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LABELS&LABELING |41
Sustainability
dominates paper debate
BRIGL AND BERGMEISTER hosted its ninth Label Conference in October. Carol Houghton highlights some of
the key discussions
Sustainability was on everyone’s mind at Brigl and
Bergmeister’s ninth annual Label conference, held in Bad
Hofgastein, Austria. The event attracted 180 printers and
industry suppliers from 27 countries.
In his keynote, Brigl and Bergmeister CEO Michael Sabltanig
said it is essential to make companies more sustainable in a
time of global economic instability and tumbling stock markets.
But there are positives – the purchasing power of the middle
classes in emerging markets is growing. In developed markets,
meanwhile, changing consumer behaviour is presenting its own
challenges – particularly as environmental awareness impacts
on packaging requirements.
But Sabltanig noted that sustainability must have an economic
base, and this means the converting industry needs to
improve its cost base needs and its management of raw materials,
energy and transport costs, all of which require cooperation
throughout the supply chain.
Sabltanig called on the industry to better communicate the
benefits of paper. ‘Oil based materials are not sustainable, with
some experts predicting the age of oil is past its peak, and
in Europe, wood-based materials volumes are growing once
again.’ Paper consists of 95 percent renewable raw materials,
mainly pulp, so is well positioned in environmental terms.
David Ravnjak, F&E Papirnica Vevce, Brigl and Bergmeister,
looked at the development of ‘smart’ printed features on paper
– biosensors/activators and interactive labels.
Ravnjak also emphasized the technical performance characteristics
of paper. For example an 80gsm label paper can
withstand up to 200kpa (kilo/pascals) pressure and in terms of
stiffness, can support up to three kg weight. As wet strength,
papers can also incorporate properties such as flame retardance
and can act as a barrier for oxygen, vapor, liquids
and grease. These properties can be built in through coating
design, through base paper design – choice of fiber type, additives
and paper recipe – and the design of processing steps
including conditioning and coating.
It is also easy to forget how adaptable paper is in terms of
surface design, said Ravnjak. ‘It is flexible and adapts to the
shape of the canister.’
Sebastian Schwarz, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, used
his presentation to explain how sustainable manufacturing
can deliver to printers operational and economic and well as
ecological benefits, while Douglas Hutt from SAB Miller, the
world’s second largest brewer, gave an end users’ perspective
JANUARY 2012 | L&L