On February 14, 2011, executives from the DPDA (Digital Print Deinking Alliance) and INGEDE (International Association of the Deinking Industry) together signed a Letter of Intent for collaboration to investigate the deinking of inkjet prints. The primary objective of this collaboration is to identify new solutions suitable for combined recovered paper streams with analogue and digital prints. The target is to enable inkjet manufacturers as well as deinking mills to better anticipate their commercial and environmental requirements as inkjet print volumes become more significant.
“Inkjet is likely to be a relevant process in digital production printing in the future,” said Ulrich Hoeke, INGEDE Board Chairman, “and it is essential to maintain recovered graphic paper as a raw material for recycled-content graphic papers by ensuring good deinkability of inkjet prints.”
This DPDA–INGEDE Letter of Intent for collaboration on inkjet deinkability provides a structure for regular, detailed exchange of relevant data, and jointly-sponsored research projects under the direction of a Technical Committee with representatives from both organizations. Both DPDA and INGEDE recognize that feasible solutions may involve optimization of ink, pre- and post-treatment, paper characteristics and the deinking process. This DPDA–INGEDE Technical Committee has already had its first meeting, and plans to conduct at least one jointly-managed research project this year.
The paper industry already experiences considerable problems in recycling prints with water-based flexo inks. In order to avoid similar problems with water-based inkjet inks, paper industry and printer manufacturers will intensify their cooperation. Speaking on behalf of the DPDA, Crit Driessen, Vice President Marketing and Strategy Production Printing, Océ Printing Systems GmbH, said that “the DPDA recognizes that although there have been no single inkjet deinking issues reported in recycling mills, lab-scale assessments show a range of deinkability performance, and therefore it is important to identify the attributes and thresholds for successful deinking so the overall solution can be optimized. This Letter of Intent for collaboration on inkjet print deinkability is an important step forward for the paper and printing industry to help ensure that the benefits of inkjet printing are realised by all participants in the value chain.”