Skepticism reigns supreme when the words “sustainable” or “green” get bantered around; specific to our industry, when a package is said to be “eco-friendly” because it was printed with sustainable ink or on a recycled substrate. Research by Asia Pulp & Paper found 56 percent of U.S. consumers want more sustainable packaging and 42 percent also said they would pay more for it.
Consumers today are savvier than ever. They now have all kinds of hard data and information right at their fingertips to investigate whether a green claim is true or not. A study published by the Journal of Global Responsibility in February 2016 indicated consumers who reported having high environmental concern want to buy green products, but are not confident in the accuracy of green claims made by brands.
If a brand takes dedicated steps to vet and study in depth the environmental practices implemented by its suppliers and partners, it will be rewarded by consumers.
Working with printers that strive for sustainability packaging is well worth the effort when meaningful eco-efficiency data can be shown to consumers as proof of green practices. This type of data will go a long way toward building trust and loyalty among consumers.
Industry programs, such as the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), certify printing facilities’ sustainability best practices, offering a third party validation for the eco-efficiency and regulatory compliance efforts of converters.
Packaging printers, in particular, have to show a willingness to follow the guidelines and standards set by global retailers like Walmart, Target and Home Depot. These companies and others make it a priority to partner with brands that utilize printing converters who integrate environmentally friendly practices.
In fact, much of the design and standards for packaging today is driven by retailers. Walmart, for example, wants packaging that is safe, affordable, recyclable, optimized and promotes sustainable chemistry. Target expects packaging to meet the guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Greener Living sustainable packaging program, utilizing recycled or renewable content and no chemical of “high concern.”
There are also many ecology focused nonprofit citizens’ groups leading the charge for environmental changes. Non-government organizations (NGO), such as Greenpeace, Sierra Club of America, Ceres and World Resources Institute, are strong advocates for certain environmental positions and help consumers and businesses alike recognize the need to change certain behaviors to become more sustainable.
Most printers already work under extreme pricing and profitability pressures and are always looking for ways to be eco-friendly, cut costs and keep expenses to a minimum. Reducing paper waste, lowering volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used in the pressroom, and using sustainable ink are just some of the ways converters are cutting costs while also becoming more sustainable.
Defining a Sustainable Ink
A converter’s definition of a successful sustainable ink could be as simple as how well the ink and materials interact with each other to synergize the printing process. For example, inks that improve productivity on press or reduce waste could be seen in a converter’s eyes as green. That definition, however, is quite nebulous.
According to the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM), a biorenewable ink is derived from tree, plant, insect and/or animal materials. These can include resins, gums, oils, waxes, solvents and other polymer building blocks.
NAPIM’s biorenewable content program assigns an index number that gives an independent verification an ink contains a certain percentage of biorenewable content. An index number of 60, for example, means that the ink contains 60 percent biorenewable content.
The three key regulatory terms that are commonly used in the packaging industry are biodegradable, biorenewable and eco-friendly. The EPA’s definition of biodegradable is the ability to be broken down by microorganisms. Paper, wool, cotton and foods generally fit this definition, while plastics such as polyester do not.
Biorenewable materials can include tall oil fatty acids from pine, cellulose from wood and modified biodegradable products to make biorenewable materials. Eco-efficiency refers to sustainable materials management for packaging. Many programs, like the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s BioPreferred Program, offer incentives for businesses to increase the usage of renewable agricultural resources in their products.
To meet all of these regulatory requirements, retailer expectations and consumer demands, packaging inks are expected to be eco-friendly, biorenewable and biodegradable.
It is important to note that an ink could be biodegradable, but for the converted packaging to be considered biodegradable, the printed substrate must also share that trait. Inks that use a very high percentage of biorenewable materials and are printed on such a substrate could also be considered compostable, with the appropriate testing.
Inks that meet these requirements should be free or only have trace levels of heavy metals and reduce VOCs that are released in the atmosphere. They certainly shouldn’t include any EPA-designated toxins, such as mercury, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).