Packaging

6 Sustainable Practices in Digital Packaging Printing

People these days are aware many industries cause unnecessary waste, and they’re looking for many ways to cut down the costs and keep their businesses sustainable. And surely the packaging industry is one of those facing many challenges and advancements recently.

Many consumers are already aware of the environmental impact their choices have, so businesses must keep their packages eco-friendly and sustainable. And while it doesn’t take much to adopt digital print for packaging, it’s surely an investment you can count on, especially if you want to build a public image around being eco-friendly and sustainable.

That way, you keep your business highly relevant but also meet consumers’ demands when it comes to recyclable and ecological packages.

So, let’s talk more on this topic, as there are many exciting things to discover:

1. Minimizing Material Waste

Printing inks are full of synthetic materials that can be hazardous to the environment. This increases the chance of toxic waste and throwing out excess packages that will not come out as you imagined.

On the other hand, digital packaging printing is based on the print-on-demand model, which reduces the risk of creating excess that further pollutes. In this way, colors are used wisely, but the overall impact of this industry on the environment is also reduced.

So, by printing only the necessary quantity, businesses can dramatically decrease material waste and mitigate their environmental footprint.

2. Water and Energy Conservation

Source: robins.af.mil

Digital printing saves both water and electricity. If you print in a traditional way, you need to clean the plates after each use so that the next printing is equally good. Of course, digital presses consume significantly less energy than traditional offset printing equipment, making them an eco-friendly alternative.

And nowadays, we need to be careful how we use water, save energy and reduce the greenhouse effect. By reducing electricity and water, we not only prevent the creation of waste but also protect ourselves from harmful fumes. So choose digital packaging printing for your small business.

3. Eco-Friendly Printing Inкs

Printing packaging means you use different ink types, and the goal is to find ones that won’t contain so much volatile organic compounds. These compounds are really harmful and largely contribute to pollution. Additionally, they may have so many negative effects on human health.

The use of eco-friendly inks reduces the emission of hazardous substances into the atmosphere, making the printing process safer for both employees and the environment.

At the same time, less paint is consumed during digital printing, which means that money is saved, but the harmful impact is also reduced. With that, we can say that digital printing should be your first choice, and conventional printing only when you have no other options available.

4. Recycling and Sustainability

Source: domer.co

Digital printing offers increased flexibility when it comes to packaging design and materials, which means you can choose recyclable and biodegradable ones, to reduce the overall waste. That way, you can add an instruction to package receivers to recycle it, so it can get back in the cycle.

Furthermore, digital printing enables the incorporation of recycling symbols and information directly onto packaging, making it easier for consumers to identify and participate in recycling initiatives.

Is there anything better than that one package, which has no harmful colors on it, can get a purpose again, even in a completely different form? Take the initiative and encourage recycling, because we really already have enough waste in nature around us.

5. Reduced Transportation Demand and Emissions

The on-demand digital printing minimizes the need for material transportation. Since you print a definite number of packages, it gets easier to stay sustainable, lower the carbon print and reduce air pollution. Moreover, localizing printing operations enables faster delivery times and reduces overall transportation-related emissions.

And if you have already thought of all these aspects, you are fully prepared to accept digital printing as a part of your work. That way, you can plan the logistics but also make sure that there will be no unnecessary waste of materials, nor that you have to transport huge amounts of material instead of saving.

6. Customization and Personalization

Source: bakeryandsnacks.com

One of the best advantages of digital printing is that you can request a smaller quantity, which means you won’t have an unnecessary stock of packaging. Of course, it’s a very fast process, so it’s enough to order on time and always have exactly the kind of packages you want.

The best thing is that you can design it yourself, look for a specific color of the print, but also adapt it all to changes in your brand. In this way, it will not happen that you distribute new products in packaging with an old logo or some similar situations that are certainly not to the advantage of your business.

Digital printing also means that you have enough flexibility to create your own logo and packaging design and that it’s all easy to produce. In normal printing, this would mean a lot of setups and changes on the printing press. But with the digital option, all this becomes easy, which means you really have enough space to personalize your packaging.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many reasons to start using digital packaging printing for your business. From the unlimited flexibility and options to not keeping a huge inventory, to the sustainability of the entire process – you are participating in a meaningful process that will not only save you money but can also protect your health.

In this way, you contribute to the environment remaining clean as long as possible, but you also convey an important message to your customers. Encourage them to recycle too and understand the meaning of being sustainable.

Remember, digital printing is easy and can serve even just one package, while with the usual way, it is not possible. That’s why we say it’s the most sustainable way possible to use packaging and spread the message of environmental protection – which is sure to be a big advantage for your business.