Ricoh Collaborates with Farbenpunkt to Reduce CO2 Emissions with Waterless and Chemical-Free Solution for Textile Ink

Ricoh is opening market access to American ink pioneer Farbenpunkt’s innovative new textile ink, PeractoJet. The collaboration enables OEM clients to compete in the highly attractive digital textile market and enhance their environmental offering. Reducing the environmental impact of global textile production caused by using dye-based, such as reactive inks in digital and analogue processes, is the driver for this collaboration.

Traditional fabric dyeing and treatment accounts for 20% of worldwide wastewater. Meanwhile, the fashion industry generates 10% of annual global carbon emissions. Ricoh now provides a robust, environmentally responsible alternative approach for digital textile printers by pairing its broad printhead portfolio with Farbenpunkt’s unique Peracto Technology.

Graham Kennedy, Director, Industrial Print, Ricoh Europe, says: “This collaboration builds on Ricoh’s longstanding history of innovative inkjet head development and allows us to support a production sector looking for ways to address growing questions around sustainability. Digitally producing textiles with vastly reduced water waste and eliminating energy intensive pre and post treatment stages delivers huge environmental benefits. This disruptive ink offering therefore enables more cost effective production and allows manufacturers to consider establishing local production capabilities through reshoring. This is especially important now when we are seeing a growth in on demand digital production spurred on by the impact of the pandemic on consumer habits and business operations. Our Farbenpunkt partnership is good news for manufacturers and their shareholders, textile printers and consumers.”

Farbenpunkt Managing Director, Etienne Steveninck, adds: “Working with Ricoh allows us to bring this high performing, versatile ink to a wider audience. It will enable textile manufacturers to produce large volumes, quickly, on a range of materials, meet strict accreditation standards, and contribute to the sustainability of our planet. The two companies are a natural fit as the wellbeing of our environment is part of Ricoh’s DNA too.”