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Sustainability and Printing Ink (July 09)

What is sustainability? Simply put, "sustainability" calls for the use of materials, processes, and practices that meet the functional and economic needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Though several organizations and coalitions have formed to promote sustainability, the movement is still in its infancy with a lot of work left to do.

Ranking Sustainability. Cataloguing and classifying the sustainability of thousands of raw materials is complicated, and often quite subjective. The National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) has begun to tackle this issue by introducing a ranking and communication program for evaluating and communicating the Bio-derived Renewable Content (BRC) of printing inks.

Bio-renewable content. The inks manufactured by Graphic Ink Company are classified as "oil based, sheet fed, lithographic inks". These inks are based on vegetable oils and resins derived from sustainable natural sources such as trees, seeds, & nuts. The new generation of "Bio-inks" manufactured by Graphic Ink are among the highest rated Bio-Renewable Content of any ink types, earning a respectable 60-70% BRC.