Sustainability unpacked

September 2020 A note from Delight’s Founders

“When we first established Delight we wanted to create a branding agency purely focused on working with lifestyle brands. At the time, we recognised a shift in attitude around traditional ideas of luxury; from a more obvious status-driven definition to a more subtle and intimate experience. In many respects, we viewed luxury as an indulgence of the senses communicated through emotional and tactile touchpoints, often through lavish print materials. While the idea of communicating a rich, emotional narrative in luxury still rings true, we are all becoming increasingly aware that there is a cost to our indulgences.

However, this doesn’t mean that the customer has lost interest in products and experiences that communicate a strong sense of quality and exclusivity. Instead, it means that the same sense of craft and quality should be delivered with a more conscientious outlook and mindful footprint. With that in mind, we’ve been keen to explore how we can help our clients continue to deliver a premium message and how we as an agency can continue to deliver on our promise of Delight.”

DANIEL SHAW & WILL SHORROCKS

3 The future of print + packaging: Sustainability unpacked

“Now that companies are armed with the impetus and the business case to transform around purpose, the ‘why’ is no longer up for debate. The only question is ‘how’.”

VALERIE G. KELLER, ERNST & YOUNG

We know that engaging with environmental, economic and social sustainability is the future of our brands. But can luxury and sustainability be synonymous? Our retail clients talk about the unboxing experience and a dilemma for an industry where a certain quality of packaging has traditionally been part of how luxury brands advertise their value and add to the ceremony of a transaction. This is particularly poignant as the rise of online retail makes the unboxing process the place where an emotional relationship is made with the customer.

But the face of luxury is evolving. As Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha gain more purchasing power, consumer expectations of luxury packaging shifts from plush to conscious. High-end brands will need to respect the planet and do it with honesty and transparency. So, when it comes to choosing your print and packaging, the best options are sustainable.

4 The future of print + packaging: Sustainability unpacked

Fortunately, businesses have been busy developing new materials and products that go further than providing zero-impact as alternatives to their polluting counterparts. Not only do many of them have a positive impact on this earth, but they transform packaging’s potential. Edible paper, anyone?

“You go buy a burger, then you throw away the box. What happens if you can eat the box? What happens if you can heat up the box and put it into your soup? What if it’s algae based or if it’s protein based? Then you can reuse it but not reuse it as a package — but in a different application. You can end up eating it. Or your dog can end up eating it. Those are the kinds of innovation I believe you’re going to see in the next five years, ten years, 15 years.”

NICK SANTHANAM, MCKINSEY & CO

This guide is not exhaustive. It is a helpful handful of the material and product innovations that could enhance the sustainability of your print and packaging. We reveal how pulling at the sustainability thread won’t unravel your brand: it presents a world of new opportunity.

5 ‘A recent study revealed that 72% of American consumers say that packaging alone influences their purchasing decisions and more consumers are treating their own ‘customer experience’ as a top priority when deciding who to shop with. “Packaging is no longer there to simply protect the product,” Robert said [Robert Lockyer, Delta Global]. “It needs to offer an alternative use and provide a unique unboxing experience which communicates the brand’s core message and increase their long-term customer loyalty.’”

POSITIVE LUXURY Contents

Materials 8 Paper 9 Bioplastics 11 Shelf solutions 13 Paper and card 14 Bags 18 Sachets 20 Bottles 21 Pots 23 Caps 24 Shipping solutions 25 Food delivery 26 Protective packaging 28 Shipping 30 Reusable shippers 32 Print solutions 34 Ink 35 Foiling 36 Labelling 37 Print 38 The perfect package 40 Glossary of Terms 41

7 Materials Paper

With a helping of Two Sides

10 years ago paper had bad press. On the cusp of the Digital Revolution, consumers saw going ‘Paper and cardboard packaging ranks ‘paperless’ as a positive move for the planet. Two Sides emerged to defend the paper industry, highest with consumers for sustainability present paper as a sustainable, recyclable and renewable resource. They busted some popular attributes including: home compostable paper myths along the way, telling us that: (72%), better for the environment (62%) – European forests, which provide wood for making paper, have been growing by over 1,500 and easier to recycle (57%).’ football pitches every day!

– Electronic communications have environmental implications. Going paperless is not what TWO SIDES, MARCH 2020 we think. The ICT industry accounts for around 2.5-3% of global GHG emissions and this is predicted to rise to 14% by 2040. – 72% of paper and paper packaging is recycled into new products; one of the highest recycling rates of any material in Europe. – Virgin fibres from sustainably managed forests are needed to maintain the paper cycle. – 93% of the water used in paper production is returned to the environment after treatment. – The pulp and paper industry is the biggest single industrial user and producer of renewable energy in the EU. – The industry’s CO2 emissions reduced by 25% between 2005 and 2017.

Today, people are more aware of the sustainable pros of paper. So, Two Sides have launched their LovePaper campaign, a positive and pro-active campaign that invites consumers and brands to jump on the paper bandwagon. Find the facts and discover the story of paper at www.lovepaper.org.

9 “There aren’t many industries around that can aspire to become genuinely sustainable. The paper industry, however, is one of them; it is inherently sustainable. [...] The European paper industry is a world-leader when it comes to sustainable-sourced raw materials, renewable energy and recycling rates.”

JONATHON PORRITT, FORUM OF THE FUTURE Bioplastics

Breaking it down with Biome

Biome have 20 years of experience in developing intelligent, natural plastics. Their aim is ‘to challenge the dominance of oil-based polymers, and ultimately replace them completely.’ They tell us a little about bioplastics:

Ingredients: A bioplastic is a plastic that is made partly or wholly from materials derived from biological sources, such as sugarcane, potato starch or the cellulose from trees and straw. Biomass feedstock absorbs carbon dioxide as it grows.

Production process: Bioplastic manufacture can use less energy in production, reducing manufacturing costs and lowering the carbon footprint of the final product. Moreover, Biome’s own product ranges are developed to process on conventional machinery with no modifications required to existing equipment.

End of life: Bioplastics are often designed so that they biodegrade or compost at the end of their useful life, aided by fungi, bacteria and enzymes. If so, then they can enrich the soil on decomposition. Durable plant-based bioplastics can also be recycled as well as their conventional equivalents. Biome work solely with biodegradable bioplastics.

Bioplastics can generally be directly substituted for their oil-based equivalents. They can also be made to be chemically identical to standard industrial plastics. But, better yet, bioplastics can be engineered to have novel technical characteristics such as vapour control and tactile properties.

Biome’s plastic educational channel is a great place to swat up #ThinkBioplastic.

11 Bioplastics

Starch

Potatoes, corn and cellulose are examples of plant materials that can make a wide range of bioplastic products. Some argue that using these plants could contribute to food scarcity and/ or deforestation. However, some companies use waste products e.g. Better Packaging who use non-GMO corn stockpiled in case of famine but no longer edible.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are nature’s recycling system, growing on plant-based materials, self-replicating without any outside energy inputs. Mycelium, the root structure of a mushroom, grows exponentially when provided with the correct nutrition and environment. It acts like a natural glue, binding agricultural by-products and turning it into a positive-impact resource, replacing unsustainable synthetics like polystyrene or polyethene. (Magical Mushrooms)

Seaweed

Notpla tells us that seaweed has the potential to be one of nature’s most renewable resources. It grows fast, is globally abundant and readily available. It doesn’t compete with food crops for land, doesn’t need fresh water, herbicides or genetically modified seeds to grow and actively sequesters CO2 and de-acidifies the oceans.

12 Shelf solutions Paper and card

Bio Cycle, Gmund

In the middle of the Bavarian Alps, situated around one of the nicest lakes in Germany, is the Gmund mill. Sustainable production is embedded in Gmund’s DNA. In 2019 they launched a collection of papers that ‘embody timeless beauty and an outstanding ecological balance.’

Ingredients: Up to 50% of this paper is made from resource-saving, fast-growing plant fibres like wheat, straw, grass, algae, cotton and cannabis. This is augmented with FSC certified fresh-fibre cellulose. The collection also includes an ecological classic that is made from 100% recycled paper. We like the fact that the grass comes from the land surrounding Gmund’s Bavarian mill and that the cotton is waste from the textile industry.

Process: Gmund uses water power, solar energy and heat-and-power coupling to generate up to 75% of the energy it needs.

End of life: The result is compostable, providing the nutrients to grow new plants.

Bio Cycle has partnered with Wigston Paper in the UK. They’re already in conversation with horticultural organisations, museums and thoughtful fashion houses. We expect big and beautiful things in the future.

14 Paper and card

Gmund Used, Gmund

But Gmund’s cogs are always in motion. In Summer 2020 they launched ‘the eco-friendly paper with its own history.’ Available in 10 vibrant colours, high quality and strong, this is the ideal material for packaging.

Ingredients: 100% recovered paper: 80% high-quality, FSC® certified DIP (recycled pulp), 20% secondary packaging materials manufactured in Gmund.

Process: The Gmund Eco Certificate logo guarantees that the production process is designed to conserve natural resources.

A new kid on the block, we’re yet to see the innovative things this paper could do.

15 Paper and card

CupCycling ™, James Cropper

James Cropper is a family-run prestige paper innovator based in the English Lake District. They supply distinct, custom-made paper products to many of the world’s leading luxury brands, art galleries and designers. Today, they lead the way in developing sustainable innovations in a drive towards a circular economy.

‘2.5 billion cups are thrown away in the UK each year. They are only recyclable through specialist facilities.’ What if someone came up with an ingenious way to reuse this surplus product and create something beautiful? James Cropper has a zero-waste solution.

Ingredients: Disposed cups (collected from retailers such as McDonald’s and Costa). CupCycling ™ is a technology that extracts the polythene lining of disposable coffee cups, enabling them to be recycled and transformed into high-quality paper, packaging and stationery products. 95% of the cup waste is converted back into paper...

Process: ... and the final 5% is used as energy to fuel the process.

End of life: Recyclable.

But is it luxurious? HRH herself opened JC’s CupCycling plant back in 2016. Since then Selfridges and Burberry are just two of their clients. GF Smith have jumped on board with their Extract collection, recently used in Vashi’s packaging redesign. To date, James Cropper has recycled over 120 million coffee cups and can upcycle 500 million cups per year.

16 Paper and card

COLOURFORM™, James Cropper

They’ve done it again. James Cropper has created paper packaging alternatives to plastic, ‘sustaining brands with colour and form’.

Ingredients: They use quality material from their recycling plant and 100% renewable FSC wood fibre.

Process: Design-engineered to specifications to minimise waste materials.

End of life: It is renewable, recyclable and biodegradable.

COLOURFORM packaging can be moulded into any shape, in any colour, with a quality, tactile finish. With a rapidly expanding client base, from luxury brands to FMCG and cosmetics companies, COLOURFORM is meeting the needs of complex and high-end design, while revolutionising sustainable packaging. We think it is the future of functional product packaging. Loewe and Floral Street are amongst the many brands who agree with us.

‘Boxes that vanish, electrics that turn cases into power sources for iPads and shape-changing materials are just some of the ways packaging is predicted to reinvent itself as soon as the next decade.’

JAMES CROPPER

17 Bags

TIPA® compostable packaging

TIPA® manufactures packaging inspired by nature. Just like an orange peel, they break down completely in the compost. Their premium quality packaging has similar qualities to conventional plastic, like transparency and printability. What is there to loose?

Ingredients: A patented blend of fully compostable polymers is the foundation for a packaging that functions like conventional plastic.

End of life: TIPA® focuses on the entire lifecycle of a package. The material performs like conventional packaging with end-of-live build into the design. After use, the package is composted with organic waste into nutrient-rich soil.

Their most popular packages for fashion and apparel are certified home compostable resealable, zipper, and garment bags. These are already being used by visionary brands like Ulla Johnson, Gabriela Hearst, Stella McCartney, Mara Hoffman, Modern Citizen, HAST, Pangaia and OLDER Paris... to name but a few!

18 Bags

Vacuum and Produce bags, Grounded Packaging

‘Sustainable packaging, bio-plastics and products made from recycled materials.’ Grounded Packaging give their customers total visibility down their products’ production, supply chain and life cycles.

Ingredients: Made from rice, potatoes and corn derivatives blended with a copolymer.

Process: They work with state-of-the-art, ethical factory partners. Their printing techniques and materials create less waste and leave non-toxic residues, whilst they reduce the energy required to move materials from factory to customer.

End of life: Certified home compostable, so biodegrades under home composting conditions into organic biomass.

Perfect for food, fashion and retail, this is one of Grounded Packaging’s most versatile products. In the food industries, some clients using Grounded’s vacuum bags are Bostock Brothers, Vegan Dairy and Bunderra Berkshires. Others, like Memobottle (water bottles) and My Shay (deodorants) are being creative and differentiating themselves from competitors by using these bags as well.

19 Sachets

Ooho, Notpla

‘We make packaging disappear.’ These are the words of Notpla, the team of chemists and engineers, designers and entrepreneurs, who have created edible packaging as an alternative to plastic. Ooho is their sachet for liquids.

Ingredients: Made from Notpla, a material combining seaweed and plants.

Process: Notpla is a low carbon material, with the brand’s machinery using little energy to produce the Ooho sachets. These sachets generate 96% fewer carbon emissions than PET plastic for an equivalent container volume.

End of life: Edible and biodegradable. Pop in your mouth with your cocktail or into the home compost pile where it will biodegradable in 4-6 weeks (the worms in their wormery even preferred it to orange peels)!

Oohos have been popular at events such as the London Marathon, Glastonbury and a Glenlivet campaign. This year they have partnered with Hellmann’s UK and soy sauce. Will they catch on in the luxury sector?

20 Bottles

The Paper Bottle Company™ [Paboco]

‘Imagine a paper bottle in every hand. That’s what the future will look like if our innovation project succeeds.’ This self-professed work in progress looks to replace the plastic bottle with a thoughtful paper alternative.

Ingredients: A fibre blend - sustainably sourced strong Nordic fibres developed to hold carbonated beverages and still look beautiful.

Process: A robust efficient production process with significant output that is both commercially and sustainably attractive.

End of life: 100% recyclable. Designed for circularity using renewable materials and with the long-term goal to harmlessly degrade if accidentally put in nature.

The Carlsberg Group, Coca-Cola Europe, Absolut and L’Oreal are on board so our hopes are high. The paper bottle is a generational journey to changing the packaging industry for good. However, there is still some way to go and there are no bottles to order just yet.

21 Bottles

CHOOSE

The Choose Water bottle is the only fully compostable water bottle that is entirely sourced, produced and sold in the UK.

Ingredients: The outer case is made from 100% recycled, sustainably sourced paper and pulp. The waterproof inner lining is made from 100% natural materials.

End of life: All elements of the bottle will fully biodegrade, they don’t leave behind toxic micro-particles, or leach heavy metals into the environment. Further yet, the inner lining is actually beneficial to the environment, neutralising soil acidity and providing nutrients to aquatic environments.

But it doesn’t stop there. The brand has also donated a bulk of its profits to Water for Africa, helping provide clean water to thousands of people.

22 Pots

Nordic Collection, Sulapac®

A lot like traditional plastic, but friendlier for you and the environment. 100% bio-based and microplastic-free.

Ingredients: Made from wood from industrial side streams and plant-based binders. All raw materials are sustainably sourced and food contact approved.

Process: The Sulapac® material can be treated using existing machines enabling mass-production. Besides packaging, the material is suitable for a variety of products such as clothes hangers, straws, and personal care items.

End of life: Recyclable via industrial composting (under EN 13432). Biodegrades fully without leaving microplastics behind.

A great option for beauty products, customers include Niki Newd, Atopik, Sagitta and Okanagan Lavander among many others. Chanel is one of Sulapac’s investors.

The Nordic Collection is available via Quadpack, Sulapac’s Preferred Global Cosmetic Packaging Partner. Sulapac just received an A+ for innovation in Circulytics, a novel circularity metrics developed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF), that looks beyond products and material flows.

23 Caps

Woork®, PUJOLASOS

The first luxury cap that works with wood and cork.

Ingredients: Organic, natural, ecological. Only totally natural and completely renewable materials like FSC certified wood and cork are used. Free from plastic and glue.

End of life: The first 100% natural and compostable wooden cap.

A roster of luxury clients like Loewe, Rituals, Ormaie and One Ocean has fallen for this stunningly sustainable solution to the plastic cap problem.

24 Shipping solutions Food delivery

BioCane, BioPak

Not all takeaway containers are created equal. BioPak produces award-winning food packaging that puts the planet first. Their products are made from plants and designed for the circular economy.

Ingredients: The BioCane range is made from reclaimed and rapidly renewable sugarcane pulp – a by-product remaining after the juice has been extracted that would otherwise be burned. They are tree-free and carbon neutral.

End of life: Home compostable. BioPak has also launched the Compost Club to divert all of their packaging from landfill.

Nourish and Feed, Riverbend Blueberries, Source of the Earth and Bondi Oysters have all dished up. To top it off, BioPak is a certified B Corp. It donates 1% of its profits to rainforest rescue, 2.5% to carbon offsets, and 4% to charity events and organisations. It has planted over 20,000 trees and purchased over five hectares of threatened rainforest regionally.

26 Food delivery

Notpla Box

The sustainable replacement to plastic and plastic-lined takeaway boxes.

Ingredients: The paperboard free from synthetic chemicals and includes grass into the pulp, resulting in a saving of over 250kg of CO2 and more than 3000L of water per tonne when compared to conventional fresh fibre cartonboard. The Coating is a special formulation of seaweed and plant-based extracts, giving paperboard and moulded fibre products the necessary grease proofing and water-resistant qualities.

End of life: The box is recyclable and home compostable.

Notpla launched in February 2020 with Just Eat, feeding hungry Brits with home deliveries throughout lockdown.

27 Protective packaging

Green Cell Foam, KTM Industry

KTM have looked to the future to create ‘the most eco-friendly packaging available.’ Their shipping coolers, protective packaging and display packaging make great, eco alternatives to traditional foam.

Ingredients: Made from no-GMP cornstarch.

Process: Completely customisable to a brand’s needs. Requires 70% less energy and produces 80% fewer greenhouse gasses than traditional foams.

End of life: Biodegradable, backyard compostable and dissolvable in water.

‘Place in your compost or under running water. It’ll disappear.’

This is the foam that already protects the products of brands like Van Leeuwen, Perfectly Peckish and Beyond Ice Cream. KTM has just opened a plant in Napa Valley, making it easier to supply to their wine clients. However, they have recently partnered with Caledonian Industries in Scotland who can already supply Green Cell Foam to the UK.

28 Protective packaging

Magical Mushroom Company

‘We’re called the Magical Mushroom Company because we grow packaging out of fungi. Honest.’

Ingredients: They work with regional farmers to source crop fibres no longer in use. These include corn husks and hemp. They reuse residues from other industries too, like textiles. Once these have been sourced they are introduced to mushroom mycelium cells.

Process: Mycelium grows on and binds to the biomass to create a cohesive composite material. They mycelium self-propagates over five days and is very energy efficient. MycoComposite ™ can be grown to almost any shape specification reducing waste. The mycelium growth trays, made out of PET plastic, are reusable and recyclable.

End of life: 100% home compostable, naturally decomposing in soil within 45 days. Non-toxic.

International clients include Seed Health and Keap whilst in the UK Wildsmith have already jumped on board. The Magical Mushroom Company are the exclusive UK licensing holders of Ecovative, planning to open their first plant in Surrey.

29 Shipping

comPOST, The Better Packaging Co

‘Looking for more sustainable packaging? So are we!’

The Better Packaging Co. is upfront about the fact that there’s still a way to go before a completely sustainable solution to packaging is discovered. But, they are 100% committed to the hunt for ‘better’ and are currently producing solutions that have far less impact than traditional, single-use plastic packaging. Their comPOST range has expanded from their now infamous ‘Real Dirt Bags’ to include poly/garment bags, labels, hanging garment bags, bubble bags, ziplock bags, pallet wrap and more.

Ingredients: Bio-based i.e. partly made from corn starch, PLA and PBAT. Not 100% renewable. 100% biodegradable and compostable with no toxic residues.

Process: Made in a zero waste process by a carbon neutral company with warehousing and distribution in 5 locations across the globe to minimise carbon miles.

End of life: Double seals on larger bags and prominent ‘cut here to re-use’ graphics promote re-use. New designs launching in Q4 2020 will radically increase the reusability of their products.

This brand has a seriously cool aesthetic and the clients to match: Karen Walker, Clarins, KitX, Bianca Spender, Roxy, Stance Socks, L’Oreal and Josh Wood Colour make up just part of their impressive roster. They only launched in the UK in August 2019, but their drive is as inspiring as their Instagram is booming. We expect great things.

30 Shipping

Home Compostable Mailers, Grounded Packaging

Worth a second mention!

Ingredients: Bio-based materials.

Process: Reduced in volume and weight to lower carbon footprint during shipping.

End of life: Certified home compostable, breaking down in water, carbon dioxide and organic matter in a composting environment. They take only six months to completely biodegradable leaving only carbon dioxide, water and organic matter behind.

Asuwere use just one home compostable bag from supply through to customer delivery, removing unnecessary packing throughout the supply chain. Active Truth, Pyra, Assembly Label, North Beach NZ, Biode and Nimble Activewear are other brands shipping the sustainable (and snazzy) way.

31 Reusable shippers

Reusable shippers are born from the information that creating reusable packaging is sustainably superior to breaking items down for recycling (although not necessarily as sustainably sound as compostable packaging).

LimeLoop

These durable and lightweight smart shippers offer a more sustainable shipment and logistical solution. For every 100 shippers, you save 1,300 trees, 1.78 million gallons of water and 4,000 gallons of oil.

Ingredients: Made of upcycled billboard vinyl and lined with recycled cotton.

End of life: Reusable by nature, each shipper lasts for 10 years. LimeLoop tells us that:

“Replacing single-use with reusables will reduce emissions by as much as 80%.”

Clients like Toad&Co, M.Patmos, and Upchoose are closing the loop in their packaging.

32 Reusable shippers

Repack

Just like LimeLoop, the Repack team is ‘sick of single-use.’ They know for a fact that reuse is much better than recycling and so have created a reusable packaging service for online stores.

Ingredients: Made 100% from recycled PP.

End of life: Manufacturing a package produces between 100 and 500g CO2. Every time. Meanwhile, returning a Repack bag has a carbon footprint of just 37g, and the bags can be used at least 20 times. At the end-of-life, Repack bags are recycled or upcycled into new products.

Repack works with more than 100 brands in Europe, including Ganni and HURR Collective. In August 2020 RePack landed in Selfridges, Oxford Street, for Project-Earth. Sharing the shelves with 300 brand partners, Greenpeace, the Woodland Trust and WWF, this event put sustainable packaging in the spotlight.

33 Print solutions Ink

Living Ink

Could algae be the secret to:

The most sustainable Ink in the world?

Living Ink certainly thinks so.

Ingredients: Currently, the majority of pigments used within the print industry are derived from petroleum, such as carbon black. However, algae can be used as a colourant, providing an alternative that has a negative carbon footprint, is bio-based, resistant to UV-light exposure and safe.

Process: At large-scale production algae black pigments are considered to be carbon negative. Algae absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide and Living Ink ‘locks’ that carbon in the bio-based black pigment.

End of life: Because Algae Ink is 100% biodegradable, it can be disposed of on a compost pile and it will degrade in a matter of days.

We are also excited about algae’s potential to transform. Imagine an ink that slowly changes colour or, better yet, grows over time when exposed to light. One of Living Ink’s previous projects included developing just such an ink [ink not currently produced or sold]. ‘The inks are actually alive’, says DRUPA, which ‘offers exciting new possibilities, like gift cards whose surface changes over time.’

35 Foiling

FOILCO

Could foil stamping be more sustainable?

FOILCO is the industry’s stamping foil specialists. Supplying foils to brands like Moet & Chandon, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, Burberry, Gucci, and Fortnum & Mason and collaborating with paper makers and curators like GF Smith, Fedrigoni, Fenner Paper and Winter & Company, this is the go-to foiling company for the luxury industry.

Foil carrier sheets are made from polyester, the manufacture of which has a high-carbon impact and the resource is non-renewable and non-degradable.

However, while the foil itself may not be the most sustainable material, FOILCO’s #ZeroFoil2Landfill initiative ensures that any waste that leaves their site will not end up in landfill. Working with the recycling company Prismm, waste polyester is converted to SRF (solid recovered fuel) to create energy, replacing fossil fuels. They also extend this service to their clients, offering to collect their FOILCO waste and send it through their waste management streams.

Additionally, foil is so incredibly thin that any recyclable paper that it is printed on can still be recycled (the foil will be skimmed off in the re-pulping process and become waste). Up until now it has been generally accepted that up to 30% of the paper can be covered to enable recycling. However, recent laboratory test commissioned by Foilco determined that paper/ board converted in up to 80% foil can be repulped!

36 Labelling

RAFNXT+, UPM Raflatac

UPM Raflatac is labelling a smarter future beyond fossils. RAFNXT+ is the world’s first label material verified by the Carbon Trust to help mitigate climate change.

Materials: Paper of RAFNXT+ label materials origins exclusively from well-managed FSC certified forests. These forests are managed with consideration to the environment, society and economic viability. There is no deforestation, and ecosystem services and environmental values are maintained or enhanced.

The range uses fewer raw materials, energy and water, and generates less waste during its lifecycle compared to standard labels.

End of life: The liner can be recycled.

RAFNXT is just one of the labelling materials that UPM Raflatac have developed to enable a more sustainable future. They are committed to creating a circular economy for labels and has signed up to the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. UPM’s high calibre clients in the beverage world include Phil Sublim Champagne, Vellamo water, and Winestillery. Rêverie 2 is their new premium collection of unique, high-end labeling materials for wines, spirits, and craft beverages.

37 Print

Generation Press

These are the printers who (Th)ink. In their own words, they:

‘Collaborate with some of the best brands and design agencies around, spreading our mission of print optimism, and developing the craft that goes into make every printed item we produce.’

Somehow, with a tonne of care and effort, they have increased their production whilst reducing their ink and paper purchasing, energy use, waste and CO2 emissions.

Materials: Gen Press offer sustainable paper, always recommending that clients choose certified papers from well-managed forests. They also use vegetable ink and the computer-to-plate technology that removes the need for toxic chemicals.

Process: Not only do they use renewable energy, but they have been carbon neutral for 10 years.

End of life: Their effort doesn’t stop at advising their clients how best to reuse, recycle and compost their product. No. They reuse and recycle all materials wherever possible, recycling 98.8% of their waste. They make their business card boxes from 100% recycled card. All off-cuts and ‘overs’ become gorgeous notebooks whilst they donate their foils to a local Community Recycling Plant. And when your products come your way? They’ll be safely tucked in Greenwrap, a sustainable replacement for oil-based plastic packaging materials. It is biodegradable, derived solely from certified, sustainably managed forests and is 100% recyclable and compostable.

38 The perfect package The perfect package

So, have you found the one?

Perhaps, you see your product swilling in a seaweed sachet, standing out on the shelf in its Cannabis-paper sleeve, or being protected in transit by mushroom cushioning. We hope that we have opened your eyes to a world of opportunity around more sustainable solutions for your print and packaging.

But the success of tomorrow’s packaging lies in the strength of today’s strategy.

We are here to design packaging solutions that fit the blueprint of your brand, that tell their own story and delight your customer. We consider the easily accomplished short-term solutions, as well as the more significant package-design makeovers. We look at how sustainable solutions sit with other growing trends, such as designing with hygiene and e-commerce in mind.

Finding the right sustainable print and packaging solutions for your brand starts with a conversation. We’re here to strategise, explore the options, and unwrap opportunity with you. To set sustainable solutions into action email [email protected].

40 Glossary of Terms

Circular economy principles as per the Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Design out waste and pollution; keep products and materials in use; regenerate natural systems

Recycle: ‘The process of reducing a product all the way back to its basic material level, thereby allowing those materials to be remade into new products.’ EMF

Composting: ‘Microbial breakdown of organic matter in the presence of oxygen to produce soul with high organic content.’ EMF

Reuse: ‘Technical products and materials can be reused multiple times and redistributed to new users in their original form with little enhancement or change.’ EMF

Renewable: ‘Material that can be continually replenished.’ EMF

Bio-based bioplastics: ‘Bioplastics that are produced from renewable materials like plants and trees.’ Biome

Biodegradable bioplastics: ‘Bioplastics that are designed to biodegrade or compost at the end of their useful life.’ Biome

Biodegradable: ‘The term ‘biodegradable’ represents a process, but not necessarily under what conditions or time frame a product will disintegrate and degrade.’ TIPA

Compostable: ‘If a material is compostable, it means that under composting conditions (heat, humidity, oxygen, and the presence of micro-organisms) it will break down to CO2, water, and a nutrient-rich compost within a specific time frame.’ TIPA Thank you

wearedelight.com [email protected] +44 (0) 203 111 1433 @we_are_delight

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