LMAI Conference 2023 panel discussion: Why is sustainability a “pinch-point” for converters?

The Conference will kick off on 20 July 2023 in Jaipur's Leela Hotel with a welcome evening, followed by two days of knowledge sharing.

The panel discussion on 22 July 2023 at 9.30am will comprise panellists: Ankit Gupta of Holostik, Hemant Paruchuri of Pragati Pack (India), Devendra Solanki of Sicon Packs, Rajeev Chatwal of Kwality Offset Printers, Upal Roy of Flint Group, Manish Kapoor of Nilpeter, Umesh Kagade of HP Indigo, and Sanjeev Sharma of Avery Dennison South Asia.

The process of creating labels has undergone significant changes over the years. Previously, ad agencies would provide designs that printers would convert into labels using letterpress or flexo technology. However, with advancements in pre-press technology, the quality of labels has improved. The introduction of combination presses has allowed for the incorporation of the best technologies. Printers have established design departments to foster creativity. "However, the need for innovation, brand protection, and compliance with statutory regulations has become imperative due to increased organised retail in limited space," said Sahni.

The feel-good story of the label converters also coincided with the environmental crisis. "The depletion of natural resources, deforestation, erosion of soil, and impacts on climate changes, water scarcity, and energy conservation caused by waste going to landfills have made sustainability an imperative," explained Sahni. During the panel discussion, Sahni and the panellist will discuss – Challenges in creating sustainable innovations in labels.

PrintWeek/WhatPackaging? asked Sahni, what sustainability means to him. He answered, "In simpler terms, it means we must give back to mother earth what we draw from it. Take, for example, paper, which extensively uses wood. Cutting trees leads to deforestation, reducing the green cover to impact the environment adversely. Regulations were put in place whereby the paper mills were required to plant more trees than what they cut. For this, there is an FSC certification. FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council, a forest management agency. Using FSC-certified papers is a sustainable manufacturing process. Over the years, the sustainability definition has expanded to include terms like waste reduction and effective management, recyclability, circular economy, downscaling, and water and energy conservation. Today we have an eminent panel that will discuss the challenges in creating sustainable label innovations."