Sustainability is Now a Product Design Imperative

Sustainability is Now a Product Design Imperative

Like many innovations, the recycling of materials was born out of necessity and a societal instinct to reuse instead of throwing away. Sound like a new concept? Not necessarily. It was quite common practice to recycle a wide range of industrial and household materials the United States during World War II. Since that time, the reasons for recycling may have changed from patriotic duty to environmentalism, but the sentiment is still the same. Why waste when something can be repurposed?

Fortunately, there are associations, such as the Association of Plastic Recyclers, which offers guidelines and standards for manufacturers. When put into practice, the approach of the APR and similar associations help to design for the recycling stream, limit the over-use of plastics and encourage alternative materials. At the same time, providers like Avery-Dennison have made sustainability pledges to use “materials that are responsibly sourced, use less material with the same functionality, contain recycled content and / or enable recycling.” Avery-Dennison is not alone in this commitment. Sun Chemical and UPM Raflatac are also taking a holistic look at sustainability from sourcing to manufacturing. All of these manufacturers are aligned with fair labor practices, have set bold goals with quantified outcomes, and support innovation that may buck the status quo.

It is not just the base raw materials that should be sustainable, but the process of converting, printing, and assembly should be as well. For example, investments in digital printing offer more benefits than just short print runs or lower upfront setup costs. HP has a holistic approach to sustainability across the entire lifecycle of their printers. The thoughtfulness of their approach makes it easier for those using HP Indigo printers to convey those positive attributes to customers and the end consumer.
At Topflight, we’ve always helped customers meet requirements that were often technical, aesthetic, or functional. As more of our customers develop brands that have green or environmentally-friendly attributes, we’re now talking with them more about the cradle-to-grave implications for the materials, processes, and application of their labels and packaging.

Read more about Topflight’s sustainability commitments and how we support your desire to reduce the carbon footprint and lasting impact of your label and printing projects.