Durst’s Rho Roll Ink, used in the Rho 350/351 and Rho 320R UV roll to roll inkjet printers, has been approved as the first and only digital ink by the Environmental Test Institute Nordic Ecolabel.
The approval was based on the fact that Rho Roll Ink is totally VOC free and meets other requirements such as the recyclability of printed matter and the absence of toxic chemicals.
Printing houses, which fulfil all other conditions of the Nordic ecolabel, can apply the Nordic Swan logo on printed matter produced on the Rho printers using Rho Roll Ink.
The Swan is the official Nordic ecolabel. It was created in 1989 by the Nordic Council of Ministers for Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, with the purpose of providing an environmental labelling system that would contribute to a sustainable consumerism. It was also initiated as a practical tool for consumers to help them actively choose environmentally-sound products. In the case of inks, the Nordic ecolabelling covers the following classifications: environment hazard, toxicity, problematic substances and volatile organic substances (VOCs).
Durst, from the outset of its inkjet business, has only been concerned with environmentally friendly printing processes. That is why it has exclusively followed the UV curing ink route. All Durst Rho inks contain no VOCs and strictly conform to the “Restriction of Hazardous Substances” (RoHS) Directive 2002/96/EC and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2002/96/EC. This means that Durst’s Rho inks do not have to carry the symbol of the “dead fish” or “dead tree”.
Many printers may seem unaware of the fact that UV curing inks with “very low” solvents, or VOC free inks which include photo initiators, can still contaminate the water table and therefore have to carry the mark of the “dead fish” or the “dead tree”. They might believe that by just using UV inks they are fully conforming to the growing requests from their customers who are, in general, becoming much more environmentally aware.
Along with the developments, Durst has been heavily committed to environmental protection. Thus, ”Green Technology” has always been a basic principle for Durst.
Durst Phototechnik Digital Technology GmbH
http://www.durst-online.at/
