Creating solutions that flex: sustainability and the future of flexo

Sustainability ranks among top purchase decisions and is now an imperative
Seven of 10 millennials have switched products due to sustainability concerns, and half of all consumers have changed food brands based on ESG concerns states the 2023 US Brand Sustainability Benchmark Report. Furthermore, the SEC is now requiring public companies to report Scope 3 emissions, those that come from a company’s supply chain. Companies like Wal-Mart, Nestle and Tyson have made drastic changes in their packaging. What can we do to ‘be the change’ required in the flexo industry?

In the graphics packaging industry, MacDermid Graphics Solutions is a leader in innovation. With global patents and trademarks, the company’s research and development drive flexographic printing forward. Printers turn to MacDermid Graphics Solutions to ensure the expectations and demands of brand owners are met for every print job they deliver. Sustainability is a critical aspect of the supply chains the company participates in and is a key focus for both its business and its customers. MacDermid Graphics Solutions is focused on growth through sustainable chemistry, investments in equipment and plant infrastructure, as well as renewable sustainable materials. 

Sustainable chemistry
Investigating renewable alternatives for plate products that reduce or eliminate solvents such as liquid and thermal platemaking continue to drive innovation. MacDermid Graphics Solutions is the only plate manufacturer that offers complete lines of both photopolymer sheet and liquid products. Liquid platemaking has a significant number of environmental advantages. For instance, In-Position Plates use 50 percent less photopolymer and weigh 70-80 percent less than solvent sheet plates, which can make a big impact in terms of plant safety and shipping costs.

Everything makes a difference. Reviewing plate packaging and standardizing reusable shipping crates saves costs and materials. Watermarking is another impactful technology. For example, Digimarc's digital watermark technology is currently utilized in the Holy Grail 2.0 initiative being tested in Europe today.

Investments in equipment and plant infrastructure
A new state-of-the-art 100-foot photopolymer plate production line is coming online in Q4 2023. This is after significant qualification work to ensure that the product matches the same high-quality standards that MacDermid Graphics Solutions’ customers have come to expect from its parallel operation in Morristown, Tennessee. The new line located in Wigan, United Kingdom improves logistics and supply chain for customers in the EMEA region. The investment includes a new 2,800 SQM warehouse which has solar panels on the roof. The panels provide additional green energy to the site, which is already supplied with electricity from 100 percent renewable sources. Electric vehicle charging points have been installed outside the warehouse to support lower emission distribution in the future too.

A fully equipped quality and development laboratory containing the latest flexo plate production equipment and supporting technologies is also near completion in the UK. The facility also uses electricity from 100 percent renewable sources. 

Joining forces with sustainability partners provides support for the entire flexo industry. The Consortium for Waste Circularity focuses on alternative means for repurposing printing waste including plates, blotter, substrate, etc. The pursuit of robust and flexible waste conversion solutions through education, research and outreach requires long-term solutions and need major investment from third party industry to deliver. We all can help sustain these important initiatives. 

MacDermid Graphics Solutions is a founding partner of The Flexo Xperience Center (FXC). The FXC moves flexo forward through industry collaboration, research, experimentation, and training, driving innovation throughout the printing process. 

The 32,000 sqft global center is a space that advances emerging technology 
projects in collaboration with over 35 co-suppliers. The FXC enables innovation and collaboration, granting hands-on access to the latest in flexo technology. The center supports capability for investing in research for optimizing use of recycled films for flexible package printing, or other alternatives such as transitioning print work from film to paper-based substrates and optimizing water-based ink printing technologies which includes plate selection.

Converting flexographic plates into renewable sustainable material. 

MacDermid Graphics Solutions has developed a new process to recycle flexographic printing plates. This patent-pending technology called PlateCycle will start trials in North America by the end of this year.

‘Over 20 million lbs. of flexographic plates end up landfilled or used in waste-to-energy processes every year in the US alone. This compelled us to develop our own technology to expedite a renewable and sustainable way to eliminate this waste by focusing on total reuse,’ said Ryan Vest, director of innovation at MacDermid Graphics Solutions (MGS). 

Actively managing environmental issues is the company’s responsibility as a good corporate citizen. It is committed to protecting our planet by combating climate change, including contributing to a lower-carbon future, and being responsible water and waste stewards. It is an all-encompassing effort which involves innovation, investment and collaboration with partners, customers, and the entire supply chain to make a difference. These are just a few ways that you can contribute too. Contact MacDermid Graphics Solutions to get involved. 

About MacDermid Graphics Solutions
MacDermid Graphics Solutions, a division of Element Solutions Inc, is a global leader in the manufacturing of photopolymer plates and equipment used in flexographic printing. MacDermid Graphics Solutions delivers high-quality graphic capabilities for package printing. The company’s mission is to provide a world-class customer experience, while meeting flexographic printing plate needs with award-winning technology. This is achieved through creating strategic value for its customers from start to finish. The company is an open provider and offers the best possible solutions via industry partnerships.