Reducing labelling’s carbon footprint with EkoCure® Dual Cure inks

It’s a common challenge – how can today’s Label & Narrow Web printers balance volume and throughput with reducing their carbon footprints? Dual-curing UV LED inks like EkoCure could hold the answer.

Sustainability is more important than ever to today’s print and packaging industry. Tightening regulations on packaging waste combined with brand and consumer expectations are piling pressure on printers and converters to reduce their environmental impact. Faced with these challenges, many businesses are beginning to explore how dual-curing inks can enhance their sustainability without compromising on quality and performance.

Two of the most impactful methods for reducing label printing’s carbon footprint are addressing waste and energy consumption.

Misprints, reworks, and unused materials all produce waste that harms the environment in multiple ways. Not only do landfilled products release carbon emissions as they break down, but their disposal also wastes the energy and natural resources that went into their creation. Minimising waste is key to improving sustainability in the Label and Narrow Web sector.

Energy consumption presents another significant threat to carbon footprints because most energy is still produced by burning fossil fuels, which results in vast quantities of harmful greenhouse gases being released.

Dual-curing UV LED inks like EkoCure Dual Cure are key to solving both these problems. These inks are formulated to work under both traditional UV Hg and UV LED systems, enabling a gradual transition to more efficient curing technology without discarding existing ink inventories. This reduces waste during the transition period and provides flexibility for mixed equipment setups, helping to shrink printers’ carbon footprints and expenses alike.

UV LED lamps consume significantly less energy than traditional UV Hg lamps and unlike them they can be activated instantly without need for pre-heating. This removes significant energy costs required to reach operating temperatures, and results in less energy waste in terms of heat lost to radiation. This translates directly to a lower carbon footprint, as it means less fossil fuel is being burned to generate electricity and fewer greenhouse gases are being released into the atmosphere.

Another benefit can be found in the faster curing offered by UV LED ink technology as these UV LED wavelengths have a deeper penetration into the ink film, having therefore also a very good adhesion to the substrate. This reduces production times and improves overall press uptime, resulting in enhanced productivity without compromising on output quality. The inks also cure without emitting ozone, ensuring safer handling at a lower environmental impact.

Flint Group was early to realise the potential of dual-curing ink technology and quickly established itself as a pioneer in UV LED curing. Today, the company has more than 10 years of experience in manufacturing high performance dual-curing inks, providing the market with a more sustainable solution.

By integrating dual-curing UV LED inks into their processes, narrow web printers can significantly reduce their environmental impact while benefiting from cost and production efficiencies. Combining energy efficiency, reduced waste, and increased flexibility, EkoCure Dual Cure inks are ideal for maximising sustainability in the Narrow Web & Label sector.