By Erwin Busselot, Director Business Innovation & Solutions, Ricoh Graphic Communications, Ricoh Europe
Ricoh Europe, London, October 25 2024 – 2025 is a big year for many global brands. It marks a significant deadline in their shift towards sustainable packaging as they will have to start to deliver on their commitment to observing greater production responsibility.
Those that set ambitious goals five or more years ago will have to show how they have reduced their environmental impact by either significantly cutting down their use of virgin plastic or entirely switching to recyclable or reusable packaging. They include:
- Unilever – it committed to halving the use of virgin plastic and removing more than 100,000 tonnes of plastic entirely by 2025.
- Nestlé – it set a goal for 100% of its packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2025 and to use 50% recycled material by 2030.
- Procter & Gamble – it targeted 100% recyclable or reusable packaging and intended to halve its reliance on virgin petroleum plastic by 2030.
- Coca-Cola – it aimed to have all its packaging recyclable by 2025 and planned to use 50% recycled material in its packaging by 2030.
Various initiatives have been well received such as paper based packaging for Unilever’s Pot Noodle and Nestlé’s Nescafé, as well as paper tubes for Pringles, owned by Kellanova, and plastic free recyclable tubs for spreads from Flora owner Upfield.
However, the transition to more sustainable packaging solutions has proven to be complex and challenging. Mars said in its 2023 sustainability report that while it is making ‘good progress’ on goals aligned with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global commitment, the design and infrastructure changes needed were taking longer than anticipated.
To help other companies adopt paper based packaging, Google has shared a guide
containing insights into design considerations, materials selection, and sustainable supply chains.
But that is only part of the process. Brands’ packaging also has to carry product details, legally required information, brand and product imagery as well as other marketing content.
This is where digital printing can play a significant role in supporting the production of paper based packaging. Through short run, customisable production, digital printing reduces waste and allows companies to cost effectively explore new designs. The ability to responsively produce orders on demand empowers affordable flexibility. It is particularly useful for testing and proofing new styles, packaging shapes, and multiple versions.
Ricoh has been working with suppliers such as Delipac, the creator of waste free sustainable paperboard, and Uchida, the manufacturer of the AeroDieCut die cutter, to develop a complete solution powered by FusionPro variable data printing software for versioning and personalisation.
It has been supporting production at operations such as The Sweet People, Printed Cup Company and Patchi, with sheetfed digital toner press technology. The next generation RICOH ProTM C9500 includes high caliper media customisation technology for thicker substrates above official machine specification. The RICOH Pro™ C7500 delivers expanded colour options including gold and silver, as well as neon pink, neon yellow, white, clear, and infra red, that enhance print vibrancy, offer more diverse colour palettes, and create unique, eyecatching designs.
The B2 sheetfed inkjet RICOH Pro™ Z75 also provides a fresh perspective for paper based packaging production for operations like Yoursurprise, a leading online player in the personalised gifts market.
All three technologies support a wide range of application versatility for paper based packaging. Talk to us to explore how you can elevate your production capabilities to enable you to help brands achieve their sustainability goals.