Digitally printed packaging is an emerging market that is expected to grow from $580 million in 2005 to $6 billion by 2015. There is good reasoning for this forecasted growth. When compared to conventional package printing technologies, digital printing delivers competitive, cost, and environmental advantages. It is also well suited for many packaging applications.

Digital printing can use just-in-time and print-on-demand approaches with shortened setup requirements. Digital press printing also allows for short run jobs for less expensive prices. Variable data printing capabilities also bring great value to businesses looking to add customization and personalization to their package printing.

The environmental advantages are also worth noting in regards to digital printing. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), packaging accounts for one-third of solid waste in US landfills. As sustainable packaging is expected to grow monumentally in the coming years, it could be a key driver of digital package printing growth. So what are the environmental advantages of digital printing?

On-demand production- Digital printing allows for specification on precise quantities needed in production, eliminating waste and reducing warehousing costs and energy requirements.

Electronic job ordering and submission, paperless workflow, and soft proofing- These processes reduce paper usage and boost efficiency.

Green paper- Recycled paper or paper with chain-of-custody certification that promotes responsible forestry practices works excellent with digital printing and in some cases, can sell for more.

No varnish- Varnish is required for offset printing while adding cost and environmental hazards. Offset inks take 24 hours to dry and harden so it needs a coat of varnish to seal the surface of inks. Digitally printed pieces have a dry and hard surface immediately with low risk of scratching.

Non-toxic glues- These are available for most binding techniques and eliminate the need for ventilation of toxic fumes and waste management issues.

Distribute-then-print- Digital printing lends itself to the least environmentally disruptive delivery because files can be distributed to your print center or partner electronically.

With these environmental advantages along with cost and competitive advantages, it is easy to see why the projected growth for digital printing is so positive. It definitely caters to our fast pace “need it now” business culture.

For more information on digital printing contact Sunrise Packaging!

Have you heard the term Upcycling? Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value. It is the opposite of downcycling, which involves converting materials and products into new materials of lesser quality. Most recycling involves converting or extracting useful materials from a product and creating a different product or material.

Upcycling, in reference to packaging, has a slighly different definition. It’s the creative use of the shape and characteristics of existing packaging to create new products or packaging. Here are some great examples of upcycled packaging:

The pioneers of Upcycling: Terracycle

In today’s world, packaging is often looked at as wasteful, largely because the packaging usually outlives the products that they protect. But packaging is extremely important. It provides protection to keep products safe in transport and on shelves as well as information for consumers to make the right purchasing decision. With that said, researchers realize the importance of packaging while taking environmental concerns into consideration in an effort to source sustainable materials that can be used for packaging. We’ve blogged about many of them. Recently, coconuts have been tested for different packaging applications. Others include algae-based plastics, sugarcane plastics, mushroom stems, and the list goes on.

Now the newest development in eco-friendly packaging material is banana leaves (at least until we run across something else….maybe next week). Israeli designer named Tal Marco has taken a decidedly low-tech and refreshing approach to package design with his use of natural banana leaves which are an abundant resource in many regions around the world. Their wax-like surface is ideal for food packaging specifically because they work well with wet and greasy foods. However, the leaves are very flexible and can last a long time after being cut from banana trees. Therefore, they can be adapted to many types of packaging.

These banana leaf packages that are pictured are cut to form using die cutting technology. Die cut leaves can be folded into numerous forms lending themselves to many retail applications. No glue is used. The unique qualities of this material allow packages to be opened simply by tearing the banana leaf along its natural perforation.

In our environmentally conscious world, the packaging industry is scouring resources for materials to implement into sustainable packaging applications. The newest to enter the conversation? Coconuts. Because of their strength and low water-absorption, coconuts might be a great candidate for eco-friendly packaging material. Researchers have begun putting it to the test.

There are many positives when looking at coconuts as a sustainable packaging material. They are a readily available resource and can be found in many places around the globe. Moreover, they’re already being harvested for coconut oils and juices. The coir, or husk, can easily be processed to produce sturdy material for packaging instead of being left for waste. Coir is strong enough to perform better than most conventional materials in categories such as density, water-absorption and swelling without the addition of chemical binders. No chemical additives mean this green packaging alternative is safe for your compost pile after use.

In today’s world, coir has many uses in furniture, horticulture products, etc. With that said, the husks are very under-utilized. Only 10 percent is currently being extracted for use in other products. You can see the opportunity of having an abundant resource if it proves to be a great packaging solution.

Another positive aspect of this innovation is that it would give a revenue boost to struggling coconut farmers around the globe.

For more information on green packaging concepts and ideas visit Green Packaging 365.

More than 30 companies are testing out a packaging sustainability measurement system that one group hopes becomes a worldwide standard. The system was developed through the Consumer Goods Forum’s Global Packaging Project (GPP), and includes a list of 52 indicators (and how to measure them) like weight, recycling rates, virgin content and shelf life. The indicators are divided into three main sections:

- Environmental (material waste, recycling/composting/reuse rates, recycled or renewable content)
- Economic (total cost of packaging, packaged product wastage)
- Social (packaged product shelf life, product safety, responsible workplace practices).

The GPP has also released a document (PDF) listing every indicator along with each one’s definition, metric, what to measure and what not to measure.

The basics of the system and common packaging principles are explained in the GPP’s first report, “A Global Language for Packaging and Sustainability,” which was designed to deliver a common framework and measurement system that trading partners can use to help them make better, more informed decisions about packaging and sustainability. The report was developed with input from more than 80 manufacturers, retailers, trade associations and packaging industry stakeholders.

Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Walmart, SC Johnson, General Mills, Target and Colgate-Palmolive have agreed to use it to answer questions about the sustainability of different packaging choices. The results of the pilot projects will be compiled and released at the end of this year.

Cereplast, Inc. designs and manufactures proprietary starch-based, renewable plastics created from breakthrough technology. They have recently announced that by the end of the year, they will be making plastic from algae. The algae-based resins carry the potential of replacing 50% or more of petroleum content used in traditional plastic resins. Developing alternative feedstock unrelated to fossil fuels and to the food chains is the next ‘frontier’ for bioplastics and Cereplast is aggressively staying on the forefront.

Cereplast CEO says the algae is close enough to the starches that the company already turns into plastics such as corn, wheat, and tapioca. The problem is not the science, it’s the demand. Getting enough of the green stuff to produce mass quantities is the challenge that the Cereplast team is facing. Difficulties with growing and processing algae cheaply has kept it just out of reach for making it a pliable bio-plastic alternative. The process includes finding and cultivating a precise strain of algae from thousands, harvesting and drying, and then extracting the oils from the plant in a cost-effective manner.

What could this mean? In the not-so-distant future, the algae plastics could be and integral part of a trillion dollar plastics industry. Bill Francis, President of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, which documents the effects of stray plastic on the world’s oceans, is optimistic on algae’s future in the plastics marketplace. “I do believe there will be a time when we look back and say, ‘Oh yeah, that was the plastic age”.

Algae-based plastics could be a huge breakthrough for the green packaging industry depending on how the product performs when used in different plastic manufacturing processes. Up to this point, there has been a lot of limitations with bioplastics.

Packaging has long played a supporting role in advertising but in today’s world, it’s starting to steal the show. Brand marketers are increasingly bringing their product’s packaging to the forefront of brand communication both visually and by incorporating advertising strategies on the packaging itself.

So what’s with packaging’s growing significance as a branding tool? The increasing aesthetic sophistication that applies to packaging is too hard to ignore. There is one huge challenge for packaging however: the environment. Pressure has been placed on manufacturers to cut down on packaging and reduce waste to help sustain the environment. Packaging companies are trying to find creative ways to develop green packaging solutions as the need for marketers to communicate eco-friendliness to consumers is growing rampantly.

Finding a happy marriage between creative packaging and sustainability is not exactly easy- there are limitations.  But it’s an ambition manufacturers and marketers are relentlessly pursuing.

So lets check out the “Recyclage de Luxe” campaign rolled out by Stella Artois last year. While taking various measures to lessen their environmental impact, Stella Artois launched the campaign in the UK. They’re earning their eco-cred by making greener packaging and engaging consumers in recycling initiatives.

Since the start of the campaign, all Stella Artois’ cans have been made from at least 50% recycled aluminum, its bottles are above the industry standard of 75% recycled glass, and its corrugated Stella Artois boxes are made from 100% recyclable paper.

When it went live in July, Recyclage de Luxe comprised three executions across media, including TV and the press. Each focused on a different aspect of packaging – the corrugated packs, recycled bottles and recycled cans.

At the end of the month, the brewer launched its Hedge Fund on-pack promotion, a bid to boost sales with eco-incentives for consumers. Consumers buying some of the larger packs would be investing in an actual hedge, which would be grown to three times the size of the pack itself.

The campaign would help “replenish Britain’s depleted hedgerows, which are critical to the existence of many plants and animals”.The Hedge Fund promotion enables Stella Artois to help consumers take those small steps and together reduce the rate of climate change.

Stella Artois says that the campaign has so far “been very successful”, but is unable at this stage to divulge internal data proving this. It says that its marketing has been “very motivating for consumers”.

More info:
Stella Artois Hedge Fund

A recent survey shows the top green brands worldwide. The sample size was 9,022 and it was conducted February 27, 2010 to March 24, 2010. The study found that 60% of consumers around the world want to buy from environmentally responsible companies. In the US, 35% surveyed said they plan to spend more to buy green products, down 4% from 2009. Further, almost 80% of US respondents said they were more concerned about the economy than the environment. So here is the Top Ten US Green Brands in 2010:

10. IKEA- Never ending quest of sustainability

9. Microsoft- Innovating to improve the planet

8. Publix- Get into a green routine

7. SC Johnson- Improving products, reducing resources, strengthening communities

6. Aveeno- Nature + Science

5. Google- Helping to build a clean energy future

4. Trader Joe’s- Natural, hard to find foods

3. Tom’s of Maine- Green care products made responsibly

2. Whole Foods Market- Implementing the Green Mission

1. Burt’s Bees- Best for you, the environment, and the greater good

It’s Father’s Day this weekend and everyone has their shopping done right? If not, here are some cool gift ideas for different types of dads:

The Traveling Dad
Corsair Padlock 2- This is a really unique USB drive with an excellent security feature. The thumb drive is perfect for transporting sensitive business and personal information. Without the correct PIN number, the computer that the flash drive is connected to won’t recognize it and the data can’t be accessed. The PIN number is user chosen and can be four to ten digits long.

D’Aosta Vintage Luggage- For the traveling dads with style. This is a super cool vintage line of luggage that is very distinctive. There are several styles and each one come in “Carry on” size and full size. Eco luggage tags would be a nice compliment. I’m just sayin’….

The Lounging Dad
Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player- Rated as the top Blu-ray player on CNET, this is an outstanding universal disc player with excellent Blu-ray and DVD performance plus lightning-fast operational speed. It is a bit pricy though.

New Blu-ray and DVD Releases- Looking at a few Blu-rays that are new to store shelves in recent weeks.

*Book of Eli- Action & Adventure starring Denzel Washington
*Shutter Island- Thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio (Saw this in the theatre- really great movie!)

The Eco Dad

Solio Charger- Plug into the sun with the Solio Classic portable solar charger. It is eco-friendly and works with over 3,200 devices from cell phones, GPS, cameras, and mp3 players. It also features an optional wall charger for hybrid versatility.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

Ok, so the world’s gearing up for the World Cup kickoff today. Awesome! All eyes focusing on the host country South Africa who prepared a set of state-of-the-art “green” stadiums to hold the games. Five of the ten total venues showcase sustainability designs and features. Take a look at a few:

Moses Mabhid Stadium- Located in the sea side city of Durban. The architects took great care to lower the structure’s energy profile by using natural cooling techniques, great protected daylighting , and rainwater catchment. This 70,000 seat facility was designed with the future in mind for ongoing sporting events, concerts and as a seed for a future Olympics bid.

Green Point Stadium- The skin is a translucent silvery-white membrane that takes on the color of its surroundings while producing a soft glow at night. A truss and cable system supports a semitransparent roof that lets light in but limits solar heat. The stadium has capacity for 68,000 fans, and its design was specifically developed to reduce the venue’s overall profile.

Soccer City Complex- Located in Johannesburg. Home to the World Cup 2010 finals, this world-class facility is actually an extraordinary remodel. The renovated venue is based on the iconic African pot known as the calabash. The stadium achieves a transformative effect on the landscape through its form, color, and light. At day its earthen patterned color evokes the copper-rich land which has supported the local economy for generations. A night transparent panels in the façade create a unique and memorizing pattern. The façade’s transparent roof streams daylight into the concourse. Capacity 90,000.

The tournament opener will feature a match between South Africa and Mexico. Let the games begin!