European study successfuly de-inks inkjet paper

Inkjet paper can still be used on recyclable banners, reveals a new study from Europe.

Inkjet printing is often used for poster printing and the creation of signage, marketing products and other forms of commercial printing. However Inkjet paper, the special fine paper designed for the printers, is estimated to only account for a total market share of the total graphic printing in Europe of less than 1%. This low rate of use has meant that inkjet paper is one of the few areas of uncertainty in the process of paper reclamation and recycling.

Now though a study conducted in France has revealed that a typical European mixed-grade waste paper recycling system is more than adequate to the task of de-inking such products. This means that recyclable banners can unequivocally be printed on the high quality paper if desired.

Print Week reports that the Digital Print De-Inking Alliance (DPDA) has announced that procedures replicating a standard recycling system successfully de-inked ‘nearly all’ of the samples used in the tests. Matthias Fromm, R&D Manager of French firm Oce Printing Systems said that the tests had been conducted to understand the impact of inkjet printed papers in commercial recycling systems.

“Based on the projected growth rates of inkjet printing, we anticipate the de-inking industry is capable at current volumes and that we have a few more years to jointly develop the appropriate technologies of paper, ink and de-inking methods to ensure good de-inking performance if and when the need arises,” said Fromm.