Printing industry news website Printing Impressions (www.piworld.com) has a current article discussing a bill making its way through the New York State legislature to make packaging producers responsible for collection and recycling of said packaging materials through an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program. As the article notes, in addition to requirements for packaging reduction and the incorporation of recycled content, the law would ban the use of “certain toxic chemicals that includes the use of carbon black-based materials such as black printing inks.”
What is Carbon Black?
The Encyclopaedia Britannica defines carbon black as “any of a group of intensely black, finely divided forms of amorphous carbon, usually obtained as soot from partial combustion of hydrocarbons, used principally as reinforcing agents in automobile tires and other rubber products but also as extremely black pigments of high hiding power in printing ink, paint, and carbon paper.”
The Impact of Banning Carbon Black
As carbon black is the primary pigment in black ink, banning its usage would, of course, have an immediate and devastating impact on the printing industry. Black ink is the most critical component and forms the basis of virtually all printing processes. As the article goes on to note, the carbon black used in printing inks is non-toxic. However, carbon black is a critical component of black plastic which appears to be the culprit the New York State legislature is trying to regulate. But, before full panic sets in, the Printing United Alliance (www.printing.org) is monitoring this legislation and “will be challenging any future attempts to ban carbon black with advocacy efforts.”
If you have any questions about Issues Effecting the Printing Industry, give us a call at 330-597-8560. We’re happy to help you get the most out of your printing project.
