Bio (Green) ink / cradle to Cradle versus UV-ink

[Kees]

Hi all,
I have been asked to look into the possibility to use bio ink for our print productions, in combination with FSC paper it will give us our company a "environmental responsible" green image . Now I'm not printing myself, so i have to get my main printer to get enthusiastic with this, which could be difficult, but that put beside, I have also been working on a plan to get all my print jobs being printed with UV ink, which is not so "environmental" I assume, but is less energy consuming and with a lot less overs. Now, what would be "better" from an environmental point of view? Anyone?

 

[gordo]

You’re printing 3D tissues using stem cell based ink (bio ink)?

Hi all,
I have been asked to look into the possibility to use bio ink for our print productions, in combination with FSC paper it will give us our company a "environmental responsible" green image . Now I'm not printing myself, so i have to get my main printer to get enthusiastic with this, which could be difficult, but that put beside, I have also been working on a plan to get all my print jobs being printed with UV ink, which is not so "environmental" I assume, but is less energy consuming and with a lot less overs. Now, what would be "better" from an environmental point of view? Anyone?

 

[Kees]

Hello Gordon, no i'm not printing tissues, just normal artwork in offset on coated and uncoated stock, the ink is made from bark (trees), more info https://www.greenchemistrycampus.com/en/

 

[gordo]

Hello Gordon, no i'm not printing tissues, just normal artwork in offset on coated and uncoated stock, the ink is made from bark (trees), more info https://www.greenchemistrycampus.com/en/

I couldn’t find any info about ink on that site. Could you provide a direct link?

 

[Kees]

Hi Gordon, the right site is this one http://www.green4print.nl/

 

[engin]

Conventional LMQ offset inks contain vegi based oils and esters. In their natural circulation, from an independent Institute ( like ISEGA) certification for a certain time ( for 2 years) should be exists. Their main feature is not the environment but to give safe printing conditions for foods to be packed. As you may know 1 kg of vegi oil contaminates 1 milyon kg of water if left over to the environment in unexpected conditions.

 

[Kees]

Hi Engin, what is your point? Is it not better for the environment than conventional ink? How much water is contaminated bin 1 kg of non vegi based ink than?

 

[engin]

Hi Engin, what is your point? Is it not better for the environment than conventional ink? How much water is contaminated bin 1 kg of non vegi based ink than?

Hi Kees, All the conventional inks are based on oils, either purely vegi or in combination of vegi+mineral oils. Oil is oil and either vegi or mineral, they are water pollutant. Vegi inks are preferred for packaging prints to minimise the mineral oil migration and the extreme point is LMQ inks.

On the other hand, for the environmental point is that in recent vegi based inks the formulations are from re-newable sources and there are less natural sources used. In this manner, we can say vegi based inks environmetally friendly against other (vegi+mineral oil containing) conventional inks.

 

[gordo]

@Kees...

At the end of the day, no ink is good for the environment. But soy-based ink is a better choice from an environmental impact point of view assuming that it meets your print manufacturing requirements. Most, if not all ink vendors offer veggie-based inks. green4print does not appear to have anything special that distinguishes it from other ink vendors in that regard (their website has no specific information about their inks).

So, go with soy. And while you're at it, switch to FM screening, and heavy GCR separations to reduce ink consumption while delivering the same print appearance.

 

[Kees]

Hi Engin and Gordo, @ Gordo: thanks for your reply in this. Going back to my initial question: veggie based ink is on the whole a better choice than led-UV ink although I will need less energy and have less waste material with UV? I want to see it as a whole picture. Secondary question: FM and GCR is that something that is especially important when printing with veggie ink and why? For my info: soy = ink from soy beans? Is not so good for the environment, feels the same as palm oil to me which is killing the rain-forest in Indonesia?

 

[gordo]

Hi Engin and Gordo, @ Gordo: thanks for your reply in this. Going back to my initial question: veggie based ink is on the whole a better choice than led-UV ink although I will need less energy and have less waste material with UV?

I doubt it very much because you have to apply energy to cure the UV inks.

Secondary question: FM and GCR is that something that is especially important when printing with veggie ink and why?

No. They are important because (among other benefits) they reduce ink consumption whether you use veggie ink or not.

For my info: soy = ink from soy beans? Is not so good for the environment, feels the same as palm oil to me which is killing the rain-forest in Indonesia?

Deforestation to grow soy is not due to ink manufacturing needs.
Some 70%+ of soy production is used for animal feed.
Of the remaining % a large portion is used for human feed in processed food (from cereals to margarine to frozen pot pies and beyond). A smaller % is used in applications like bio fuels, building materials, commercial carpeting, auto upholstery, etc., etc., etc. And a teeny tiny itsy bitsy volume is consumed to make printing ink.

If you're concerned about deforestation, just stop eating meat (and convince everyone else in the print shop to do the same - like WeWork did: https://tinyurl.com/ybzeqhl8).

 

[Kees]

Ha! That's a good one! After the USA the Netherlands is the biggest food export nation in the world, by now we have 17 M inhabitants + 12 M pigs, 100 M chicken 2 M cows, in such a tiny country imagine the smell of ammonia, methane etc. ....