Leading manufacturer of water-based inks, MagnaColours has created a new robust sustainability standard for the textile printing industry. Not content with simply adhering to their own high environmental standards, Magna have created the GNA mark in order to encourage the use of sustainable and environmentally friendly methods throughout the textile printing industry.
Magna have introduced the new mark, designed to be available for use by any compliant ink manufacturer, so that customers know exactly what has gone into the products they buy, as well as to encourage more environmentally friendly methods in the industry. In order to meet GNA standards, inks cannot contain harmful chemicals such as PVC or APEO’s (Alkyl Phenyl Ethoxylates) and they must be water-based formulations, making them safer both for the environment and consumers.
This universal certificate for compliance also stands to benefit garment printers, as achieving the GNA standard, which has been designed as the toughest accreditation in the industry, means they will reassure customers and protect their business. This would take away the need for their products to be tested for each different retailer, and will help them to appeal to a broader range of brands.
Tom Abbey, Executive Chairman of MagnaColours said “At Magna we’ve always tried to lead the industry, and we’re hoping that the development of GNA will continue that work. Textile inks are a high compliance risk and therefore can be a big concern for brands, this standard will bring reassurance to them, as well as their customers. GNA is our way of leading the garment printing industry into more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices and of changing the industry for the better. We wanted to think bigger than our own brand, and the development of GNA really underlines what we stand for.”
“We analysed some of the certificating systems already in place in the industry such as Bluesign and Eco Passport, and while they are the best standards in place, we felt we could provide one that was more appropriate.”
The GNA system is specifically designed for water-based inks. Existing standards use CAS numbers; water-based inks use polymers which generally do not have CAS numbers so a different approach seemed appropriate.
GNA is not only advantageous for printers, but also retailers and consumers. If more printers comply with this strict environmental standard, then retailers will have more manufacturers to choose from when sourcing their products. Consumers also stand to gain peace of mind from GNA, if they see that a product is GNA accredited, they know that it adheres to the most stringent standards.
For almost two decades Magna have been at the forefront of the development of water based inks, on a mission to take away the necessity for the use of harmful chemicals, including formaldehyde, in screen-printing. In that time, the demand from consumers for more sustainable products has increased exponentially.
