Flexographic ink is more environmentally friendly than offset ink
Date: Jul 30 2024 From: Star Color
Which is more environmentally friendly, flexographic ink or offset ink? I believe many people already know that flexographic ink is mostly water-based ink, while offset printing mainly uses oil-based ink. Waterborne ink is naturally more environmentally friendly than oil-based ink. Let's compare it in detail below.
1. Composition and volatile organic compound (VOC) content
Flexographic ink: mostly water-based or alcohol based ink, with water or alcohols as the main solvents, which have relatively low VOC content. Water based flexographic ink contains almost no VOCs, while alcohol based flexographic ink has a much lower VOC content than traditional oil-based ink. Therefore, from the perspective of VOC emissions, flexographic ink has higher environmental friendliness.
Offset printing ink: Traditional offset printing ink is mostly oil-based ink, containing high VOCs. These VOCs will evaporate into the air during the ink drying process, causing pollution to the environment. However, with the increasing awareness of environmental protection, many environmentally friendly offset printing inks have emerged in the market, such as soy ink and plant-based ink. These inks have relatively low VOC content, but still cannot fully meet the environmental protection level of flexographic ink.
2. Environmental standards and certifications
Flexographic ink: Due to its superior environmental performance, it is usually easier to obtain environmental certifications such as ISO 14001 environmental management system certification. These certifications further demonstrate the environmental advantages of flexographic ink.
Offset ink: Although environmentally friendly offset ink is also striving to meet environmental standards, it may be slightly more difficult to obtain environmental certification compared to flexographic ink. However, with the continuous advancement of technology, the environmental performance of environmentally friendly offset printing ink is gradually improving.
3. Application areas and environmental protection requirements
Flexographic ink: In the packaging fields such as food and medicine, there is a high demand for the environmental performance of ink. Flexographic ink is very suitable for packaging printing in these sensitive industries due to its low VOC, non-toxic and odorless characteristics.
Offset printing ink: Although offset printing ink performs well in printing high-quality graphics and text, its application may be limited in areas with high environmental requirements, such as food and pharmaceutical packaging. However, the promotion and use of environmentally friendly offset printing ink is gradually changing this situation.
4. Waste disposal and recycling
Flexographic ink: Due to its relatively simple composition, waste disposal is relatively easy. Meanwhile, certain components of flexographic ink can also be recycled, further reducing its impact on the environment.
Offset printing ink: The waste disposal of traditional offset printing ink may be complex and require specific treatment measures to prevent environmental pollution. However, with the promotion and use of environmentally friendly offset printing ink, this problem is gradually being solved.
In summary, from multiple dimensions such as VOC content, environmental standards, application areas, and waste disposal, flexographic ink usually has higher environmental friendliness than traditional offset printing ink. However, with the continuous development and promotion of environmentally friendly offset printing ink, its environmental performance is gradually improving.
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