A few days ago, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued a new standard for gravure ink and flexo ink, which will be implemented from October 1! In the industry has caused widespread concern, many readers in the background message asked after the implementation of this new standard, flexo printing enterprises should how to respond?

In order to implement the "Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China" and reduce the impact of gravure ink and flexo ink on the environment and human health during the production, use and disposal process, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment formulated and issued the "Technical Requirements for Environmental Labeling Products Gravure Ink and flexo Ink" (HJ 371-2018) (full text attached). This standard puts forward environmental protection requirements for the toxic and harmful substances in the raw materials, production process and products of gravure ink and flexo ink, which will be implemented from October 1, 2018.

As of the date of implementation, the "Technical Requirements for gravure Ink and flexographic Ink for Environmental Labeling Products" (HJ/T 371-2007) is repealed.

The platform specially connected Shi Jianping, Secretary-General of the Flexographic Printing Branch of the China Printing Technology Association, and asked him to talk about the impact of the new standards of intaglio ink and flexographic ink on the paper packaging industry flexo printing enterprises and how flexo printing enterprises should respond to the issues of concern.

China Printing Technology Association flexographic printing branch secretary Shi Jianping

This latest ink standard is indeed a great thing for the development of China's flexo printing industry, and will certainly promote the industry.

For carton printing, the vast majority of printing companies are produced by flexo printing process, accounting for 90-95%. As long as the use of ink that meets the technical requirements of national environmental labeling products, it can meet the requirements of the environmental protection department, and the environmental protection tax will be reduced, which will bring benefits to Indian enterprises.

The use of flexo ink will inevitably produce sewage, generally through the sewage treatment device to solve the problem, this treatment will produce a certain amount of silt, what we are doing is to make the silt reduction, the first way to find is to dehydrate, reduce the weight of solid waste, is to help printing companies spend less money, as far as possible to avoid paying for the water in the sludge.

In addition, the new standard limits the ink VOCs to ≤ 5%, the solvent-based ink is excluded, so the use of standard ink, for printing companies to find no need to install similar RTO class VOCs processing devices, reducing investment and daily operating costs.

-- Shi Jianping, Secretary General of Flexographic Printing Branch of China Printing Technology Association