency goals.
Printing Green
In order to comply with all the various industry sustainability demands, package printers should engage with ink manufacturers who strive to work with suppliers that can provide raw materials that will ensure a “greener” ink. Some ink companies have responded to the industry challenges by rolling out inks that meet all the eco-friendly, biorenewable and biodegradable standards the industry, retailers and consumers are looking for.
Some flexographic and gravure solvent based inks, for example, feature naturally derived resins and additives and are meant for surface printing on biodegradable films. These inks should conform to the North American standard, ASTM-D: 6954-04, contain low levels of heavy metals, use a selective pigment range, utilize existing color concentrates to provide a comprehensive color palette, and provide excellent adhesion and non blocking properties on biodegradable films.
Other water based inks are formulated with high levels of biorenewable sourced resins and can deliver the required critical performance attributes needed across a range of paper packaging applications.
These inks should be formulated with significantly higher levels of biorenewable resin content compared to other market offerings and blendable with standard water based pigment dispersions that do not compromise end use or on press performance. Inks that meet these standards should naturally also offer outstanding print fidelity and resolubility on press, quick setting for inline converting and high levels of resistance properties to rub, abrasion, water and grease.
Sustainable Ink
Reducing the environmental impact of packaging is something everybody wants, and brands, retailers, printers, suppliers and consumers alike are all taking important steps forward to ensure packaging is green. While there is uncertainty in the marketplace about what a sustainable ink is, ink suppliers can play a role in helping printers, brands and ultimately consumers meet the eco-efficiency standards and expectations that have been set in the industry by regulators and NGOs.
About the Authors: Gregory V. Pace, Ph.D. is responsible for global regulatory and product stewardship at Sun Chemical. Jim Felsberg is a field marketing manager at Sun Chemical. Jeremy Teachman is a field marketing manager for water based packaging inks at Sun Chemical. Sun Chemical recently introduced its new eco-friendly SunSpectro SolvaGreen solvent based compostable ink series and SunVisto AquaGreen water based ink series that is derived from biorenewable resources. The authors can be reached at 708-236-3798 or by email at [email protected].