Set on Sustainability
While recycling is far from a new concept, the way that we recycle and the options available to us are constantly evolving and improving. Not so long ago, houses across the UK would have a single black wheelie bin for all their waste. Fast forward to the current day and now we have four, five, or even more bins so that we can recycle as much waste as possible.
This is very much the same within the business world, including print, where new services and solutions allow companies to recycle more than ever. Whether this is something as simple as a dedicated bin in the canteen for aluminium drinks cans or working alongside a waste management specialist to repurpose print waste, there is plenty you can do to boost your environmental credentials.
Reconomy works with printers to assess their waste management strategies and help drive sustainability improvements
Here, we speak with several specialists within this area to find out more about some of the schemes available to print service providers (PSPs) and the benefits recycling offers to your business.
Attract And Retain Customers
First up is Reconomy, which provides waste management services to various sectors including the print industry. Director Jon Hutton, who spoke about the subject at The Print Show 2023, says sustainability and circularity are becoming increasingly important throughout the supply chain in the printing sector – and PSPs need to respond.
“Best-in-class recycling is no longer a ‘tick box exercise,’ but core to attracting and retaining customers down the sales funnel and across the supply chain,” Hutton says, adding: “We all have a duty to increase our focus on sustainability.
Best-in-class recycling is no longer a ‘tick box exercise’, but core to attracting and retaining customers down the sales funnel and across the supply chain”
“It is an alarming statistic that globally it is estimated that around 90% of the materials we use are virgin, with just a 7% recycling rate. While commercial pressures will obviously dictate behaviour to a degree, the printing industry has its own duties to preserve our finite resources and improve circularity.”
Hutton goes on to say that waste management should not be viewed as just a cost, be that in terms of time or money. He explains that businesses that assess their waste management strategies are likely to be able to bring forward small changes that help them cut costs, navigate towards their sustainability objectives, and benefit their commercial operations.
Reconomy director Jon Hutton says sustainability and circularity are becoming increasingly important throughout print’s supply chain
“Even small alterations to their existing processes, like maximising the containment of existing waste, drive savings,” Hutton says, adding: “This is particularly important where waste streams have intrinsic value – here proper segregation of waste or use of specialist contractors that can separate materials can bring cost benefits.
“We always encourage printers to approach their waste management strategy in bite-size stages rather than rushing to the end-goal right away and becoming overwhelmed. We can help printers secure the easy wins and increasingly take advantage of the myriad opportunities that are available.”
As to how Reconomy can support, Hutton says the company helps printers and other stakeholders in the printing sector assess their waste management strategies, ultimately helping to drive improvements in the sustainability of their operations.
A key part of this support, Hutton says, is educating the printing industry about the waste management opportunities that exist and how that interacts with the complex materials to help printing companies get their head around what can be a complex subject matter.
“We help companies understand the waste hierarchy of their products and the reality of what happens to their materials,” Hutton says, adding: “From the foundation of a cost/benefit analysis of how printing companies can most efficiently manage their waste – including the materials they can use to minimise waste – we can help create sustainable processes to improve their circularity. This can drive cost-savings and demonstrate their ESG credentials to customers and other parts of the supply chain to build their business.”
Environmental Footprint
J&G Environmental is another specialist within waste management. Sales and purchasing manager David Hinchley says as consumer consciousness rises, companies are increasingly being judged not just by the quality and cost of their products or services but also by their environmental footprint.
“The impact that waste is having on the planet has never been more securitised, from the CO2 emissions effecting the planet’s atmosphere to the increased extractions of natural resources such as oils, which is the base ingredient in new plastics, to trees which make paper,” Hinchley explains, adding: “There is a huge demand to preserve natural resources to make our present generation more sustainable to protect the planet and future generations.
J&G Environmental works with print companies across the UK
“One key advantage is reducing the amount of recyclable waste materials that are being disposed of into general waste, because a vast amount of this material will end up incinerated or worse still, into landfill. This has a huge environmental impact, if plastics, papers, and metals end up in landfill they are then taken out of the circular economy forever, and it is a precious natural resource which is lost.”
Hinchley goes on to say that disposal rates are increasing year-on-year, with 2024 set to be the biggest rise in over 15 years due to pressures to divert as much waste from landfill as possible. He adds that plastics, papers, and metals can be processed and recycled into new materials and products, increasing their life span and preserving resources – a win-win for everyone involved.
In terms of cost, Hinchley is keen to dispel myths surrounding the cost of recycling. He says it is not only more sustainable to recycle but it is also more cost effective to do so.
“The cost per tonne of sending one tonne of segregated material to a processing facility as opposed to landfill can be as high as 600%,” Hinchley says, adding: “Other factors which have financial benefits include compacting or baling waste to reduce vehicle collections and uplift fees. Along with disposal fees, fuel prices are continuing to rise so as a result the more collections needed, the more the cost to the business.”
Hinchley explains J&G Environmental has made substantial investments over the last ten years in order to increase its capabilities to recycle more materials from printers. He adds that J&G has recycling specialists that can offer support and guidance on how to identify and segregate recyclabe materials.
“Once identified, we offer a wide range of equipment to pack the waste and increase weights and therefore increase space on a printer’s premises, but also reduce the amount of collections needed,” Hinchley says.
“If a particular waste stream is still bulky and can be further reduced, we can also provide solutions through one of our partners to supply balers or compactors. These are perfect for waste streams such as plastic shrink wrap, which can be condensed into bales and can be collected along with other waste streams.”
The Perfect Partner
PSPs can also speak with their current suppliers and partners to explore opportunities to work together on recycling schemes. An example of this comes in the form of Soyang Europe, which has a partnership in place with specialist recycling company Prism.
“If a customer expresses an interest in wanting to recycle then we will pass on their details,” sales and marketing administrator Ella Faulkner says, adding: “Print companies should be looking at recycling for a number of reasons. Firstly, recycling is an essential practice for promoting environmental sustainability.
“Secondly, recycling can enhance a printing company’s portfolio by attracting a more environmentally friendly customer base. This then gives them more of a competitive edge. Additionally, recycling can help to reduce costs and waste.”
Opening up on these benefits, Faulkner says PSPs that up their recycling game can look forward to many advantages such as reduced environmental impact, cost savings, better reputation, and customer appeal.
“While recycling may involve some initial investment, it is important to understand the potential cost savings in the long term,” Faulkner adds.
Elsewhere, Scodix is one of a number of manufacturers that have got on the recycling train in terms of the solutions they offer to their customers.
The company, which provides digital embellishment solutions for the graphic arts industry, earlier this year completed a series of recyclability tests, with the results showing Scodix embellishments can be repulped during the recycling process. This means products enhanced with Scodix embellishments can carry the recyclable symbol – offering a significant, planet-friendly advantage to users.
Mark Nixon, executive vice president of global sales and marketing at Scodix, comments: “Sustainability is a core pillar of our business operations. As such, we are thrilled to share our latest test results which underscore the positive impact Scodix products can have on building a more sustainable future.
“With our repulpability and recyclability certification coupled with our Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) findings, Scodix users can confidently embrace data-driven sustainability practices.”
The strict tests series produced positive results that Scodix says showcased the recyclability of its digitally embellished sheets. Passing the WMU SBS-E protocol proved that sheets with Scodix embellishment would qualify for recycling and could be repulped during the process.
Brands and manufacturers using Scodix embellishment under this control protocol can now use the FTC recycling symbol, as long as the substrate used is also certified as recyclable. FTC guidelines require third party independent testing to allow manufacturers to use a recyclable symbol.
“Coupled with the commissioned LCA that clearly states that Scodix is over seven times less harmful to the environment than the traditional foiling process, we believe the time is now to remain steadfast in our commitment to driving continuous improvements in sustainability – equipping manufacturers with the necessary data to accurately measure their processes,” Nixon says.
While recycling has been around for many years, only in recent years have we seen real advancements within this area. Referring back to the opening paragraphs, the work has included introducing new bins for households to sort their recyclable waste and businesses taking the lead and playing their part by adapting the way that they operate.
Innovative companies in the print and related industries are very much at the forefront of developments in recycling, coming up with ways to support customers and their own efforts to become more environmentally friendly. Speak with your suppliers and manufacturers to find out more about their own commitments and schemes to help you in your sustainable mission.
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