Packaging Companies Struggle To Meet Environmental Goals BY GREG KISHBAUGH Despite intense industry pressure and media pressure, there remains a significant gap between companies’ stated plastic reduction commit- ments and actions taken to meet them. Berkeley, California-based nonprofit organization As You Sow re- cently partnered with environmental solutions platform Ubuntoo to produce their “2024 Plastic Promises Scorecard,” which ranks 225 global companies across 15 industries based on their ambition and ac- tions to reduce plastic packaging pollution.
Tungate Group Invests In Bobst Flexo Press
Staffordshire, UK-based packaging and label supplier Tungate Group has invested in a Bobst Master M5 flexo press to enhance its narrow web production capacity. The investment in the Master M5 press marks a milestone for Tun- gate Group, established in 1984. The decision to invest in the 630 mm-wide flexo press with UV LED lamps for curing will reportedly enable the company to meet customer demands ef- ficiently while driving innovation, cost control and sustainability in its operations.
The Master M5 is a highly automated press suitable for label and flexible packaging production; it can be equipped with oneECG technology, which digitalizes color matching with an extended 7-colour gamut. Autumn Graphics Invests In Miraclon Shine LED Lamp Kit Packaging graphics solutions provider Au- tumn Graphics, a flexo trade shop in London, Ontario, has invested in the Shine LED Lamp Kit, innovated by Miraclon as a simple, low-cost route from inconsistent fluorescent exposure to the multiple advantages of LED technology. A Shine LED kit has been retrofitted to a plate exposure frame at the company’s loca- tion in Fayetteville, Arkansas. L-R: Adrian Birtwistle and John Carter, operators of the Master M5 flexo press, at Tungate Group.
Corporations have a vital role to play in tackling plastic pollution at its source and many international plastic treaty negotiations and new extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws exist to shift the regulatory environment to hold manufacturers financially accountable for produc- ing scrap. As You Sow cites a recent study published by The Washington Post showing that corporations with branded plastic pollution found in wa- terways also face a financial and competitive risk, along with the po- tential for damaging their brand equity with consumers for failing to reduce their plastics use or make meaningful progress on their plastic pollution commitments. The companies in the report were evaluated on their actions and ambition across six criteria to prevent plastic pollution. Key findings in each category include: Recyclability . Most companies have recyclability goals but are likely to miss their targets, according to the report. Only 22 of 147 companies with recyclability goals are on track to meet their targets because most packaging fails to align with what American communities have the ca-
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June 24, 2024
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