To investigate the potential environmental and economic impact of printing inks and adhesives used in flexible packaging, BASF has conducted an Eco-Efficiency Analysis (EEA) that compares water-based inks and adhesives with solvent-based systems.

The study covered a broad range of environmental categories, including climate change, resource depletion, and health and safety in the workplace. Water-based inks and adhesives performed better in all categories:

• Carbon footprint is reduced on account of lower CO2 emissions.

• Resource depletion potential is lower because no solvent is required.

• Workplace health and safety is enhanced through the absence of solvent-based compounds.

The EEA also revealed that solvent-based inks and adhesives can involve higher costs than water-based systems as a result of the large volumes required as well as the necessity of solvent incineration or recovery. Conversion to water-based systems could therefore help to reduce investment and maintenance costs.

For more information, please contact Tanja Kuiphuis.

More details on the EEA you can also find here.