Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) has announced the recipients of the 2017 FTA Sustainability Excellence Award. This award is given to companies for exceptional efforts in developing innovative, processes, products and management approaches that have had a positive impact on the three mainstays of sustainability – people, planet and profit. This year, FTA presents Artcraft Label Inc. of Ontario, Canada and Polymount International of Newnan, GA as the winners and Heritage Envelopes Ltd. of Lancashire, UK with an honorable mention.

Artcraft Label Inc., a producer of pressure sensitive labels and focused on helping to grow small to medium sized brands, has been a member of FTA for six years. Due to an industry-wide movement to improve recovery of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) thermoform clamshell containers in 2012, the facility took on the initiative of creating eco-friendly, “cost neutral” labels. ProPETE enabled the recycling of PET containers–a common resin used in produce, bakery, and nut product packaging in grocery retail. In 2015, the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), recognized Artcraft Label’s innovation as being effective and meeting the established industry protocol. The rPET thermoform recycling process is estimated to reduce greenhouse gases by 3.8 million metric tons per year, and is priced 40 percent to 50 percent less than virgin PET resins, resulting in tremendous savings.

Polymount International is a global operating production and trading company serving 80 countries and has been a member of FTA since 2011. Its latest addition to the sustainability portfolio, the Polymount Film Cleaner is a machine which cleans printed film and enables reuse for the next setup of a new print job. During the three-step cleaning process, the printed film is guided through the washing unit, the after rinsing water tank, and drying unit. The substrate is then wound into a roll, clean and dry, and is ready for immediate use for the next job. Using such a machine to allow for reuse of a start up roll, even one time, can reduce a total amount of startup waste by 50 percent. The average number of times a cleaned startup roll can be used after using the Polymount Film Cleaner is between two and 10 times. The 1300 mm wide Polymount Film Cleaner was launched at Drupa in 2016 and the company will release the larger version, a 1950 mm wide cleaner, in 2018.

Heritage Envelopes of Blackburn, Lancashire and member of FTA since 2015, has earned an honorable mention for a “boxless” packaging alternative for envelopes, in place of the traditional cardboard box. PackMail boasts a 60 percent reduction in waste and 30 percent less pallets required due to its compact packing. The environmental impact contracts significantly as a result of fewer boxes used in packaging and fewer boxes to be disposed of, causing less truck loads of compressed waste for transportation. Heritage Envelopes is a champion of the planet and continues to convert more of its existing customers to PackMail.