Business Management - Sustainability

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI, Canada—J Zarwan Partners has published an in-depth research study, "Environmental Impact of Printing Plates," to help printers make informed choices when purchasing plates, and to bring to an often confusing issue. The report analyses four main areas where plates can have an environmental impact—chemistry, energy, water, and waste, and compares the relative environmental impact between different categories of plates, as well as comparing the resources used by different plates within a category.

The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership has announced that six printing facilities are now certified as SGP Printers: Fineline Printing Group, Indianapolis, Ind.; Pictura Graphics, Minneapolis, Minn.; Pratt Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind.; The John Roberts Company, Minneapolis, Minn.; Monroe Litho, Rochester, N.Y.; and most recently, Meisel, Carrollton, Texas.

Innovia Films’ sustainable and compostable packaging film, NatureFlex™ has been chosen by Twinings to wrap one of its major tea products, Everyday.

HOLYOKE, Mass.—Hazen Paper Company has achieved Chain of Custody tri-certification and is now able to supply converted paper and paperboards that are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified, Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Certified, and/or Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) Certified.

There are some things as an advocate of paperboard packaging you would expect to hear from me—how it protects, promotes, identifies, and informs the consumer better than any other form of container; how the printing quality of the folding carton, and now in some instances the corrugated box, is unequaled; how it offers visibility, product differentiation, and style versatility in almost limitless combinations; and how it meets the challenges of distribution, freight, and maximizing shelf space.

Putting ink on paper to convey a message has become second nature, so it’s almost hard to believe there would be anything new to talk about. However, paperboard suppliers continue to innovate. Helped along, no doubt by the Wal-Mart Scorecard, printers of paperboard packaging face informing their customers about virgin paperboard grades as well as myriad recycling grades.

FLETCHER, N.C.—UPM Raflatac has received the ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System certification for its North Carolina labelstock manufacturing facility.

Specialty materials company Rohm and Haas is advancing its efforts to solve sustainability challenges facing customers in food and consumer product packaging, most recently evidenced by the company’s participation at the 2009 Sustainable Package Design Workshop + Designer’s Resource Expo in Clearwater, Florida.

DuPont Packaging announced that the deadline for entries in the 21st DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation is Feb. 13, 2009.

VALHALLA, N.Y.—FUJIFILM and Evelop have signed a letter of intent for the development of a corporate wind farm at FUJIFILM's European plate manufacturing operation.