Sontara launches sustainable printing range with Fogra certified rPET ABC washcloth

Print Solutions

Professional wipes specialist Sontara has launched a new sustainable printing range for the offset printing industry. The range includes Sontara Sustainable PrintMaster, its first rPET based ABC washcloth to achieve Fogra certification, and Sontara Sustainable PrintClean for manual cleaning applications.

Designed to meet the demanding cleaning requirements of offset printing operations, the new products help printers reduce their environmental impact without compromising print quality, productivity or the trusted cleaning performance printers expect from Sontara.

The range is manufactured from post consumer recycled PET from GRS certified suppliers and natural wood pulp, which requires less chemical processing than conventional alternatives and gives the products their distinctive brown appearance. Compared with standard Sontara printing cloths, the Sontara Sustainable Printing Range offers 40% lower product CO₂ emissions, while European production can help reduce transport related CO₂ emissions by up to 70% compared with Far Eastern supplies.

Trusted by the printing industry for more than 20 years, Sontara has worked closely with leading press manufacturers and Fogra to develop washcloths that meet the industry's highest performance standards and are widely used in offset press cleaning systems worldwide.

Leading the launch is Sontara Sustainable PrintMaster, a washcloth developed for use in automatic blanket cleaning systems. Delivering the same performance as the flagship PrintMaster range, it provides effective, residue free blanket cleaning through homogeneous distribution of cleaning agents, optimum material thickness and high strength.

Alongside it, Sontara Sustainable PrintClean extends the sustainability benefits of rPET and natural wood pulp to manual cleaning applications. Designed as a high performance alternative to traditional textile rags, it offers a similar hand feel while adding a scrubby cleaning effect that helps remove ink, paper fibres and other residues without damaging sensitive surfaces. Suitable for applications ranging from blanket, roller and plate cleaning to general pressroom maintenance, it delivers the performance of the PrintClean range while supporting printers' sustainability objectives.

‘Printers are under increasing pressure to improve sustainability, but performance remains non negotiable,’ said Lorenzo Vaira, product manager Europe, Sontara and Chicopee.

‘Our goal was not simply to create a more sustainable printing cloth. We wanted to develop products that printers could adopt with complete confidence in their existing operations. That is why achieving Fogra certification for Sustainable PrintMaster was such an important milestone.

‘Just as importantly, these products have been developed and manufactured in Europe, which also supports shorter transport distances and improved supply chain reliability,’

The Sontara Sustainable Printing Range is available now.