56 www.signlink.co.uk Issue 247 - June / July 2023 paperboard is a good example of how a sustainable substrate provides benefits. After use it can be recycled easily and businesses are paid for this waste. “By adopting sustainable practices, sign-makers can reduce waste, conserve resources, and minimise their carbon footprint; they can make a positive environmental impact and help protect the planet,” he says. Looking to Dufaylite’s portfolio of solutions, Moscrop says all products within its range are FSC-certified to ensure the paper it is using is coming from sustainably managed forests. The company is also a Carbon Neutral business, currently via offsetting, but with plans in place to invest in renewable energy to continue to drive towards net zero. “It is one thing to buy and use sustainable materials, however the impact of this is lessened and even negated if customers don’t recycle them,” Moscrop comments, adding: “So, it’s important to try wherever possible to limit the different types of materials and use easily and readily recyclable materials only. “By not being sustainable, apart from the obvious impact on the planet, you risk being left behind commercially. As described, there are commercial benefits to sustainability, paired with the fact customers are demanding it. If you don’t pay attention and progress, your customers will find people who will.” A Fundamental Subject With printed work, sign-makers should also consider the type of ink they are using to create applications. To deliver a Dufaylite are recyclable via traditional paper and cardboard recycling schemes. Ashley Moscrop, managing director of Dufaylite, says that as sustainability is important across all aspects of life to ensure our planet continues to function for many generations to come, sign-makers should focus on reducing their environmental impact and contributing to a more sustainable future. “When you take sustainability seriously, there are significant business benefits as well as the impact on the environment,” Moscrop explains, adding: “These include reducing waste and energy, which will help cut costs and can increase output, improving business profitability as well as helping the environment. “Also, in terms of cost savings, implementing sustainable practices can reduce the use of raw materials, energy, water consumption, and operating costs which can lead to significant savings in the long run. “In addition, sign-makers can expect to gain a competitive advantage. There are many benefits to adopting sustainable practices and many prefer to buy from environmentally conscious businesses.” The use of sustainable materials not only benefits the signage company, Moscrop says, but also its customers. He says greener service to customers, opting for a water-based ink over other options like solvent, eco-solvent, and UV may be an effective approach. HP has been offering its water-based HP Latex inks for a number of years now, with these being used on HP machines to produce all manner of signage. Isabella Jelinek, North West Europe marketing manager for HP, explains that sustainability is fundamental to the fabric of the company. She says: “We want to be more than a vendor; we want to be a partner in helping our customers exceed expectations and drive meaningful change that contributes to the longevity of our planet while maintaining profitable business. “Sustainable impact is a business imperative. Governmental regulation will accelerate in the coming years in order to meet UN Sustainable Development Goals and businesses that don’t become sustainable could risk fines, reduction in customer loyalty, and loss of market share. Environmental awareness continues to increase, and too the need to demonstrate commitment to minimising environmental impact. Jelinek also explains that the benefits of adopting a more sustainable approach to business go much further than winning and keeping hold of customers. Additional benefits include safer operations as waterbased ink such as HP Latex ink does not contain any hazardous elements or reactive chemicals. Aside from its water-based inks, HP cartridges are now carton-based, which Jelinek says has reduced plastic use by 80% compared to previous cartridges and also cut the supply by CO2 by 66%. HP also ◄ Soyang Europe’s PVC-free range includes roll lengths up to 5.05m wide ▼ Dufaylite’s products are FSC-certified to ensure the paper it is using is coming from sustainably managed forests All Dufaylite products are 100% recyclable via traditional paper and cardboard recycling schemes Factoid HP’s carton-based cartridges reduce plastic use by 80% 80% NEED TO KNOW / SUSTAINABLE SIGNAGE MATERIALS
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