Printwear & Promotion The Total Promotional Package
Phil McMullin, head of sales commercial & industrial printing, Epson UK, explores how printers can achieve the perfect balance of creativity and environmental responsibility.
Striking a balance between environmental responsibility and economic viability is a challenge now faced by organisations globally, whatever their size and industry.
Many are taking stock of how their operations impact the environment, often revealing a legacy of unsustainable practices and inefficient equipment.
The textile business is no exception. Historically, a resource intensive industry, little has changed over the years and the environmental consequences are shocking. Research shows the industry is responsible for 20% of industrial wastewater worldwide, and an estimated 35% of all materials in the supply chain are scrapped.
Turning the tide of pollution
Not only requiring vast amounts of water, textile manufacturing processes also consume large amounts of energy. Pollutants are another long-standing problem with a heavy dependency on non-biodegradable chemicals and dyes.
In the garment decoration and print promotion sectors, these issues are exacerbated by fast fashion’s pervasive wear-it-once attitude, leading to mass production of clothing that’s quickly thrown away. In our connected society, trends are always changing and spread rapidly so customisation needs to be fast to stay current, and at rock bottom production prices to sell cheaply.
Not surprisingly, governments are taking action to curtail the industry’s destructive culture and outdated production processes. Tougher laws are coming into force, locally and globally. Consumers are also demanding ethical accountability for the clothes they wear and beginning to switch to companies that demonstrate their allegiance to sustainability.
Encouragingly, there’s a growing number of brands proactively seeking out eco-friendly products, looking for ways to combine sustainability with quality, style, and cost-effectiveness. This includes swapping out animal-based fibres for eco-friendly fabrics and processes, and recyclable alternatives.
In response, the textile printing sector is fast-tracking a wave of innovative solutions, leveraging advanced digital technology and high-quality printing techniques for new plant-based fibres. This is radically changing the way fabrics and clothes are printed.
Reducing waste with on-demand production
Until recently, traditional analogue printing has remained popular, but expensive to operate, and its toll on the environment is increasingly deemed unacceptable. Traditional textile printing depends on high-volume production to keep costs low, making it less suitable for the modern fashion landscape, which values customisation and smaller runs of unique designs. Today’s fashion brands demand greater control over their prints which is shifting the industry’s focus from mass production to precision and on-demand solutions.
Traditional analogue printing requires costly plate-making for transferring inks to fabric. Typically, plates are washed after each print run to ensure any residual ink or detritus is removed to maintain print quality and prolong the life of the plates. Washing frequency can be higher, depending on the type of fabric and the printing process involved. Even at its least intensive, this still generates a significant level of wastewater and uses excessive energy. Moreover, some chemicals used during cleaning can pose environmental hazards. Once production requirements are fulfilled, plates are discarded, often ending up in landfill or incinerators, potentially releasing harmful gases. While screen printing as an alternative can be kinder to the environment, it also creates waste water as screens must be washed during the process, before finally being discarded.
In contrast, digital fabric printing cuts out the need for plates and associated washing with water and chemicals, making it both an eco-friendly and cost-conscious option. The process uses inkjet technology to print from digital files directly onto fabric. Today’s advanced printers can handle precise colour gradients and subtle differences in tones, providing faithful reproductions time after time without any loss of quality.
Digital technology also allows on-demand printing of large or small quantities, ensuring exactly the right number of items are produced in a fast turnaround. Since no plates are needed, digital printing also saves on storage space and time spent managing plates. By producing only what is needed, when it is needed, organisations keep less inventory, but have the flexibility to respond immediately to fluctuations in demand. This saves money and lowers environmental impact, and prevents excess volumes of unsold stock becoming waste.
Furthermore, the pigment-based inks used for digital printing require no post-processing unlike dyes often used in analogue or screen printing which may require further rinsing and steaming.
Combining digital printing with pigments inks allows for a reduction of water usage by up to 97% according to the Direct Water Usage in Digital Textile Printing (January 2024) report, if deployed throughout the textile industry this approach would dramatically cut the discharge of wastewater and help to reduce landfill.
Sustainability versus creativity
While the eco credentials of digital printing are compelling, some doubt still lingers in the garment decoration and print promotion sector whether such technology, in conjunction with eco-friendly plant-based fibres, can support creativity and deliver quality. Quashing any concerns is renowned fashion designer, Yuima Nakazato.
At the Autumn – Winter 2024-25 Haute Couture Week in Paris, Mr Nakazato unveiled a stunning new collection that spectacularly showcased his artistic vision, setting a new standard for sustainable fashion. By integrating Epson’s advanced pigment inkjet printing with Spiber’s innovative Brewed Protein fibre, his creations demonstrated how technology and sustainable practices can come together to deliver extraordinary results.
The collection featured a unique, blended fabric composed of 85% cotton and 15% Brewed Protein fibre developed through a fermentation process using plant-based ingredients and microbes. This ingenious composition creates luxurious textiles without the environmental impact associated with traditional animal-derived fibres.
Utilising pigment inks with the Eco Passport certification, Epson’s Monna Lisa’s digital printing technology was instrumental in bringing Mr Nakazato’s vibrant designs to life. Whereas traditional printing methods can limit creative possibilities for designers, the flexibility of Epson’s technology enables high-resolution, complex pattern printing on a wide range of fabric types.
Summing up his collaboration with Epson, Mr Nakazato says that designers struggle to find suitable printing techniques for innovative sustainable fabrics as textile factories are often reluctant to explore new ideas. However, working with Epson enabled extensive experimentation and the results in terms of colour quality were exceptional, surpassing expectations.
With proven technology providing sustainable options and leading designers such as Mr Nakazato inspiring further adoption of digital printing, the reality of an eco-friendly textile industry is becoming more attainable.
Regulatory pressure is building
However, those that are slow to adopt new sustainable approaches will increasingly find themselves on the wrong side of a string of EU regulations and legislation that directly affect the textile and fashion industries.
The EU’s aim is to engender sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour. To this end, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is broadening its scope inexorably over the next few years, requiring smaller companies to disclose environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in line with obligations already in force for larger companies. Not to be confused with the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) which sets out a further corporate duty of due diligence to address the potential environmental impact of not only a company’s own operations but also their value chain and business partners.
Additionally, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) focuses specifically on ecodesign for products, including textiles, setting out a series of rules to increase the ‘circularity’ of products. This refers to the concept of reusing, reviving, and recycling products and resources throughout their lifecycle to eliminate waste and prevent environmental damage. The goal is to create a closed-loop, so resources are continuously recycled back into use.
The power of imaginative collaboration
Without doubt, the textile industry faces massive environmental and regulatory challenges, and identifying where to start can be daunting. However, thinking imaginatively and seeking out like-minded partners can bring about exciting new solutions to the long-standing issues of waste and pollution.
By joining forces, brands will be able to innovate freely and enhance their reputation with high-quality eco-friendly products that reduce their carbon print, while remaining economically viable.
Collaborating with the likes of Epson, a pioneer in digital printing, can help reshape a different future for the garment decoration and print promotion sector, and contribute to a better, sustainable textile industry.
