Noble and ecological accents

Cosmetics packaging embellished with high-quality, glittering metal decoration is synonymous with a high-value, luxury product. Therefore, so many brands opt for this added finish to ensure their packaging stands out on the shelf and consumers instantly recognise their product as one of quality.

The problem is that, not only does this metallic decoration add cost into the production process, but brands are under increasing pressure to package their cosmetics sustainably. The reality is that using the traditional hot and cold foil method to create this metallic effect is far from sustainable. In fact, it generates thousands of tons of foil and plastic waste that is landfilled or incinerated each year.

Sustainability required

It is no longer acceptable to just shrug our shoulders and say, ‘oh well, we will just have to use the unsustainable decoration processes we always have.’ Consumers, leaders in government and the brands themselves are putting sustainability at the top of the agenda. The market needs something to change and if it doesn’t want to stop using highly effective silver and gold decorations, it needs a totally new solution to deliver it.

That new kind of technology is available now1. By making the switch from hot or cold foil to an innovative metallisation technology, brands can eliminate foil waste as well as improve the recyclability of the finished label or packaging. The experts behind it have made some initial calculations as to the impact this would have on CO2 emissions. Their research suggests that the technology realises a CO2 footprint reduction of greater than 50% compared to cold and hot foil. That could be a great achievement on the road to a more sustainable future. And the technology delivers similarly high-quality results to traditional solutions.

So, for environmentally responsible brands it is not necessary to reduce the use of metallic decoration because it is possible to add metallic decoration to various packagings, confident in the knowledge that they are not impacting sustainability or more cost of their production processes.

Technical details

Compatible with most existing printing platforms including flexo, rotary and flatbed screen or inkjet, it can be incorporated into the packaging or label production process inline (on the printing press) or offline (after printing). Whichever method is chosen, the printing station prints and cures a ‘trigger image’ to be metallised by the special unit. A donor roll inside the metallisation unit then transfers the metal flakes onto the trigger image. There, it instantly bonds without the need for additional curing or drying. The metallised image can then be varnished or overprinted, if required, to create different high-impact, metallic effects in a variety of colours.

The reason this process reduces waste so significantly is because the metal pigments are only applied to where they are needed. With traditional processes, the entire surface of the label or side of the box is covered in foil, most of which will then be removed to leave just the small metallic detail the design requires. The remaining metal foil, often representing a shocking 90% of the roll, is waste.

The delivered results are of high quality, high resolution, metallic effect, even on designs with the finest detail. It is also capable of achieving tactile effects without embossing and back side printing on transparent substrates, and without the need for expensive gravure printing.

Ecological responsibility

The technology offers a solution for high-quality metallic decoration for cosmetics, and when it comes to improving sustainability and reducing waste. And in that case, there is no time to waste. We all have a role to play in improving sustainability worldwide. Politics and private sector, companies, individuals, from the bottom to the very the top, everyone needs to make the changes today that will protect our planet tomorrow.

Brands have the power to drive this change by looking at their supply chain and identifying areas that could be improved, then changing the specifications provided to their designers and packaging converters to deliver these improvements.

Governments are supporting companies to do this with significant funds available to those looking to increase the sustainability of their production processes, so now is the ideal time to revaluate and choose a different, less wasteful solution.

References:

1 Ecoleaf by Actega

Paolo Grasso, Sales Director Actega Metal Print, Lehrte, Germany, www.actega-metal-print.com