Foreign Pressure Driving China’s “Green Ink” Industry

February 11, 2009

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Market pressure and foreign regulations are driving China toward more eco-friendly printing practices, announced consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.

Though regulations against petroleum-based inks on food packaging are non-compulsory in China, they are mandatory in the western market China sells to. These regulations and the appeal of “Green Packaging” are pushing the Chinese ink industry forward.

Printing ink is one of the most polluting materials used in packaging, but cash-strapped Chinese companies don’t have budgets for R&D, according to the firm. So it is regulations prohibiting aromatic and solvent-based inks, like EU’s REACH, that are accelerating the transition to greener inks, and will eventually eliminate ink-makers who do not comply, the firm predicts.

Water-based ink is the only qualified ink for food and pharmaceutical packaging in the west, the firm says, and with recent food safety scares the Chinese government is stepping up oversight on the chemicals used in foods and food packaging. Big events like the 2010 Shanghai World Expo will continue to keep focus on Chinese ink, an industry that is predicted to grow at 10% annually over the next several years. Additionally, China will soon be able to produce soy and vegetable-based inks, which it now imports, and this will diversify the eco-friendly Chinese ink market.

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Reader Comments

To All Readers of Foreign Pressure Driving China’s “Green Ink” Industry,
Please be advised that the references to ” printing ink is one of the most polluting materials used in packaging” is completely inaccurate. It is so generalized and vague to the point of being technically unsupportable, subjective, inflammatory, and unprofessional.The other statement, “water-based ink is the only qualified ink for food and pharmaceutical packaging in the west” is again a false statement. Currently packaging is being printed with oil-based, solvent-based, energy curable and water-based inks without issue. In the United States the FDA only regulates inks used on packaging when they are either a direct or indirect food additive. FDA does not regulate inks when there is an effedctive functional barrier between the printed substrate nd the food product. The National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) has contacted Frost & Sullivan to take corrective action on this document. It is very unfortunate that this type of misinformation is distributed in the public media.

john daugherty | October 20th, 2009

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