HP has committed $200 million over five or more years to develop sustainable ink technologies for printing digitally on textiles and corrugated packaging. The move builds on HP’s existing innovation in water-based ink technology for the sign and display market.
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"Expected to propel business growth": |
“Investing in water-based solutions that meet market needs and the increasing sustainability requirements of graphics customers is expected to propel business growth for HP,” says Santi Morera, general manager and global head of graphics solutions, HP Inc. “We will be dedicating resources toward continued innovation and industry disruption to accelerate safer, simpler and more sustainable water-based printing technologies that meet the quality, performance and economics needed by these markets.”
The $US200 million plan is part of HP’s investment in leading technologies across its graphics portfolio. “Water-based print technology advances HP’s Sustainable Impact vision and commitment to safer, simpler solutions,” says HP. "Traditional textile coloration makes use of technologies that can be problematic from a water emissions perspective.
World Resources Institute estimates that about 20% of industrial water pollution comes from garment manufacturing.
“HP’s water-based inks for corrugated packaging have already shown leadership for sensitive applications such as food packaging," the industry leader says. 'The company is committing resources to enable the next major generation of ink, printhead and press technology, with improved quality, performance and sustainability in our solutions out of a belief that water-based solutions are the long-term future of this market.”
This announcement builds on HP’s existing innovation in water-based ink technology, such as for the sign and display market. Water-based HP Latex Inks, for example, established a durable, versatile and safer alternative for existing inks used for signage and displays. Additional sustainability achievements across HP’s graphics business allow brands to reduce waste and minimize their environmental impact.
HP says it believes that “investing in water-based ink solutions for the corrugate and textile printing markets will have beneficial effects along the entire product lifecycle, for the people who operate our printing systems, for the end users of the printed product, and ultimately for the final reuse, recycling, or disposal of that product.”
