Clare Johnson: In 2024, we will be continuing to promote the sustainability of our market-leading paper and board brands as many of the mills we deal with can boast exemplary eco-credentials for their manufacturing processes. Tinted ranges are always popular and EBB will be officially launching a new tinted paper and board range, Lessebo Colours. Produced in Sweden, it can boast one of the lowest carbon emissions in the paper industry at just 25kg per tonne of paper. This range of 48 stunning colours from subtle pastels to deep heritage tones will be available from EBB stock in 80gsm up to 350gsm in a variety of sizes and can also be embossed in one of 18 embossing patterns made to enhance the paper qualities with a surface texture or pattern. Additionally, sustainability is still going to be a big thing and in line with this, we have just announced that we have appointed Rebecca Elliott as our new sustainability and compliance manager. In her new role, Rebecca will be responsible for leading the EBB Group’s sustainability vision and strategy. Rebecca Elliott: I am really excited to take on this new role. It demonstrates EBB’s commitment to a sustainable future, incorporating our four sustainability goals – Environment, Supply Chain, Our People, and the Local Community – into the culture of EBB. I look forward to working with suppliers, staff, customers, and the local community to advance our sustainability ambitions. The Independent Print Industries Assocation (IPIA) is hopeful that the trend of slowly recovering overall print volumes will continue across 2024 – and that the economic stimulus and business tax relief package announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn Statement – will combine to improve trading conditions. The biggest growth markets for our members in the last two quarters of 2023 were personalised high-value print campaigns (in particular those that contain a trigger to digital content), direct mail, and large-format print. We also saw a significant growth in demand for 'sustainable' print products – where the lowered carbon footprint, recyclability, or waste reduction performance of a project could be validated and proactively marketed. We predict all these markets to perform well again in 2024, and would advise investigating expansion of products and services to capitalise on them. Clare Johnson & Rebecca Elliott, marketing and design & sustainability and compliance manager at EBB Group Brendan Perring, general manager of IPIA 39 www.printmonthly.co.uk January / February 2024 - Issue 346 2024 PREDICTIONS Food and medicines and pharma to stay resilient: With the economy teetering on the verge of a recession, and cost of living struggles, there will be a continued impact on sectors such as fast fashion and FMCG, which will start to impact the packaging sector next year. However, demand will hold up in recession-proof categories such as food. In fact, the cost-of-living crisis is driving innovation in the sector. When times are tough for many consumers, as we tighten our belts, it drives demand for packaging that preserves our food for longer. The other sector that will weather economic difficulties is medical and pharma. The pharmaceutical sector is generally resilient during economic downturns, as medicines are so essential. Chris Wall, senior underwriter at Atradius UK and specialist in the paper and packaging sector Protecting margins as the price of paper falls: In 2024, we will see paper and packing manufacturers starting to ease prices, though high costs, supply chain challenges, and economic uncertainty may mean the benefit is not felt until the second half of the year. Buoyancy in e-commerce: The shift to next-day, one-click-driven e-commerce was accelerated by the arrival of national lockdowns in 2020, which increased online spending by 48% year on year to £116bn according to Ofcom. While online retail sales fell by 0.3% in September month on month to 26.7%, sales remain buoyant and well above the same point in 2019 (18.1%). This buoyancy, within the context of evolving consumer demand and spending trends, means that we should see an opportunity for agile paper and packaging suppliers in 2024. Greater use of bags: We are now seeing consumers becoming more aware of their choices and their impact on the environment. This – alongside the search for cost savings – is driving a shift towards the use of smaller, more lightweight packaging. In addition, increasingly boxes are being replaced by bags as the packaging of choice. Making better use of boxes: In the current market companies will be doing all they can to find efficiencies and cut costs. That includes finding ways to use packaging more efficiently. IKEA does a great job at this and really uses all the space inside a box. Expect more companies to take an IKEA-style approach, finding new ways to make use of every corner of the box, grouping orders, and reducing the size of packaging. This will have a knock-on impact on paper prices and producers. relationships, and emotional health challenges, often driven by financial problems, or struggles with work/life balance. We believe that everyone who needs us should be able to access our support, and we encourage anyone facing uncertain times to start a conversation with us, to find out how we can help. Rebecca Elliott
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