Paper or plastic? Right or left Twix? Yanny or Laurel? We’re all faced with choices in the products or packaging we buy.
Story time: I don’t know what impression you may have formed about me from these ongoing messages, but those that know me well enough would not describe me as handy. Nevertheless, there are times where I’m more active in DIY and projects around the house, most recently in painting my basement.
I headed to our local home improvement store and bought several gallons of water-based, acrylic paint. My brand and product choice was based mostly around the knowledge that our BASF products were prominent components. As is often the case with these projects, I forgot a couple of things (or found things I didn’t know I needed) and had to return the next day for more supplies, quickly picking up some primer.
Opening this primer at home, I was immediately confronted by my mistake as the powerful aroma of an oil-based paint wafted through the poorly-ventilated basement. Supplies to clean brushes? Of course not. Did I know anything about the performance or drying time? Negative. Finally, was I going to put up with the strong smell and other handling requirements? No way! We closed it up and I was soon on my way back to the store, frustrated at my mistake and wasted time.
Water or solvent? It’s a choice that some printers, and we as consumers, can make in deciding between the inks (or paints) we’re using for our applications. You may be aware of the eco-efficiency analysis (EEA) that BASF conducted a few years ago in comparing the use of water- and solvent-based inks: in this instance, it was focused on the flexible packaging space. Not only are water-based inks, facilitated by our JONCRYL® products, easier to handle and friendlier to press operators, but they also help to reduce carbon emissions and save on application costs. Considering the recent improvements made in formulations and components that enable water-based inks to perform as well as their solvent counterparts, I know what my choice would be.
Have a great weekend, and good luck getting through your own to-do list!
— Simon
Water-based inks and adhesives as a valuable contribution to sustainability in flexible packaging
- Water-based Joncryl® and Epotal® offer less environmental impact at similar costs and performance compared to solvent-based technologies
- Eco-Efficiency Analysis (EEA) proves a reduced carbon footprint for water-based inks and adhesives of about 15%
- BASF presents water-based technologies for printing and converting at Interpack 2017
BASF’s water-based resins for inks and adhesives in flexible packaging are an economically compatible and environmentally friendly alternative to solvent-based technologies. This is the result of a recently completed Eco-Efficiency Analysis conducted by BASF and based on previous Eco-Efficiency Analysis for water-based printing inks for flexible packaging in 2009 as well as data from a recent EEA for adhesives in 2016.
Read the full article here