Labels + Shrink Sleeves: Is Recycled Enough?
President, Label Impressions Inc.
When we think “green printing,” the terms recycled, FSC-certified (Forest Stewardship Council-certified), and soy inks come to mind. But are those the only options available? And more importantly, are these options good enough?
Did you know that one ton of recycled paper consumes up to four trees and 18,000 BTUs of energy, and creates up to two tons of solid waste and thousands of gallons of contaminated waste water?
What about FSC-certified paper? Certainly FSC-certification is an important designation, and diverting pulp production from irresponsibly managed forests is critical, but at what point will we begin to create a negative imbalance of FSC-certified paper production and FSC-managed forestry growth?
And what about soy inks? Soy inks have been used by offset printers for years, but in my opinion, they are they not really beneficial for flexographic printers to use on labels, stickers, tags, and packaging.
Print buyers, green marketers, brand owners, designers, and printers in general have gotten lazy. It’s so easy to say, “Green? Oh, we use recycled paper—and by the way, please recycle this packaging when you’re through with it.” We're focused on recycled products and recycling because the options are easy, inexpensive, and almost everyone understands them.
What I'd like to see is brand owners, printers, and consumers focus on the green issues that are going to matter most going forward: sustainability (sourcing print and packaging from more-abundant, renewable resources), and carbon footprints.
What Does It Actually Take to Produce and Supply Recycled Paper?
By using recycled paper, we certainly preserve our most significant carbon-storage resources but at what point will our forests' carbon-storage capacity fail to keep up with our carbon-producing activities? As I mentioned earlier, one ton of recycled paper consumes up to four trees and up to 22000 BTUs of energy. This massive consumption contributes to an enormous amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. To me, an argument can and should be made for using materials that lower energy consumption.
Tree-Free Papers
[Editor’s note: Salisbury is president of Label Impressions Inc., which together with Natural Source Printing, developed FiberStone tree-free label paper.]
Tree-free papers made from rotting plant waste from bananas, papaya and coconut trees, bamboo, and bagasse, are a sustainable option. (Check out www.ecopaper.com for more information.) A few companies have devoted decades to tree-free paper production, and though the performance of these papers as a label/packaging material is limited, in some cases they have successfully replaced tree-pulp papers. Check out some sustainable options at www.purelabels.com, www.chameleonpackaging.com, and www.labelimpressions.com.
Dig Deeper
As a green consumer, print buyer, marketing manager, sustainability director, or green printer, start educating yourself, your employer/corporation, your customers, and friends and family about the other threats to a cleaner planet—carbon emissions and the depletion of nonrenewable natural resources. Dig deeper beyond the oversimplified “recycle, reuse, renew” mantra.
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