By Dimitri Van Gaever, Market Segment Director at Xeikon
Why GREENGUARD Gold is not enough for truly safe and sustainable wallpaper production.
Vendors in a variety of industries are striving to make more sustainable choices. But all too often, the best green intentions are either misguided or not enough to impact the safety and well-being of people and the planet.
We are experiencing this trend in the digital production of wallpaper. To highlight the safety and sustainable nature of their solutions, many digital wallpaper producers and technology vendors promote that their ink sets have received the “GREENGUARD Gold” certificate. This certification means the product has been tested and is guaranteed to give off only low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
All that glitters is not gold...
While GREENGUARD Gold certification is undoubtedly a positive step for UV inkjet wallpaper production, consumers and producers need to be keenly aware of what it stands for – and what it does not.
Because while GREENGUARD Gold certification means that the wallpaper is a low-VOC product, it does not guarantee clean air. That’s because even GREENGUARD Gold Certified products will still emit some chemicals. Moreover, the GREENGUARD Gold Certification only measures the emissions from these chemicals; it does not check for chemical content.
When you think about the amount of time we spend indoors, you can see why even low VOC emissions matter. Chemical emissions make indoor air five times denser than outdoor air. This density is caused by VOCs that are present in various household products, including building materials, furniture, and of course, wallpaper. These VOCs break breakdown at room temperature, convert to gases, dissipate in the air, and potentially impact your health.
In addition to the low-VOC measurement, GREENGUARD Gold certification does not consider critical sustainability criteria like print operator safety, waste recycling, and overall sustainability performance of the printed product.
In summary: your GREENGUARD Certified product may be low-VOC emitting, but that does not guarantee clean air or that it is the most sustainable choice for digital wallpaper production.
A steadfast commitment to sustainability
Xeikon offers the safest, cleanest, and most sustainable print technology for the operator and end-user. Xeikon toners do not emit any VOCs or contain any harmful substances. Using our toner technology as part of your digital wallpaper printing guarantees that no post evaporation takes during or after the production of wallpaper.
Our commitment to sustainability goes beyond safe, sustainable printing. It is at the core of all we do. That’s what got us a silver status by EcoVadis, the world’s largest and most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings.
www.xeikon.com
