I promised to give you a brief tutorial on hydrogen and how it will play an essential role in energy decarbonization. This can ultimately mean that those of us in label manufacturing, and its allied industries, may be using hydrogen or one of its derivatives as a source of energy. This source of energy then leads me into sharing other new developments that are likewise environmentally-friendly and can potentially create a more lasting circular economy. Whether it is hydrogen as a decarbonizer or new polymer materials, our industry needs to take heed of both.

You may be saying, “This is really interesting stuff, but how in the world does this affect labels?” Good question. As I suggested above, my answer is that anything that can contribute to a “cleaner label industry” should take stage, front and center. We must look at every aspect of our carbon footprint. This includes process, materials, source of energy, anything that offers the antithesis to the conundrum we have created: great efficiency and creativity but an enormous black box of environmental issues.

For example, much of our substrates – films for sure – and adhesives, are petro-based, hence, based on fossil origin. If we can make changes that reduce the dependence on fossil-based materials, we are one step closer to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG). So, I may occasionally step onto what may seem another slippery slope, but I do it intentionally. Energy is one of those sidebars but is tied to most aspects of our labeling and substrate manufacturing. If there is a source of energy that is cleaner, we sure should understand it and consider if we can tap into its possible use.

Hydrogen, in my view, has a potential to play a pivotal role in decarbonizing the economy and as such, may help our industry to reduce its carbon footprint. The question therefore begs, what is carbon and how can it fit into our energy system?

“Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element in the universe…It is the first element in the periodic chart. It is the lightest, consisting of one proton and one electron. Hydrogen is highly reactive and is a potent energy carrier.” 

Hydrogen is an essential element of life on earth. It makes up all living things, including plants and animals, and obviously, us, you and me. It is also found in molecules like water, being the H in H2O that enables life to exist. Further, it is found in fossil fuels like natural gas and coal. However, if you read on, it should be noted that it takes a significant amount of energy to break down a molecule to extract hydrogen. The energy needed must come from heat or electricity. (Most of the above was found in a recent article from RMI, Rocky Mountain Insider, an organization based in Colorado and focused on sources of renewable energy). 

Knowing the elementary chemistry of hydrogen is critical to understanding how to harness its by-products – both carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO). Both of these – once converted – can be used as energy sources instead of releasing them as GHG into the atmosphere. The conversion process is currently the focus of scientists. It is my belief that in the next 10 years we will figure this out and use these same noxious by-products to replace traditional fossil energy. The traditional markets for hydrogen, oil and gas refineries, methanol production and fertilizer production from ammonia, will be replaced by “fuel cell mobility, hydrogen blending, such as gas injections for natural gas, and industrial applications such as chemical or glass manufacturing,” etc.

I know, this is a little bit like outer space stuff, but it will ultimately make our industry more environmentally friendly. And, while all of this is going on with hydrogen, there’s also plenty going on with new polymer development. In my view, one begets the other: elemental chemistry to cleaner energy to new and interesting polymers that improve performance and reduce waste. Listen up!

MIT researchers have used “a novel polymerization process to create a new material that is described as “stronger than steel and as light as plastic.”  The new material is a “two-dimensional polymer that self-assembles into sheets,” unlike all other polymers that form into one-dimensional chains. Senior author of the development Michael Strand says the material “could be used as a lightweight durable coating for car parts or as a building material for bridges or other structures. We don’t usually think of plastics as being something that would support a building, but with this material you can enable new things.” 

The new polymerization process creates a two-dimensional product called a polyaramide. The polymerization mechanism “happens spontaneously in solution and after we synthesize the material, we can easily spin-coat thin films that are extraordinarily strong.”  What about a different kind of container, direct printed, that is FDA approved? Okay, there goes my imagination.

And while MIT is creating a polymer stronger than steel, Berkeley’s Molecular Foundry Lab has developed a polymer that can break down and “recreate.” This development could lead to “cyclical” plastics that can be recycled over and over. It so happens the researchers developed the polymer by chance while using an acid to clean a laboratory vessel. Additional analysis proved that their polymer could be built and then broken back down to its basic chains.  Historically, we’ve had to use heat and pressure to break chains. This is expensive and labor intensive. The new polymer, dunked in an acidic solution at room temperature, goes back to basics and even allows additive and dye removal. The resulting polymer has no loss in performance compared to the original. “The fact that you can chemically recycle the polymer with low intensity is unique and enables a circular economy of polymers,” said Brett Helms, one of the developing scientists.

All of a sudden, we have an opportunity to “upcycle” for value.  There’s much more to do, but start thinking of putting plastic by-product into upcycle products like transportation fuels, lubricants, or new plastic materials, and so on.

Researchers at the Center for Sustainable Circular Technologies at the University of Bath in the UK have developed a new and simple method for upcycling plastic waste at room temperature. The research team has been able to produce several renewable poly(ester-amide)s (PEAFs) based on terephthalamide monomers derived from waste PET bottles. According to the team, these materials have excellent thermal properties and potentially could be used “in biomedical applications, including drug delivery and tissue engineering.”

Not to be outdone by the University of Bath, Miranda Wang and Jeanny Yao have started an innovative chemical company called Novoloop, which is “dedicated to solving the seemingly insurmountable problem of global plastic waste.”

The Novoloop story is quite incredible, a kind of rags to riches story. Miranda and Jeanny were classmates in Vancouver, BC, and visited a municipal recycling facility. They couldn’t believe the amount of plastic waste being burned and landfilled. Over the next 15 years they developed the chemistry to break down polyethylene (PE) into its basic building blocks by using a bacterium they found in a river. With legal and technical help, they formed Novoloop. Ultimately, they moved from the bacteria approach to a purely chemical-based solution. Today, this is the basis for their technology. The process, which uses low heat, is designed first for PE, which happens to be the most common plastic in the world. After transforming PE waste (bags, bottles, packaging, etc.) their chemistry creates a new compound that is equal in performance and competitive in price to virgin resin. Their innovation has earned funding from private entities and government support, including the United Nations.

Our world is changing fast and in so many ways for the better. Sure, we have changing climate issues and fires and droughts and terrible storms. But we also have innovation and energy developments that are all aimed at reducing climate change, replacing fossil energy and fossil-based materials. Our industry, too, must look at its carbon footprint in all aspects of the supply chain and work diligently to make improvements. I honestly believe if we make change in technology a priority, our industry can build a positive story.

Another Letter from the Earth.


Calvin Frost is chairman of Channeled Resources Group, headquartered in Chicago, the parent company of Maratech International and GMC Coating. His email address is [email protected].