“What sustainable printing inks can you offer?“ We are asked this question about “green“ or “ecological“ inks on a daily basis. And that’s a good thing. Because printing companies need information in order to correctly advise their customers about environmentally sound and innovative printing products.

But what are ecological inks? There is no real standard as yet – no fully sustainable ink. Epple Druckfarben AG offers a wide range of mineral oil-free and cobalt-free printing inks with qualities that significantly exceed current global requirements (see EuPIA exclusion policy, page 12). Nevertheless, almost all printing inks still contain synthetic components and a printing ink for every requirement with a purely biological composition is still a long way off. The mineral oils previously used in formulations have now, of course, been almost entirely replaced by plant oils and even the binders contain a high percentage of renewable raw materials. The development of bio-based additives is making progress, but is not yet mature or economically competitive. As yet there is no real sustainable alternative in view for organic pigments that can meet the required process and colour standards.

This is why our focus should be on the ecological evaluation of printing inks and products with regards to their environmental balance during their life cycle. The corresponding life cycle analysis looks at the potential effects on the environment and the energy balance of products across their entire life: from raw material procurement and processing via product production, usage and end of product life. As a printing ink producer, sometimes we can only have a limited influence on sustainability in various phases. We are, however, following the goal of a sustainable supply chain by actively obtaining information and communicating transparently. (Also see pages 6 – 7)

Is the life cycle assessment therefore more important than the label “ecological ink“? Both are relevant and the question for us should be: “Which printing ink has the best life cycle assessment for this order and customer requirement?“ We are certain that we can answer this very competently as a printing ink producer!