Putting ink on paper to convey a message has become second nature, so it’s almost hard to believe there would be anything new to talk about. However, paperboard suppliers continue to innovate. Helped along, no doubt by the Wal-Mart Scorecard, printers of paperboard packaging face informing their customers about virgin paperboard grades as well as myriad recycling grades. Besides espousing the inherent sustainability of paperboard packaging, packaging designers are developing lighter packages using stronger, yet lighter, paperboard grades. Considering all this, it is obvious why
Patti Gettinger—marketing manager, paperboard sales, Graphic Packaging International (http://www.graphicpkg.com)—says, “Paperboard continues to be an excellent packaging choice for function, billboard, and sustainability.”
Really? More on sustainability?
The sustainability rush has given paperboard suppliers a new weapon in their arsenals to combat the increasing use of films to produce flexible packaging, which has become increasingly designed to function like a box. “All types of paperboard are sustainable, fill a vital role in package requirements and performance, and are even mutually necessary to each other,” says Gettinger. “There are sustainability pros and cons for each grade of board that, at the end, render them relatively equal to each other from a sustainability point of view.” Therefore, she adds, selecting the right grade for the package and product requirements continues to be the astute approach.
The Wal-Mart Scorecard affects how companies approach sustainability, and believe it or not, creates a misconception. “A lot of companies are making purchasing decisions based on the Wal-Mart Scorecard, but Wal-Mart still works under the assumption that board must have been recycled to be sustainable,” says Karen Jaramillo, marketing/PR specialist, M-real USA Corp. (http://www.m-real.com). “This is not the case, and they lose sight of the fact that you need a constant in-flux of virgin board to maintain the supply of recycled fiber. With no virgin fiber, the recycled fiber supplies would run out in a matter of months.”
Curiously, the increased recycling during this era of creating sustainable goods can also have a negative impact in terms of capacity. “Recycling costs versus landfill costs merit watching for all packaging materials,” asserts Gettinger. “The recent sharp decline in the cost of recycled materials does not translate into lower cost of goods using recycled content.” She explains that the reason is the price may be so low that collectors of recycled materials can’t cover the processing costs. “Some recyclers have started charging fees, stopped accepting materials, or even gone out of business,” she adds. “The glut of recycled goods may have to be landfilled, for which producers are charged a fee.”
Chemistry for the Graphic Arts
What the Printer Should Know About Paper