Green initiatives championed at Labelexpo Americas

Better environmental awareness is being championed at this year’s Labelexpo Americas. In addition to the launch of new feature area Ecovillage, there will be a major global first with Labelexpo Americas collecting the waste matrix from the many live press demonstrations over the exhibition’s duration. As well as several dedicated conference presentations, there will a whole raft of new products and services on show to encourage converters to adopt greener practices and processes.

With the help of Greenwood Fuels and Channeled Resources, the matrix will be collected every few hours and taken to the Ecovillage show area to highlight the amount of waste that could potentially be recycled instead of going to landfill. Following the show, the waste will be compacted and picked up by Greenwood Fuels to be turned into fuel pellets. Greenwood’s fuel pellets are a direct and affordable substitute for coal but with a lower carbon and overall emissions’ footprint. This has never been seen before at a trade show and videos will be running throughout the show demonstrating the process that Greenwood goes through to form the pellets.

The Ecovillage feature area will include the sustainable forest and exhibitor pavilion. Both will showcase exhibitors who offer products and services to support a better performing, more environmentally conscious label industry. Exhibiting companies include: Channeled Resources, Xeikon, UPM Raflatac, Precision AirConvey, Avery Dennison, FLEXcon, Sun Chemical and Clairfoil.

There will be two educational panel sessions for converters looking for cost saving solutions and ideas to improve their environmental sustainability. Scheduled as part of day two’s conference program, ‘Creating value by reducing waste across the PS value chain’ is chaired by Label & Labeling’s Danielle Jerschefske. Panelists including Pat Boyle from Avery Dennison will cover waste reduction strategies, how to successfully divert waste away from landfill and give practical recommendations on reducing your environmental footprint.

At 1pm on the first day in the Ecovillage, visitors can learn how Greenwood Fuels can turn their waste materials into renewable fuels. Attendees will hear from two label converters who are currently supplying their waste matrix to Greenwood and also from a paper supplier who is using the pellets to fuel their plant. Panel members include: moderator Dave Robinson from Channeled Resources Group, Greenwood’s Ted Hanson, Robyn Buss from Thilmany, Jim Check of Heartland Label and The Outlook Group’s Kevin Hayes.

Labelexpo managing director Roger Pellow commented: “It is simply no longer a question of if, but when. The wider label industry needs to take up more stringent environmental management systems if we are to address and tackle the increasing pressures from external influences such as legislation and end-user expectations/demands. Greener business practices have come a long way in recent years with many initiatives being adopted down the supply chain, but more can always be done. Labelexpo Americas 2012 will go some way to showing converters and printers that there are many viable products and services on the market that can aid their business in becoming more sustainable while also reducing their overhead costs.”

Taking place again at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Chicago, between 11-13 September, entry to the show costs from $55 and the entry badge is valid for all three days. Further discounts apply for TLMI/FTA/AIMCAL members. Registrations can be online by visiting www.labelexpo-americas.com.