56 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk January / February 2024 - Issue 346 Looking to the type of solutions Dufaylite has on offer, Moscrop picks out one offering in particular for those customers seeking a more sustainable material. Dufaylite has a range of insulated box liners and inserts that are made entirely from our recycled paper honeycomb. Moscrop bills these as the first paperbased alternative to polystyrene and lambs’ wool on the market and says they provide excellent levels of insulation. He explains that they deliver excellent thermal properties and keep its contents cool for 24 to 48 hours. “Quick and easy to install when packing, they’re durable, strong, and extremely rigid, which in turn ensures full protection during transit,” Moscrop explains. Sublime Sustainability On the subject of sustainability, Actega, an expert in specialty coatings, inks, adhesives, and sealing compounds for the packaging, printing, and medical industry, has also picked up on this trend and responded with the launch of several new solutions. The first of these comes in the form of Ultrasheen PakSafe UV coatings, a line of coatings that meet strict regulatory standards on sustainability. These coatings are free of many materials regarded as harmful or potentially dangerous such as per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), chemicals, and substances of very high concern (SVHC). As an added benefit, Rob Andrews, head of product management and technical service at Actega, says these coatings retain the scuff resistance and flexibility required for a wide range of high-quality packaging applications. The range includes a variety of gloss-level options for customers to choose from including gloss, satin, and matte. “The launch of Ultrasheen PakSafe UV coatings represents a ground-breaking moment for packaging applications, raising the bar even higher when it comes to safety and sustainability standards,” Andrews says. “These new coatings allow printers and converters to coat their packaging with confidence. By ensuring that our products meet all the necessary regulatory “With this innovation, we have also been able to reduce the amount of material needed and the carbon footprint without compromising the consumer experience.” Leading on from this, Harju goes on to advise on what makes a successful packaging job, focusing on how the visual appearance of a package tells the consumer a lot about the content and its quality, with packaging needing to reflect its content. Harju picks out areas like printability and convertibility as being a must for people working with branding, adding that the package needs to protect the content inside. Harju explains boards with a good white printing surface, which give the possibility to use a wide range of special treatments such as embossing and foiling, but also support fast runnability in production and sustainability values, offer the best combination to printers. Switch to Shorter Runs Elsewhere, Dufaylite also offers a selection of packaging solutions. Managing director Ashley Moscrop says one key trend that stands out in recent time is the desire for smaller orders. As consumer spending has tightened people are requesting shorter runs. “While the focus remains on sustainability, the industry is certainly adapting to the changing consumer demand,” Moscrop says, adding: “This is for short run at higher value, and personalised solutions utilising digital printing technology. “Shorter runs that are more personalised offer a better customer experience and will help businesses to compete against existing packaging suppliers that are more geared up for the higher volume work.” As to what PSPs should look for in packaging products, Moscrop says printers should ensure the materials that they work with carry out their core purpose of protecting the goods inside to prevent damages and related returns. Moscrop also advises looking for materials that enable the creation of something different, stand out, and ideally, are made from a single type of material that is easily recyclable by the consumer.” “In terms of sustainability, we all have the responsibility to ensure we are reducing our environmental impact,” Moscrop says, adding: “As producers, we must make it easy for the consumer to understand how to recycle the packaging, with clear and simple instructions that are easy to follow and where possible, keep to one material type.” While the focus remains on sustainability, the industry is certainly adapting to the changing consumer demand ◄ Metsä Board explains it is critical for all packaging to both protect and reflect its content PACKAGING SOLUTIONS
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