Coating & Laminating
Coatings Industry publishes “No Deal Guide” for members as Brexit talks stall
T
he British Coatings Federation has published its “No Deal Guide” for members, aimed at
supporting the industry for the potential impact Brexit may have on their businesses. The guide presents the “worst-case
scenario”, where the UK would no longer have access to the EU single market, customs union or the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) from 30th March 2019, or 1st January 2021 depending on whether an implementation period has been negotiated. The document covers areas such as:
customs, regulations, transport, VAT and immigration. The guide comes after the UK Government publishes its technical notice
“Regulating Chemicals (REACH) if there’s no Brexit deal.” The BCF previously welcomed the Brexit White Paper published in the summer, stating the UK’s intention to stay part of ECHA. Ellen Daniels, head of public affairs and
policy at the BCF, says: “The BCF is currently working closely with the UK Government to ensure a good outcome from Brexit negotiations for our industry, hopefully to keep the UK within ECHA.” “Around 98 per cent of BCF members
have some form of trade with the EU, and given there is a possibility of a stalemate, we felt it prudent to inform members of the potential impact a “no deal” situation, and possible contingency plans member
Environmentally friendly printing inks
manufacturing processes such as printing has led companies to look for alternative, environmentally friendly solutions. The main concerns are traditional ‘water-
W
based inks’, which are actually based on chemicals or polymers derived from synthetic oil, making them fossil-based and subject to oil or polymer shortages in the future. The current solutions available, alternative ‘natural’ inks, for example, usually only contain up to 5 per cent renewable products. Earthinks is a new range of
environmentally friendly, water-based flexographic and screen printing inks and coatings that offer up to a 100 per cent replacement of synthetic chemicals with natural equivalents. Earthinks have been developed from sustainable and non-polluting resources including soy, starch, sugars, dextrin, tree resin, cellulose and other polysaccharides. Natural waxes are used to replace standard petroleum-based synthetics, and natural oils are used to defoam instead of mineral oils. Earthinks are glycol and silicone-free, contain no heavy metals and have near-zero Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC).
THE BENEFITS There are many benefits to using sustainable inks. Firstly, prices are comparable with standard inks but Earthinks significantly
reduce the impact on the environment. There is little cost difference for a large impact. The colour and quality are as good with Earthinks – and in some case better than synthetic and oil-derived inks. They have a low viscosity and low
foaming levels to deliver sharp images with lower dot gain than standard inks. Earthinks offer stability over long runs due
to their unique pH-independent technology and in-house colour mixing is an option for special colour production on demand. It should also be noted that the ink
recycling programme saves waste. While Weedon PSC has exclusivity in
corrugated, Earthinks can be used on other substrates to enable brand owners to carry their environmental credentials across their entire range of packaging. Weedon PSC has become the UK’s first manufacturer of corrugated packaging to use predominantly natural printing inks and due to this, the company has been awarded exclusive rights to print Retail Ready Packaging (RRP) and Point of Sale (POS) displays using Earthinks.
uearth.ink
idespread concern about sustainability and the environmental effect of
companies might consider.” If you need more information on the
guide, or are a BCF member and want to discuss the impacts of Brexit on your company, please contact the BCF for further information.
ubcf.co.uk
Eco laminate dog food pack
until now had been entirely plastics-based. Longtime Mondi customer MERA Tiernahrung, a socially
M
minded, mid-sized family company in Kevelaer, Germany, supplies private-label pet food to the German retailer Fressnapf Tiernahrungs. “MERA was looking for a package that would combine
the advantages of a plastic bag – light weight, high barrier properties, attractive print quality, and long shelf-life – with the natural look and feel of paper,” according to Fitore Loshaj, regional sales at Mondi. The result is a brand new product for MERA, with dog-food packaging in three convenient sizes, offering a useful range of choices for consumers based on their needs. All are made of a laminate consisting of brown kraft
paper, a transparent polyester (PET) middle layer, and a transparent, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) inner barrier layer. In addition to all versions offering reclosability for added convenience and freshness, the largest package includes an integrated handle on the side for easy carrying. And paper has the added advantage, of course, of being a renewable resource, Loshaj added. This paper/PET/PE construction provided a suitably
innovative package with consumer-friendly features for MERA’s range of Nature’s Effect-brand baked pet food. The new products have been available in all
Fressnapf/Maxizoo stores and online since spring 2018 under the brand name REAL NATURE Crafted Choice. Tapping into its extensive expertise in both paper and
plastic packaging, Mondi employs two of its plants to manufacture this new product – converting is done in Steinfeld, Germany, while printing and laminating is performed in San Pietro in Gu, Italy, says Loshaj.
umondigroup.com
ondi recently spun off a new, paper-based line of dog food packaging based on its FlexziBox concept, which
32
November 2018
convertermag.co.uk
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