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Manufacturers Agfa, Folex, Kernow Coatings, and Polyart have formed a pact to tackle the issue of making coated polyester films and laminates more environmentally friendly
A range of brand manufacturers in the coated polyester film industry have collaborated to establish a new Sustainability Pact.
Manufacturers Agfa, Folex, Kernow Coatings, and Polyart have formed the pact to share industry-specific insights and develop shared strategies to increase sustainability in the sector.
The founding members of the pact, which was first announced on March 5th, have agreed to share their experiences and work together on solutions for transitioning to a greener economy.
In a statement from specialty coating and film manufacturer, Polyart, it points to the unique challenges the coated polyester film industry faces when trying to enhance the sustainability of its products. This is cited as being particularly difficult for film coating and laminating, as they utilise plastic materials coated with a functional layer which is crucial to the longevity of printed products.
Laminated or film coated prints are typically used for demanding applications that require durability even in tough conditions, including for workshop manuals, restaurant menus, or outdoor product labels.
According to Polyart, current non-synthetic alternatives are often not durable enough to serve as substitutes and would need frequent replacement. From this viewpoint, Polyart says, synthetic products can be seen to be more sustainable as they conserve resources.
Conversely, the production of these products mainly uses virgin raw materials, a challenge which the pact hopes to overcome by finding more sustainable alternatives.
A range of bio-based or compostable thermal laminating films are available for the market, though there has been some hesitance from the wider industry to adopt them on a large scale. Products include LAM’ON, a compostable film which the manufacturer reports to be 85% bio-based, 100% compostable, and able to be applied on standard laminators.
According to LAM’ON, the product was developed to combat what they estimate as the 1.2m metric tonnes of laminated paper that is wasted each year.
In its statement on the Sustainability Pact, Polyart says: “To find practical and cost-effective answers, the manufacturing sector must take initiative, and it's wise to collaborate within the industry to do so.”
In a follow-up statement on LinkedIn last week, the company added: “Polyart Group is proud to be among the founding members, contributing industry-specific expertise and collaborating on solutions for a greener economy.”
