Developing sustainable substrates

by Matthew | 18 April 2012 2:07 pm

By Peter Saunders
In September 2011, Groupe BO Concept (GBC), a sign and graphics provider based in Anjou, Que., implemented a point-of-purchase (POP) graphic system for the fresh produce section of Metro Richelieu’s new Super C grocery store in nearby Saint-Laurent, Que. GBC’s mandate was to produce large panels with high-quality printed graphics and excellent dimensional stability, while also meeting Metro’s own environmental objectives.

With the theme ‘Freshness you can C,’ the project was co-ordinated by GBC account manager Marc-André Léonard and managed by advertising production and distribution manager Mélanie Bisaillon-Varin, with the assistance of Metro’s in-store experience manager, Nathalie Lortie.

“Rethinking our displays and finding ways to make them more environmentally friendly are among our priorities and commitments,” says Lortie, noting Super C’s initiatives include offering reusable shopping bags as early as 2006.

So, instead of the typical polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam panels, the team turned to a series of 1.6 x 3.2-m (63 x 126-in.) paper-based boards. Some were used simply to display two-dimensional (2-D) graphics, while others were assembled on-site as produce bins.

The substrate GBC used is engineered with a fluted core to provide both strength and low weight. It features an embedded low-density polyethylene (LDPE) moisture barrier to protect this core against humidity.

The paper content in the board includes 80 per cent fibre certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and 20 per cent post-consumer recycled paper. Assembled using water-based adhesives, the board can be recycled in regular waste-paper streams or composted.

“With a small carbon footprint, it responds to Metro’s environmental objectives,” says Pierre Lachapelle, sales and marketing manager for GBC.

Atypical sources
The new POP graphics for Super C are just one recent example of how the sign industry and its customers are embracing ‘green’ substrates for digital inkjet printing. These materials may contain recycled content, be assembled without hazardous chemicals and/or be recycled or composted themselves after use. There is no single, simple definition of a green substrate, as different materials can have different environmentally friendly attributes.

Fabrics, for example, can help reduce the carbon footprint of graphic shipments because they are so much lighter than other substrates. They can also often be repurposed after use in graphic applications for decorative and accessory markets.

As director of surface imaging for Designtex, which prints on commercial and institutional upholstery and furnishings, David Siegel has looked to a variety of alternative materials for graphic applications, including the following examples:

• Recycled-paper rigid boards instead of plastic composites.
• Polyester fabrics instead of PVC.
• Recycled-content wood board instead of expanded PVC.

He suggests alternative substrates can be developed from atypical sources, including reclaimed wood, newsprint, corrugated board, ceiling tiles, metal and kraft paper.

“Paper-based substrates can provide the same durability for wallcoverings as PVC, for example,” he says. “Low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a priority today, especially for customers in health care and education.”

Certifying shops
In 2008, a group of trade associations—including the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) and the Printing Industries Association (PIA)—established the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP) as a new non-profit organization to provide a certification label for graphics communications companies, recognizing best practices and continuous improvements in ‘green’ printing operations. SGP certification is based on criteria covering ‘input materials,’ including substrates, inks and coatings, as well as manufacturing processes and facilities.

Since then, the certification has become something of an industry standard and several sign substrate manufacturers, including Top Value Fabrics and 3M, have joined SGP as patrons. Top Value has engineered PVC-free textiles to minimize the negative impact of toxic plasticizers and fillers, while 3M has developed polyolefin films that contain no chlorine and use substantially less solvent than traditional vinyls.

As mentioned, SGP’s certification criteria apply to printing companies, including sign shops, and cover design aspects related to substrates. Specifically, SGP requires facility managers to “evaluate the most efficient use of materials, layout and substrate characteristics,” including but not limited to the following:

• Biodegradability.
• Compostability.
• Recyclability.
• Recycled content (pre- and post-consumer).
• Organic textile material content.
• Petroleum-derived content.
• PVC content.
• Virgin fibre paper sources.

Answering the call
Other manufacturers are responding accordingly. In 2011, for example, inkjet printer and cutter vendor Roland DGA introduced what it called the industry’s first PVC-free adhesive-backed glossy paper for eco-solvent printing. The paper-based material was designed as an alternative material for decals, labels and contour-cut graphics.

Later in the year, pressure-sensitive adhesive manufacturer Mactac launched a new line of polypropylene-based (PP-based) films and overlaminates as greener alternatives to vinyl media for wide-format printing. The chlorine- and phthalate-free media were designed for indoor or medium-term outdoor applications on flat or slightly curved surfaces, including window graphics, POP displays and decals.

Ultraflex, another substrate manufacturer, has taken different tack by adapting PVC in such a way to make it greener. Its non-toxic ‘bio-based’ formula, at very low levels, can enable decomposition in a landfill, whereby carbon and hydrogen are partly consumed by biomass organisms and partly released through fermentation as methane, which can be harvested for use as fuel.

The film’s chlorine content, meanwhile, is partly consumed and partly converted into soluble chloride, which can be used as a fertilizer. Indeed, in experiments where the film was decomposed as compost for potting soil, plants and vegetables sprouted more rapidly.

The company also focuses on textile media, including recyclable polyesters (which themselves include 20 per cent recycled content) with biodegradable water-based coatings, recyclable natural cotton materials with water-based coatings on one side and naturally fire-retardant textiles woven from organic plant fibre.

Another company, NatureWoven, is targeting the billboard and large-scale POP graphics markets, which have traditionally used petroleum-based synthetics. The company’s materials begin life as fibres in plants (including jute, cotton and natural latex from rubber trees), become signage and then complete the cycle as natural fertilizers to improve soil quality. They can be shredded and safely disposed of in commercial vermicompost facilities, rather than landfills.

Since NatureWoven’s compostable materials became available in North America in 2010, mainstream retailers like Billabong, Patagonia and Whole Foods have specifically requested them for their advertising campaigns. Like the new Super C grocery store, these examples show how sustainability is becoming important not just for the planet, but also for sign shops’ business.

With files from GBC, Designtex, SGP, Top Value Fabrics, 3M, Roland DGA, Mactac, Ultraflex and NatureWoven. For more information, visit www.groupeboconcept.com[8], www.designtex.com[9], www.sgppartnership.org[10], www.topvaluefabrics.com[11], www.3m.com[12], www.rolanddga.com[13], www.mactac.com[14], www.ultraflexx.com[15] and www.naturewoven.com[16].

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/developing-sustainable-substrates/

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