Inkjet & Digital Printing

Xeikon presents insights in sustainable digital printing at EcoPrint, Berlin

Thursday 23. August 2012 - Sustainability doesn't stop with buying certified paper!

Xeikon will participate with an information booth at the new EcoPrint show taking place in Berlin on 26 and 27 September, 2012. Xeikon fully supports the initiative to gather all the relevant players in the graphic arts industry as well as the brand owners and print buyers to create higher sustainability awareness and more willingness to go beyond just ‘ordering certified paper’. At EcoPrint, Xeikon aims at informing print buyers and print providers as widely as possible on all aspects of the sustainability discussion.
Xeikon has been intensively practicing sustainability since 2004
The show organizers chose the motto ‘Think, Talk and Take Action’ for this first ever purely ecology focused event for the print industry. With over 20 years of experience in digital printing, Xeikon is well placed to think, talk and act on topics such as sustainability and recyclability of print. Says Michael V. Ring, VP of Worldwide Marketing at Xeikon: “Xeikon started its eco initiatives around VOC reduction, waste reduction, recyclability, energy consumption and other sustainability efforts at Drupa 2004. Sustainability is one of the four core criteria that every Xeikon solution has to meet, in addition to customer profitability, quality and flexibility.” Ring also pointed out that the new Trillium HVT liquid toner, announced at Drupa 2012 by Xeikon, also meets all the requirements in terms of no VOC emissions and paper recyclability.
Xeikon is green
Digital printing in itself has an immediate ecological impact by ‘printing only what you need, when you need it’, thus reducing waste and downsizing storage space. In its product design and manufacturing, Xeikon optimizes the use of raw materials, improves process efficiencies, increases product life cycles, as well as optimizes product recycling and disposal. Xeikon also uses 100% Green electricity in its plants, thereby bringing the CO2 emissions during toner production down to nearly zero.
Eco goals at Xeikon also include meeting environment related product standards and customer requirements before, during and after printing, minimizing water pollution and easy paper de-inkability. Xeikon was granted the Belgian Environmental Award for sustainable product development in
2003-2004 and honored for its reusable packaging design in 2007.
Beyond using recycled paper
The European study ‘The Future of Paper Recycling in Europe’, a final report of COST Action E48, states that between 2005 and 2015/2020, the need for paper will grow by 20%, in spite of the move towards heavier electronic communication. Apart from planting and nurturing more trees, the majority of the increasing demand for paper fiber will have to be supplied by an increase in collection and reuse of paper fibers. Hence, there is an absolute necessity for recyclable printing technology.
Lode Deprez, Vice President Consumables & Process Group and ‘Prime Eco Ambassador’ at Xeikon, clarifies: “Based on this study, the whole paper recycling industry wants to make sure that as much paper can be used as many times as possible. This is to guarantee that enough paper is available to fulfill the demands at affordable prices. Big threats to the paper recycling industry, therefore, are printing technologies that reduce the efficiency or the yield in the paper recycling process. This will not only cause business problems, but could also result in an inability to provide the paper material needed.”
So now is the time for all users of printed materials across all industries to step up and complete their efforts in terms of sustainability. Focusing on sustainable production and manufacturing themselves is the first step. Selecting suppliers that do the same is the next step. Being consistent in their actions across their entire company’s operation is the final step… and that includes the printed matter they produce. Selecting ecologically certified substrates is great, but printing them with a sustainable and recyclable technology is as important!
Dry toner is the solution
Dry toner based prints have been in existence for more than 50 years and represent approximately
6-7% of the total amount of printed material. They are recyclable without any additional costs.
During the seminar, Xeikon’s customer Versand Service Plate (VSP) will present their views on sustainability. Xeikon encourages visitors to stop by its booth (# 3-423), talk to the company staff and get a free copy of the Xeikon white paper on recyclability and sustainability.