Driving the circular economy, hubergroup Print Solutions now offers a complete Cradle to Cradle Material Health Gold certified portfolio for commercial and packaging offset printing. The international printing ink specialist formulated a new ink range which is based on the low-migration MGA Natura series and, therefore, suitable especially for printing food packaging. Moreover, the Cradle to Cradle Product Innovations Institute certified a number of water-based coatings of the Acrylac series with Gold status. As hubergroup produces a large proportion of the raw materials in its own chemicals division, the company can ensure sustainable action along the value chain in addition to that.

Sustainability incorporated

In 2017, hubergroup was the first international ink manufacturer to receive a Cradle to Cradle certificate in the sheetfed offset sector and thus significantly advanced sustainability in the industry. Since then, the company has continuously improved the environmental performance of its products. While hubergroup’s commercial series ALPHA viva has already carried the Gold status since 2018, the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovations Institute now also certified a variant of the ink series MGA Natura and various water-based coatings of the Acrylac series with the gold level of its Material Health Certifications. Thereby, the institute confirms that the inks and coatings do not contain any substances which pose a high risk to humans or the environment (i.e. none x-assessed or unknown chemicals).

Josef Sutter, product manager sheetfed/UV Europe at hubergroup, says, “The sustainability of printed products has been in the focus of our research activities for a long time. We want to offer our customers environmentally friendly products and thereby help to make their products ready for the circular economy. Consequently, it was important for us to provide them with a complete portfolio certified Cradle to Cradle Gold for both commercial and packaging offset printing.”

Defining own environmental standards

In addition to that, hubergroup ensures its customers’ high environmental standards throughout the value chain. This is possible as the majority of raw materials originates in the company’s own chemicals division. Sutter elaborates, “We know that we bear a great responsibility as printing ink manufacturer and want to live up to it. Taking a holistic view of sustainability, it is important to us that we meet high standards throughout the value chain – beginning with the raw material production.”