environmentally-friendly printing inks and dyes

Hi Everyone,

I wonder if anyone can help me? I am looking for environmentally-friendly ways to print and dye fabrics made from 100% recycled PET (polyethylene triepthalate).

Ideally, I would like the resulting product to also be 100% recyclable - i.e. that the inks and dyestuffs used do not 'contaminate' the product in terms of its "recyclability" (is that a word?!)

Can anyone help?

Carol.

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Permalink Reply by Offset Warehouse on April 14, 2011 at 11:37

Hi Carol!

Hmm.. have a check out of this page: http://bit.ly/i9FA2M

If that's not quite what you're looking for, get in touch & we can have another look for you,

OW x

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Permalink Reply by Carol Ryder on April 15, 2011 at 10:29

Hi there,

Thanks so much for replying - I've had a look at the page you linked and it does indeed seem to ffer something along the lines of what we are looking for - you may very well be able to help us!

Most specifically, at the moment we are using a 100% recycled PET fabric (ployethylene triepthalate), which can itself be 100% recycled to perfect quality IF the chemicals used in printing and dyeing don't 'contamnate' the material.

Are you able to tell us if any of the printing / dyeing processes suggested would be able to colour the material without contaminating the material for recycling purposes?

If not, can you point us in the direction of anyone who can give us this specific information?

Carol.

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Permalink Reply by Offset Warehouse on April 19, 2011 at 10:21

Hmm.. let me find out.

What printing technique were you hoping to use- there are so many, it'd be good to narrow it down with what you're looking for visually?

Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Carol Ryder on April 19, 2011 at 10:58

I hadn't narrowed it down really because I wasn't sure what was available in terms of inks and dyestuffs - we were really expecting to be led by the most eco-friendly pigments!

Would I be right in thinking that screen-printing would be the most environmentally-friendly process?

Or would you recommend another, kinder process?

Because I'm an illustrator, I was thinking of using my illustrration work as the printed visuals - examples of my illustrations are on my EFN page or on my website: www.carolryder.com