The Bangalore terminal complements UPM Raflatac’s already substantial Southeast Asian and South Asian logistics network, comprising a labelstock factory in Johor, Malaysia and terminals in Jakarta; Indonesia, Bangkok; Thailand and Mumbai; India.

“India is a promising market for us, having the highest growth percentage for labelstock in the Asia-Pacific region,” says Santosh Kumar, Area Sales Director, South Asia, UPM Raflatac. “Through the new facility, our customers especially in South India will receive their orders faster and have a wider range of products at their disposal.

Within the scope of research project a test procedure was developed for the accelerated light-induced ageing of inkjet prints based on studies conducted on the ageing behaviour of coloured inkjet prints under realistic environmental conditions. The first part of this article is devoted to discussing ageing phenomena under realistic environmental conditions which laid the foundations on which the test procedure was subsequently developed.

Ageing under realistic environmental conditions

The studies were based on prints made using four representative inkjet printing systems designed for home, office and archive use. Comparisons were based on two bubble inkjet printers (printer A with an aqueous inkjet ink; printer B with an aqueous alternative inkjet ink), a piezoelectric printer with solvent wax ink (printer C) as well as a piezoelectric printer with an aqueous inkjet ink (printer E). The prints made by a colour laser printer (printer D) served as the reference for comparison purposes. A wide selection of different papers was printed in order to cover different applications.

To simulate application-oriented conditions, the prints were subjected to the following ageing conditions for approximately one year:

• Climatised room 23°C / 50% rel. humidity, in darkness (in a closed folder),

• Office (artificial light, dry),

• Behind a window pane (with incident sunlight).

A testo 545 light meter with a measuring range from 0 to 100,000 Lux was used to determine the amount of radiation the print samples were exposed to while they were being stored in the office and behind the window pane. The colour changes in the prints were evaluated at predetermined time intervals.

Storage in darkness

The trials simulated the type of long-term storage that is most common both in archives and in the home, i.e. storage of documents in folders without incident light. The trials were intended to show the extent to which prints fade even under such storage conditions and how properties such as legibility or surface strength change.

The results showed that colour changes occurred in the prints in the visually barely noticeable range (change in chromaticity coordinates ÄE to 5) irrespective of the paper grade or printer. Even here, it became clear that findings regarding the stability of the prints are always dependent on the printerpaper- ink system and therefore cannot be generalised (see Figure 1.) Under these ageing conditions, the stability of the inkjet prints was equal to or better than the stability of the laser prints (see , laser printer = printer D). It is absolutely essential to systematically select papers that match the corresponding printer-ink system to obtain prints that are as resistant to ageing as possible.

When the prints stored in darkness were evaluated visually a year later, their photo quality showed no changes that would disturb the human eye (change in chromaticity co-ordinates of ÄE < 1). Even legibility, surface strength and resistance to agents did not change at all during the year of storage compared to the original state. Moreover, these results were totally independent of the printer or paper used. The only exceptions were the prints that had been made on recycling paper (papers 8 and 9) using printer E, as these prints were found to have suffered a slight deterioration in print contrast after a year of storage.

The results of these trials demonstrated that storage of inkjet prints in darkness under constant climatic conditions did not exhibit any disadvantages compared to prints produced by electrophotographic printing.

Office storage not in direct daylight

Prints frequently lie on desks or hang on wall charts for longer periods of time in offices and are thus exposed to artificial light in a day-night rhythm. The results of these trials demonstrated that inkjet printers achieved results comparable to those of laser printers even under such storage conditions. The changes in chromaticity co-ordinates in most of the printer-paper combinations were generally less than one ÄE of max. 5. The colours yellow and magenta showed the greatest reaction to the office light situation.

The storage of prints in the office, however, resulted in visible colour changes in those prints that had been printed using wax ink (printer C). All of the other prints produced by printers A and E (except for the yellow colour of printer E) and the laser prints (printer D) remained significantly less than ÄE = 3 in most cases (see Figure 4). In the case of the prints made by printer C (wax ink), the most significant changes were found in the colours magenta and cyan, e.g. on paper 3 (inkjet, standard matte) with as much as ÄE = 8, whereas only slight changes in chromaticity co-ordinates were observed in the case of black and yellow with a ÄE from 1.5 to 2. The results were highly dependent on the paper grade used.

It is evident from Figure 4 that the ageing stability of the prints can be optimised by selecting an appropriate grade of paper. The trial findings revealed that prints made on special inkjet printing paper (papers 1 to 4) did not necessarily achieve the best ageing stability. The prints made with printer A (bubble inkjet) on multipurpose papers 6, 10 and 12 proved to have much greater light stability than the prints made on special inkjet printing paper. Under the storage conditions described above, inkjet prints thus achieved virtually the same good light stability as coloured laser prints when the printers and papers were selected appropriately.

Storage behind a window pane in direct daylight

Prints are often exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time behind a window pane as notices or announcements, placards or posters or as documents mounted in glass picture frames. This ageing situation was simulated in another set of trials.

When prints were stored behind a window pane, much higher irradiation energy including part of the daylight UV radiation acted on the prints. The colour differences were accordingly greater after a year of storage. Significant differences again became evident depending on the printer-ink-paper combination that was used (see Figure 5).

The colour stability of the inkjet prints was significantly poorer in the case of yellow and magenta when compared with the stability of the laser prints (printer D). The results obtained with the colours black and cyan, on the other hand, were comparable to those produced by electrophotographic printing (see Figure 6).

Conclusions

When inkjet printing technology is used to produce coloured prints, both the fields of application and the resulting requirements and storage conditions must also be taken into consideration. Systematic selection of the three components of the printing system, i.e. the printer, printing ink and paper, is essential to achieve optimum ageing and light stability. PTS can provide effective support when a decision is pending for a specific print system using the requirements profile developed in the project for different fields of application and with the help of the test method developed for accelerated light-induced ageing of coloured inkjet prints.

This will have to be approved by the National Development Council. It is said according to a Planning Commission source that the decision to cut funds was taken because the money allotted for the first three years of the plan period has not been spent. Despite making ambitious announcements, most schemes have not taken off.

The fourth year of the 11th Plan has just begun. Of the Rs. 84,000 crore allotted for higher and technical education in the plan, the ministry has not even spent Rs. 30,000 crore. The infrastructural development of many of the new IITs and IIMs has not taken off, said an official in the Union human resource development ministry.

Centre was to spend Rs. 2.75 lakh crore on education during 11th Plan compared with Rs. 62,238cr in the previous Plan.

Indian Raw Material Scenario

With limited wood resources through plantations route and absolutely no access to natural forest wood, due to strict government regulations, how will the country provide raw material to paper industry.

Key raw material used by paper industry are, Wood, Agri-residue and Waste Paper. Wood availability is an issue as detailed in the foregoing and agri residue has problems of seasonality, other end-uses, restricted availability, logistics and handling issues and unorganized supply chain.

That leaves us with Waste paper. India imports 4.8 million MT of waste paper per annum at a cost of USD1.6 Billion from USA and Europe and both these sources are reaching saturation point in terms of collection and processing with both the regions clocking impressive 62% and 70% recovery levels respectively.

China being the largest importer of waste paper at 28 million MT, with ever growing demand and waste paper imports are likelyto touch 60 Million MT by 2015. With such exponential growth in Chinese demand for recycled fiber where would India stand, when availability in USA and Europe reaching the peak already?

Other disturbing and important area of concern is India dumps over 5 Million MT of paper every year into garbage and end up in landfills.

The Initiative (WOW) Wealth from Waste

Keeping this critical and very disturbing scenario in view, ITC – India’s largest paperboard manufacturing company has initiated WOW: Wealth Out of Waste program in 2007 April. The objective of this initiative is to create awareness among general public, school children, housewives, corporate employees and executives as well as industries and business enterprises about the growing concern for environment and inculcate habit of source segregation and recycling.

Initial hiccups and hardships are natural in every such initiative, where the entire activity has to start from a ZERO base. However the WOW team stuck to its job with perseverance and determination. Situation improved as the idea of WOW started sinking in. Some of the people responded very positively, while others thought, this is another CSR publicity and may not be pursued on long term basis.

Current operations of WOW span across all major cities in South India – Hyderabad, Vizag, Vijayawada, Guntur, Rajahmundry and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai in Tamilnadu and Bangalore in Karnataka.

Current collection of recyclables has touched 5000 MT per month from all the locations. However the potential is immense, considering every individual generates 0.5kgs of garbage per day and 30% of it, if recovered can be recycled.

The Process

In the process of implementing WOW and improving availability of cost effective raw material to Paper, plastic, metal and glass industries, which is the primary objective, the other major gains envisaged are conserving natural resources, protecting environment, reducing landfill burden, reduction in garbage handling efforts and costs by various municipalities, improving health and hygiene, provide clean and green surroundings and reduce impact of global warming.

WOW operates on a simple method of source segregation of recyclables, systematic collection of the same; arrange separation into various components like paper, plastic, metal and after baling supply to respective industries for recycling.

The collection of recyclables is arranged once in a fortnight by sending the WOW team and after accurate weighing pay for the recyclables at Rs.2 to Rs.4 per kg. Collected recyclables are brought to a hub where they get sorted and baled into different categories and get recycled by respective industries. ITC uses all paper and cartons in its units at Kovai and Bhadrachalam, collected through WOW program.

Work Towards Transition

The major reasons for India lagging behind in the aspect of source segregation and recycling, compared to USA or Europe are, that our habits are deep rooted and we lack discipline.

With every new born child, garbage levels are also increases by 0.500 kgs per day. With Indian population growing at 2 crores per annum, the garbage level goes up by 3.65 million MT per annum. By 2015 India’s population will be 1.3 billion and the annual garbage generated will be 600 million MT. With limited land mass and ever growing population where will we dump the mounting garbage?

Therefore in order to inculcate the good habit of recycling and ensuring a cleaner and healthier society as they grow older and become citizens of this nation, WOW team have started reaching out to school children and explaining about WOW.

When children understood the meaning and advantages of WOW and prevailed upon their parents, they have started implementing the idea of source segregation at residences and a large chunk of recyclables, which were otherwise ending up in landfills through garbage route are now reaching the industry.

If we adopt WOW and source segregate at least 15% of this garbage, useful recyclables could be as much as 54 million MT per annum. Ignoring this critical issue will allow the garbage to pile up and will result in serious issues.

As intelligent, responsible and educated people are we not sensitive to these issues? So let us join hands and make our country “CLEAN and GREEN” by adopting WOW.

National Recycling Day

National Recycling Day inaugurated on 1st July by Dr.K Rosaiah, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and Mr. S. Jaipal Reddy, Union Minister for Urban Development, in the presence of thousands of children and over 800 teachers and school principals and 1200 dignitaries from Industry and Business shall pave way for nationwide understanding of the critical issue of Recycling and protecting the environment.

Massive Chinese government subsidies have given China’s paper industry an unfair competitive advantage that has helped fuel the industry’s rapid growth in recent years according to a new study from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

In November 2008, China’s National Bureau of Statistics (2003- 09b) reported that the paper industry’s output had increased to 83.9 million metric tons, up 9.6% from the previous year. In 2009, China produced over 17% of the world’s total output in the paper industry; with exports of $7.6 billion in paper and paperboard, China consolidated its position as a lead exporter in the industry. Since 2000, China has increased paper production three-fold to assume a leading role in the global paper industry.

The rapid rise in China’s paper industry did not result from advantages in natural resources, economies of scale or scope, new technology, or lower cost of production (including labor). Instead, the growth resulted from at least $33.1 billion in various Chinese government subsidies paid to the country’s paper industry between 2002 and 2009.

In 2010, China has by far the fastest-growing paper industry in the world. Yet, China also has among the smallest forestry resources in the world to support this industry’s expansion. Consequently, it imports the bulk of its raw materials at world prices — yet, paper in China generally sells at prices much lower than in the United States or European Union.

Globally, and in China, labor constitutes a very small part of the costs of the paper industry — high capital investments play a major role. In China, government subsidies and loans have provided strong support for the paper industry’s expansion. Combined with saturated, domestic product markets, the expansion has lead to enormous overcapacity in China and a meteoric increase in China’s paper exports.

China’s government policies give it’s industries an unfair advantage, including currency manipulation and wage suppression.