*Image Credit – FoilCo
Sustainability and the environment are hot topics in the world of print and packaging.
On one hand, the world is going paperless and attempting to eradicate plastic and surplus packaging. But it’s not as simple as removing these things entirely – packaging is essential to protect our goods in transit and reduce waste.
Many companies in our sector have looked at the innovative ways they can reduce their environmental impact with the materials they produce, whilst others work to share their knowledge for a greater understanding on sustainability. For World Environment Day, we want to celebrate some of the actions and innovations coming from the industry.
Green Solutions, produced by Earth Island Publishing, is a magazine focused around sharing news on the environment and sustainability for SMEs. They have a section on their website with useful resources and green actions to give examples of simple things businesses can do to be more sustainable.
Arjowiggins have created beautiful and natural translucent papers that can be used for outer wrapping or packaging. The paper can be used in direct contact with food as it’s totally clean and sustainable. Their paper is 100% recyclable and biodegradable too, making it a great alternative to plastic.
Foilco are doing their bit to change perceptions on the impact of foil on the environment. They support the sector with their Zero Foil 2 Landfill programme, helping to reduce print waste. The full range of their stamping foils are totally recyclable and can be re-pulped. They work alongside businesses to ensure all their own foil waste is recovered and turned into SRF (solid recovered fuel) to generate thermal energy.
Two sides are helping to tell the environmental story of paper to everyone in the industry. They provide resources to dispel the myths from the facts around the sustainability of paper and print. Check out their Love Paper Campaign to see the stats on the responsible forestry which supports our industry.
Ryedale Group and Hortipak are using 100% recyclable plastics for their EcoCard and Ryetag products, plus their labels and handles. Their chosen material is Polypropylene – one of the most widely recycled polymers which can be collected from waste streams via curbside collection. They also recycle all of the production waste from Hortipak.
Baker Labels have just launched their new division BacPac, promoting a more sustainable option to flexible packaging using digital print.This method of printing reduces the use of chemicals and carbons emissions.
Ever thought of printing on a natural resource? Inspirwood does exactly that by using sustainably sourced wood as an alternative option to paper and plastic. They run their operations completely on renewable energy and none of their offcuts go to landfill.
Comment on our tweet to share your favourite innovations in the sustainable print and packaging sector.