Magna Colours has launched a new industry-wide sustainability standard for the textile printing sector at the ISS show in Long Beach, California.
The new GNA mark was created to encourage the use of sustainable and environmentally friendly methods throughout the textile printing industry, and to provide reassurance to brands and end customers on the environmental performance of their printed clothing.
In order to meet GNA standards, inks cannot contain harmful chemicals such as PVC or APEO’s (AlkylPhenylEthoxylates) and they must be water-based formulations, making them safer both for the environment and consumers. Designed to be available for use by any compliant ink manufacturer, the GNA mark will allow customers to know exactly what has gone into the products they buy, Magna advises.
This universal certificate for compliance has also been designed to be the toughest accreditation standard in the industry. Magna notes that it will benefit both garment decorators and retailers. Decorators who achieve the standard would remove the need for their products to be tested for each different retailer, helping them to appeal to a broader range of brands, and 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,” adds the company.
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, and while they are the best standards in place, we felt we could provide one that was more appropriate.”
