A decade ago, sustainability was nowhere near the topic of interest it is today. In talking with executives from ink companies, it is interesting to hear how the emphasis on sustainability has changed the entire supply chain, including brand owners, printers, ink manufacturers and their suppliers.

Shiina Harako, project manager, Marketing Division, Toyo Ink Co., Ltd., observed that the printing industry, especially the part of the industry related to packaging, has evolved very fast in the past few years.

“Initially the main concerns were color reproduction, ink’s performance in the whole packaging structure, and productivity among others,” she noted. “Later on, chemical safety started to play a very important role and has now become an unavoidable requirement in packaging. Recently environmental concerns and sustainability issues, mostly related to plastic packaging, are taking the front page of agendas on packaging development and, therefore, impacting inks and other printing related products.”

Michael Spörl, head of global marketing and corporate communication for hubergroup, said that industry has changed a lot in the last decade, adding that sustainability is not only about environmental aspects.

“We totally agree to the 17 sustainability development goals of the United Nations, which are a guideline for us,” Spörl noted. “Customers, especially the big brand owners, increasingly express their expectations towards us as a supplier. Years ago, it was sufficient to draw nice pictures. Today, it is critical to walk the talk.”

“We ourselves did a lot to improve our production processes, supply chain and ink formulations,” he added. “With the raw material production of hubergroup Chemicals we could reduce our energy consumption by a lot, and our internal recycling process reduces waste.”

Dr. Evan Benbow, VP, product technology & solutions for Wikoff Color, said that the topic of sustainability has undoubtedly become more prevalent in the past 10 years.

“From the increased consumer awareness of climate change and consequences of pollution, the expectations surrounding brand owner transparency and CSR reporting were born,” Dr. Benbow observed. “In turn, brand owners are looking to packaging converters for innovative solutions and improvements. Wikoff Color has seen a clear rise in the prioritization of sustainability from purchasing decision-makers. The topic is now a mainstay in a request for proposal (RFP) scenarios, and organizations are looking for specific solutions.”

Dr. Nikola M. Juhasz, global technical director of sustainability at Sun Chemical, said that while sustainability considerations might not have been as prominent across the industry 10 years ago as they are today, Sun Chemical has been committed to sustainability for well beyond a decade.

“In fact, we’re issuing our 11th annual sustainability report this year, which highlights our ongoing approach to sustainability for both our products and our processes,” Dr. Juhasz said. “During that time, we have been focused on delivering products and solutions that support sustainability initiatives in the various markets we serve. In addition to our market offers, internally we’ve been finding ways to reduce carbon emissions and water usage at all our facilities for many years.

“Today, the various markets we serve are very actively and visibly expanding on their sustainability goals and requirements, the topic is urgent and a true priority and Sun Chemical is well-positioned to deliver meaningful solutions with the development programs that are already underway. While we are proud of what we’ve already accomplished, we know that we need to do more. We are committed to being a leader, partner and champion of sustainability going forward,” she added.

Sustainability Going Forward

Knowing that sustainability has become a critical component in the decision-making process throughout the supply chain, it is reasonable to believe that this will continue to grow in importance through the next decade.

Dr. Benbow said he believes that sustainability will filter into areas such as packaging design.

“In the future, we expect to see a major push from consumer demand for our suppliers to develop novel packaging solutions that enable the circular economy,” Dr. Benbow said. “This would include designing packaging for ease of recycling and maximizing the value of the recycled substrates. Continued efforts from our suppliers to develop innovative polymers that will displace petroleum-based solutions to improve the carbon footprint of our industry.”

Spörl said the path to sustainable inks will follow the path of packaging inks.

“We see the same dynamics as for food packaging inks,” Spörl said. “At the beginning, only a few people saw a need for it. But today it is standard. The same will happen with sustainable inks. It will be a standard for most printing applications.”

Harako said that in the next few years, Toyo Ink anticipates the industry becoming increasingly more focused on sustainable and greener solutions.

“From raw materials sourcing to end-of-life product management including all manufacturing processes, further advances in materials and processing will need to be made in order to create a real circular economy in the packaging segment,” Harako noted.

Dr. Juhasz reported that many brands and converters have already made commitments to follow the United Nations ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ by setting ambitious sustainability goals to achieve by 2030.

“These commitments necessarily will drive even more widespread adoption of sustainability initiatives across the industry,” she continued. “Sun Chemical has also done its part, aligning our goals with those of the UN agenda to ensure our actions support and enable a more sustainable packaging industry with an overall positive impact on the environment. The actions we’re taking today, both within our organization and collectively with partners and collaborators, will help us to achieve a substantially more sustainable packaging industry within the next 10 years.”

Dr. Benbow and Harako both pointed to recycling and compostability as key components to sustainability.

“The most impactful changes to our industry will come from the waste collection side of our business,” he said. “Currently, there are many solutions which could be recycled or composted. However, getting those waste streams redirected into the proper channels is not feasible with today’s curbside setup for most consumers.”

“We also expect to see increased development of compostable or biodegradable alternative materials to plastic, for which inks and printing-related products will also have to undergo further development,” said Harako.

“As it relates to packaging, we see brand owners making public commitments that include goals such as 100% renewable, 100% recyclable, or 100% compostable within the 10-year timeframe,” said Shane Bertsch, VP, strategic planning and innovation for INX International Ink Co. “It has the potential to drive real change within the industry and we expect that will happen. Investments in new technology to help deliver products that support these goals will continue, and we will see the necessary advances in both our materials and infrastructure as well.”