Ricoh has joined hands with American ink pioneer Farbenpunkt to reduce CO2 emissions with a waterless and chemical-free textile ink solution. As part of the collaboration, Ricoh has a robust, environmentally responsible alternative approach for digital textile printers as it combines its broad printhead portfolio with Farbenpunkt’s Peracto Technology.
Graham Kennedy, the director, Industrial Print, Ricoh Europe, says: “This collaboration builds on Ricoh’s longstanding history of innovative inkjet head development and allows us to support a production sector looking for ways to address growing questions around sustainability. Digitally producing textiles with vastly reduced water waste and eliminating energy-intensive pre and post-treatment stages deliver huge environmental benefits. Therefore, this disruptive ink offering enables more cost-effective production and allows manufacturers to consider establishing local production capabilities through reshoring. This is especially important now when we see a growth in on-demand digital production spurred on by the pandemic’s impact on consumer habits and business operations. Our Farbenpunkt partnership is good news for manufacturers and their shareholders, textile printers and consumers.”
Traditional fabric dyeing and treatment accounts for 20 percent of worldwide wastewater. The fashion industry generates 10 percent of annual global carbon emissions. Ricoh now provides a robust, environmentally responsible alternative approach for digital textile printers by pairing its broad printhead portfolio with Farbenpunkt’s unique Peracto Technology.
The optimized combination is ideal for apparel and home furnishing applications.
It delivers more than 90 percent savings in fresh and wastewater use and 50 percent savings in energy use. This provides significant reductions in CO2 emissions.
Also, no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are emitted.
The ink is also compliant with REACH, the European Union regulation for the registration, evaluation, authorisation, and restriction of chemicals. It also has an Oeko-Tex Eco-Passport, an independent certification for chemicals, colorants, and accessories used in textile production.
