Blog

Plastics replaced with paper

The oil oligarchy must be getting anxious. Not only are oil prices way down because of the reduction in transportation and the rise in renewable energy, but plastics are being steadily phased out across industries. In the graphics business we are seeing some highly innovative approaches to replacing plastics in all sorts of areas, from paper bottles through to polybags made from compostable materials. More importantly some very large companies have committed to removing plastics in their products. This will help drive change in supply chains, and help to wean all players off the plastics habit.

Metal printing and decorating

Along with book printing, packaging is one of the few areas of print that is thriving. Calls for better waste management particularly of plastics and for recycling are getting louder, amid wider concerns over packaging’s overall environmental impact, particularly as it gets more complex.

How to spot greenwashing

Many graphic arts companies want to do their bit to help mitigate climate change. They might take it really seriously and be ISO 14001 (Environmental management systems) certified, or they might prefer to be a little looser in how they cut carbon and environmental impacts. Either way they are faced with working with other companies, and evaluating their sustainability claims in some sort of context.

Coming out of Covid not

Whatever the calculations of governments and citizens around the world, whatever our wishful thinking and convincing denials, we won’t be out of this for a long time. The corona virus and its devastating effects on our economies, businesses and lives is forcing people to rethink how their worlds function. For businesses, sustainability would appear to be taking a backseat to bigger problems of revenue generation and staffing levels.

Processless plates getting standardised

The rising popularity of processless plates is set to get a boost. The International Standards Organisation (ISO) is working on a document that standardises the evaluation of processless plate characteristics. This will make it easier for customers to judge various performance criteria, enhancing the benefits these plates offer in terms of convenience, faster make-readies and reduced costs. There are fewer processing steps for processless plates, so they’re also better for the environment. Along with doing way with the chemistry necessary to develop a conventional printing plate, the emissions associated with offline plate processing also go away.