Green packaging design means and corresponding materials

The development of flexographic inks has experienced different phases of aniline inks, solvent inks, alcohol-soluble inks, water-based inks, and UV inks. The application of water-based inks and UV inks has added wings to flexo printing for green packaging services.

The application of flexo printing in the packaging industry has become increasingly widespread. According to statistics from authoritative organizations, flexo printing accounts for approximately 70% of the packaging market in Europe, while offset and gravure each account for 15%. The French market statistics are similar: 67% for flexo, 18% for gravure and 15% for offset. Flexo has long dominated the corrugated packaging and bag market, and its share in flexible packaging has also grown. The current European market situation is: the ratio of flexo to gravure is about 60 to 40. Flexographic printing is expected to have more room for growth in folding cartons and folding cartons. Such packaging currently uses offset printing methods. At the same time, the expanding trend of flexo printing will also affect various narrow-web printing areas, including Adhesive labels, etc.

Water-based inks generally consist of insoluble pigments, water-soluble or water-dispersible resins, pure water, and small amounts of ethanol and additives. Its greatest feature is that it significantly reduces the emission of organic volatiles (VOC) into the atmosphere, thus preventing air pollution and improving the printing operation environment. It can completely eliminate the harmful effects of certain harmful substances in solvent-based inks and the contamination of packaged goods. Particularly suitable for printing food, beverages, pharmaceuticals and other packaging products.

Because the main solvent used for water-soluble inks is water instead of organic solvents, the core of the water-based ink, the binder, is mainly composed of an aqueous resin, which is the main difference between it and solvent inks and alcohol-soluble inks. The main components of water-based inks are special colorants, water-based binders and defoamers and other additives. Water-based ink technology is the key to the formation of water-soluble resin, and now the main formula is polyvinyl alcohol, methyl cellulose, latex, acrylic resin, rosin resin, water-based amino resin. Water-based inks are distinguished by their low viscosity, high concentration and fast drying. It is its low-viscosity fluid properties that promote the ink's good transfer performance. A flexo printer can use a single anilox roller to complete complex ink transfer and ink transfer processes. Due to the quick-drying, water-resistant, and fast drying speeds of flexographic inks, trapping overprinting has no adverse effects and failures, and is particularly suitable for high-speed printing of absorptive or non-absorbent substrates.

In addition, from a printing point of view, new international printing technologies and new breakthroughs that can be used for “green printing” services are also emerging, such as the CTP technology that has been in full swing in the printing industry in the past two years. Great reduction, and avoid the pollution of various potions. Since the photographic technique utilizes the electro-optical phenomena in solids, the method of forming images by means of physical processes eliminates the use of inks and solvents, thereby reducing the environmental pollution. Dust-jet printing is a direct printing method in which toner is directly ejected onto a recording medium such as paper, and it is possible to quickly obtain stable high-definition prints under low-cost conditions. Dusting has attracted attention due to its color misalignment, multi-step gray scale, high-speed printing, and low cost.

Main measures for developed countries to develop green packaging At present, the international green packaging system has become one of the main contents of setting up green standards in developed countries. According to relevant systems, developed countries have adopted measures in the past decade to formulate laws and directives concerning specific packaging that contain clear environmental protection measures, mainly in the following categories:

1 Prohibition of the use of certain packaging materials by legislation: For example, legislation prohibits the use of packaging materials containing components such as lead, mercury and copper, appliances that cannot be reused, and packaging materials that do not achieve a specific recycling ratio.

2 Establishing a Storage Refund System: Many countries stipulate that alcohol-containing beverages and soft drinks should all use reusable containers. Some countries (such as Denmark) require that they refuse to import if they cannot meet this standard.

3 The implementation of tax incentives or fines: that is, manufacturers of packaging materials are given tax exemptions, low tax concessions, or higher taxes in accordance with whether they produce the raw materials for packaging or whether the packaging used is safe or partially use recycled packaging materials. To encourage the use of renewable resources.

Vigorously develop China's green packaging industry 1. Accelerating technological innovation and developing new materials, new processes and new products are the key to development. Looking at the course of economic development in various countries, the company's own innovation capability is always the ultimate driving force for economic development. China's green packaging If the industry wants to achieve rapid development, it cannot ignore the important role of the company in the use and invention of new technologies. Of course, this needs to improve the laws concerning the protection of technological patents and fundamentally motivate the enthusiasm of corporate inventions and creations.

2. To strengthen legal construction We must, in accordance with international practice, establish and improve our country's environmental labeling system and carry out certification work at a high starting point. In the course of economic development, western countries have experienced the stage of “pollution first and then governance”, which reminds other countries not to take such old roads again, but to minimize pollution while the economy grows, and this Need to establish and improve laws on environmental protection.

3. Giving Government Support Given that there is a gap between China's industry development level and the developed countries, in the process of China's participation in international competition, there is no doubt that the government should give appropriate support to the industry. Of course, the government should follow the principle of focusing on economic means and give certain preferential policies on environmental governance, taxation, and credit. At the same time, it allows enterprises to form a good mechanism for the introduction of advanced technologies and to achieve compliance with standards, and give full play to the initiative of the company.