Business Management - Sustainability

TAMPERE, Finland—Speaking yesterday at the opening ceremony of UPM Raflatac’s new self-adhesive laminate factory in Changshu, China on March 6, UPM Raflatac President Heikki Pikkarainen took up the issue of sustainable development, saying, “UPM Raflatac is placing environmental issues ever higher on the agenda. Environmental compliance is a matter of rising importance throughout the whole labelling value chain. Therefore, we at UPM Raflatac have decided to take an active role in developing the sustainability of self-adhesive labelling technology. Moving forward, we will continue to search for new eco-friendly solutions to exceed our customers’ expectations while reducing environmental impact. We’re aiming for a sustainable future.”

The global packaging market is approaching a half-trillion dollars, and North America represents nearly one third of this, most of it printed. While many print segments in North America are stagnating, packaging is growing at more than 4 percent per year. Market trends are creating the demand, and technology is creating solutions and opportunities. Consumers, retailers, and brand companies are continually raising the bar: • Better quality: fresh, natural, food ready-to-go; • Environmental sustainability; • Better graphics, more color, but with less material; • Shorter runs, quicker turnaround; • Packaging that delivers more than just the product; • Supply chain efficiency. Technology has

DEER PARK, New York—Motivated to run a more efficient, environmentally friendly company, Overnight Labels, Inc. worked diligently to reduce the percentage of solid waste produced from its facility throughout 2006. This goal was accomplished by implementing a quality management system (QMS) specifically developed with the intention of becoming ISO compliant, reducing overall production waste, while continually improving the end product. In just one years’ time, Overnight Labels, Inc.’s QMS proved to be both environmentally and financially beneficial. The environmental repercussions of the quality management system have culminated 934,921.1588 feet less waste (or 2,544,492.82 feet more non-waste, i.e., good product) in 2006 than in 2005.

Going “green” is becoming big business these days. For all the news in recent years about fiscal responsibility, today’s corporate world is marshalling itself for a new mandate: environmental responsibility. Brand owners are increasingly heeding the public call to action – and much of their attention is turning toward packaging. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. generated 236 million tons of municipal solid waste in 2003. Just over 30 percent was recovered through recycling or composting. The rest was combusted or land filled. The good news is that recycling recovery rates been climbing steadily in recent years. In 2003, paper and paperboard

Pollution abatement systems are designed with heat recovery systems that can reduce overall energy costs. VOCS IS A four-letter "word." So is cost. Package printers working with solvent-based inks must deal with these profanities on a continual basis—eliminating the emission of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and other air pollutants, while minimizing costs. It's a dual-edge sword that has gotten sharper over the past couple of years due to significantly higher energy costs. VOCs, along with nitrous oxide (NOx), are detrimental to air quality because of the ozone that is produced when sunlight acts on these pollutants. Ozone is the primary component of smog,