Mills Fear Inkjet Won't Recycle

Water-based inks from the next generation of inkjet web presses—being displayed at drupa this month—could pose challenges to the paper recycling process, says an industry trade group. The problem: high-speed webs depositing water-based inkjet inks into porous stocks, used for massive direct mail campaigns, transpromotional runs and digitally printed newspapers, can't be removed during the recycling process. Instead, the inks bleed during the repulping process to form a color that darkens the pulp.

Voicing the concern is INGEDE, a Munich, Germany-based group whose acronym stands for the International Assn. of the Deinking Industry. Founded in 1989, its 40 mostly European members include such mills as UPM, Stora Enso, Norske Skogg, M-Real, and Myllykoskia.

Over the years, INGEDE has participated in efforts to improve recycling of digitally printed papers, particularly those imaged with dry toners. Testing has confirmed, says INGEDE, that dry toners perform well in the same paper-recycling process developed for the removal of offset and gravure inks. While recycling mills are coping with casual production of inkjet prints from households or offices, the high-volume, high-speed webs change the scenario, says the group's spokesman, Axel Fischer.

According to INGEDE, direct mail or newspaper stocks printed with water-based inkjet will act like a sponge saturated with ink. The group contends that introducing pulp into the recycling stream, even in small amounts, could cause the system of graphic paper recycling to collapse. Calling undeinkable products a “gross aberration,” the organization even suggests inkjet-printed products should be labeled as “Not Recyclable.”

INGEDE has been trying to solve the problem with printer manufacturers and other members of the paper supply chain for several years. At a recent European roundtable, paper industry representatives discussed these issues with members of the digital print industry and, for the first time, this year inkjet manufacturers want to formally join the talks, says Axel Fischer, the group's press officer. INGEDE hopes this helps in the long run to direct further development towards better deinkable systems.

“We have to inform publishers and mailing designers,” he says. “We have to make clear that inkjet printed news and direct mail do not fit into the higher-grade paper recycling system.”

In 2007, 56%—an all-time high—of paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling, reports the American Forest & Paper Assn. More recovered paper can and should be recycled, says INGEDE, hoping it can be used for higher quality graphic papers.

To avoid these papers getting darker through multiple recycling, the ink has to be removed as recovered paper goes through the deinking process. This procedure should harm the environment as little as possible, and it should also lead to a high quality product.

To achieve these goals, everybody involved in these steps has to cooperate, says INGEDE.

ONLINE: go to www.ingede.com