67 NEED TO KNOW / BEING A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS September / October 2023 - Issue 344 www.printmonthly.co.uk Abuzzword that’s been around for over a decade, ‘sustainability’ is something you can’t avoid hearing about. For years, companies have been talking about improving their sustainability and working to go greener but it is only in the past few years that we have seen real tangible and proactive changes becoming more commonplace. From speaking to industry members over the years, this seems to be being driven by consumers and clients themselves wanting businesses to prove how they are being green, and tenders are also implementing sustainability requirements within their listings. As a result, we are seeing more and more initiatives and products being launched with the industry working to be greener than ever; but as we all know, there is always more to be done. In this feature, we speak to some of the companies implementing sustainable practices within their business and ‘walking the walk’ as much as they are ‘talking the talk’. Increased Scrutiny ACTEGA has been taking bold actions and proactive steps to accelerate its sustainability progress by analysing its current product portfolio from a sustainability angle as well as launching initial initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of materials. The company develops, produces, and distributes specialty coatings, inks, adhesives, and sealing compounds. Dennis Siepmann, head of sustainability at ACTEGA highlights his own journey to sustainability having worked at ACTEGA for over 12 years: “Whilst there has been increased scrutiny placed on the sector due to the environmental impact of plastic and packaging in general, it’s essential to recognise that these are vital for providing durability and extended shelf life to products. “Our role is to make sure that packaging materials are used in the most efficient way and to contribute to this with our coatings, printing inks, varnishes, and compounds.” One example of this is that as part of the SVELON family, ACTEGA offers low-gauge compounds whose special properties enable customers to produce crown corks with a thickness of up to 0.18mm to reduce the metal thickness. This results in material savings, a lower carbon footprint, and less packaging waste. Other initiatives by ACTEGA include advocating for a circular economy through its water-based ACTGreen Barrier Coatings and Sustainable Compounds. “These PVC-free and plasticiser-free sealing comTANGIBLE CHANGE With sustainability moving from being just a buzzword to a serious focus with initiatives being implemented more and more, we look at some of the ways to improve your impact within the industry Ben Gingell
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