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Polymer advancements have created a plethora of material solutions branded as environmentally friendly. However, not all materials on the market are created equal. Many people want to transition to a “greener” lifestyle, but are unaware of how to begin. The first step is understanding the difference between a true Bioplastic and what is known as “Greenwashing”. So how do you know what to look for?

Greenwashing is defined as the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. For example, the term ‘natural’ was found on products in ranging from toys and baby care items to health and beauty products. If unexplained and unsupported, the word ‘natural’ can mean different things to different consumers.

Greenwashing utilizes misdirection to lead consumers to believe issues of sustainability are being properly tackled. Greenwashing takes up valuable space in the fight against significant environmental issues like climate change, plastic pollution, air and ocean pollution. Greenwashing breeds complacency when we need further and stronger action to fight these issues.

Greenwashing has created more problems for the environment and confusion within our waste and reuse systems. For example, any product stating that it is “oxo-degradable” is not truly a biodegradable product. Oxo-biodegradable plastic is made by blending a pro-degradent additive into a plastic during the extrusion process. This additive is a catalyst which speeds up plastic degradation in the environment. Oxo-degradable plastics work by quickly fragmenting plastics into smaller and smaller pieces, called microplastics. However, they don’t break down at the molecular or polymer level like true biodegradable and compostable plastics. The resulting microplastics appear to have been degraded but are actually left in the environment for an indefinite amount of time.

After alarming reports of microplastic pollution in oceans and beaches, the global scientific community intensified its focus into this area. Researchers have since found evidence of microplastic contamination everywhere—in our lakes and rivers, beverages and food supplies.

Biodegradation is a process that occurs when materials are broken down by bacteria, fungi, or other biological means. All material will degrade eventually but Greenwashing has led to products being improperly labeled as Biodegradable. A Greenwashing tactic may label an oxo-degradable plastic as biodegradable because it appears to disappear, or will be invisible to the naked eye in a matter of months or years. However, a truly biodegradable product is composed of only natural ingredients and will fully return to the Earth in the form of natural components in a shorter period of time. A truly biodegradable product will not leave behind microplastics, toxic chemicals or harmful components.

Due to the fact that all matter could degrade, even if that requires thousands of years for the process to be complete, there is no standard regulation around utilizing the word biodegradable. The multitude of “biodegradable” options on the market is staggering, and a true biodegradable bioplastic should be certified and verified with test results to prove the biodegradable characteristics.

Certification helps to prevent Greenwashing and the continuation of incorrect disposal of non biodegradable products. A true biodegradable product will degrade down to its most biological form at the end of its life. Unlike petroleum products that disrupt the natural cycle of life, biodegradable products preserve the order of nature by wholly returning to the earth as natural components.

Beware of “biodegradable” claims, and remember to make sure when purchasing biodegradable products that they meet specified BPI-approved, ASTM D6400 or D6868 standards.

New Composite Partners provides tailored services using the knowledge of a global team to advance the interests of environmental products and technologies world-wide.

www.linkedin.com/company/new-composite-partners  

www.newcompositepartners.net

Create beautiful metallic embellishments at a fraction of the cost of traditional metallic ink.

Use our Metallic Infusion system to create eye-catching decorative printing effects that are easily incorporated into packaging, signage, displays, and collateral material, that will provide product differentiation.

Jeff Wooster

Global Sustainability Director

Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics

Jeff Wooster is the Global Sustainability Director for Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics. In this role, he collaborates with the entire value chain to promote and improve the sustainability value of plastic packaging, drive to a more circular economy, and keep plastic waste out of the environment.  Jeff has played a key role in the formation and launch of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, a global cross-value chain initiative working to eliminate plastic waste from the environment. He is a past president of AMERIPEN and is on the Board of Directors for GreenBlue.  He serves on the steering team for the Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Alliance signature initiative on marine debris was a founding member of the Materials Recovery For the Future (MRFF) collaborative.  Additionally, Wooster previously served as chair for American Chemistry Council’s Plastics Division Packaging Team and in various leadership roles with many other industry groups.

Wooster joined Dow in 1988, where he spent five years in Polyolefins Product Research. In this role he designed new polyethylene resins and packaging structures and worked to understand fundamental materials science and polymer processing. In 1993 he transferred to the Plastics Technical Service & Development team, where he has held technical responsibility for many of the Company’s key polyethylene customers. He has developed and implemented new technology for various application areas such as stretch film, heavy duty shipping sacks and fresh-cut produce packaging. In 2007 he moved to Marketing & Sales where he assumed responsibility for sustainability for Dow’s North American plastics business and was named to his present position in 2011.

Wooster holds 45 U.S. and foreign patents and has published more than 100 technical papers and presentations. He is a frequently invited guest speaker on the subjects of sustainability and sustainable packaging. Wooster has also been recognized for his many efforts to advance sustainability practices including the American Chemistry Council Responsible Care 2015 Employee of the Year and an inaugural person of the year Trashie Award from the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. When he isn’t staying safer at home, he enjoys traveling beyond Texas’ boundaries to enjoy his favorite hobbies, including football, snow skiing, trying new restaurants, and contributing to the economic development of the world’s top tourist destinations. Jeff especially enjoys spending as much time as possible in Park City, Utah enjoying the mountains and clear, dry air.  When not traveling he and his husband Randy live in Galveston, Texas with their dog Button.   

Wooster received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Iowa State University of Science and Technology.

Ted Wolski, Sales Manager for North & South America, along with Eric Hopfensperger, Support Engineer, will take you through how you get the most out of your corona treater.

In this presentation, they will cover some of the basics of corona treating and why they are important to you, some of the material pitfalls that they’ve seen, and how to extend the life of your corona treater which will save you money in the long run.

This will be a great opportunity to pick the brains of two people with a lot of experience in corona treating, both on the sales and support side, giving you the chance to get answers to any questions you might have about corona treatment.

I recently spoke at the Printing United Alliance (PUA) Continuous Improvement Conference, and we discussed the impact of having a Lean Culture. Many executives are familiar with culture, but are foggy about what Lean or Lean Culture means.  It means setting the default for when you encounter a problem, to apply Lean Processes in solving them.  Think of it this way, Lean Culture is not just individual tools or processes applied to one area of the business.  When Lean Methodologies are automatically called upon to solve problems in any process used to get things done in your business, you are establishing Lean Culture.  This includes problems that impact operational departments or production as well as transactional processes like order entry.

Let’s not overlook a key concept introduced in the last paragraph; problem solving.  Ask yourself if this describes your culture.  When a problem occurs, does your team often rely on others to solve the problem and “come to the rescue”?  Do many problems that get solved, occur again in the future?  Does it usually involve multiple people to solve it?  If the answer to any of these questions is yes, establishing a Lean Culture can go a long way.  A key component in this process often missed is developing and training an army of problems solvers equipped to solve problems as they occur.  When problems solving skills are linked with Lean Principles, it can prove to be transformative in your business. 

A more traditional way to describe training others to act is a leadership practice of pushing decision making authority to the lowest appropriate level.  This is accomplished by training and empowering them to take action rather than wait for someone else to solve the problem.  How many times have your heard yourself or your leaders say “We don’t have time to train… or work on strategic implementation… or…. (fill in the blank).  When this concept is employed as part of the overall business strategy, you ultimately free up time for leaders to “lead” instead of “doing” things others are capable of doing.

I employed this approach with a leader who was routinely in tears, stressed to the max, getting calls at night and working weekends to get the work done.  A few short months into using this approach, she was able to shift some duties only she could do to others on her team. A little further down the road, her nightly calls all but disappeared and weekends were only worked when she wanted to show support for her team.  She developed and empowered her team to solve problems as part of our Lean Culture! It literally transformed her life.

If you see reflections of these examples in your company, take action and investigate how to instill Lean Culture in your business.

Brian Van de Water

CEO

SPL Consulting, LLC.

vandewterb@outlook.com

414-588-3008

Vetaphone A/S, the inventer of corona treatment, is celebrating its 70^th anniversary in 2021, and continues to pioneer the market for surface treatment under the Eisby family management

It was the advent of plastic packaging materials in the years following the Second World War that led to the invention of a surface treatment that has become known globally as corona.  In his small home workshop in Denmark, Verner Eisby set about solving the problem of getting ink to adhere to non-absorbent plastic film.  Today, the company he established is managed by his two sons, Frank and Jan, and supplies cutting edge surface treatment technology to leading OEMs, converters, and extruders around the world.

Speaking ahead of the company’s 70^th anniversary celebrations on 1^st November, CEO Frank Eisby explained: “My Father could not have known what his invention would grow into – today, corona treatment is a universal process that spans many industries across all continents, and without it the whole sector of flexible packaging would not exist – that’s an incredible legacy and one that we are very proud of.”

What Eisby discovered in 1951 was that the key to adhesion is all to do with surface tension and the relative values between the liquid being applied and the non-absorbent substrate being used.  In modifying the surface tension of the substrate by applying a precisely controlled electronic discharge at close range, the chemical structure can be altered to allow the liquid to bond securely and avoid the risk of ‘smudging’.

While the principle behind the process is simple science, the development of the technology required is ongoing, as new and complex substrates are introduced into the market and innovative techniques are demanded by brand owners to enhance the appearance of their packaged products.  In more recent times, this has led Vetaphone to develop plasma surface treatment, which is not a replacement for corona, but a more advanced application of the same scientific principles.

Today, the company is a global enterprise, employing around 80 people at its high-tech headquarters in Kolding and around the world, and is represented in more than 60 different countries.  The pioneering spirit is still intrinsic to the company’s DNA, which is highlighted by the recent opening of a fully equipped showroom facility for in-person and online demos that complements its unique Test Lab facility that was launched in 2020. 

Company CSO Jan Eisby commented: “We are very proud of our unique heritage and will use our unrivalled knowledge and expertise to innovate surface treatment technology that meets the ever-changing needs of a vibrant marketplace.  Vetaphone was the first and remains the foremost in this sector, and our future plans are designed to increase the market’s understanding of the science behind the technology.”

Appleton, Wisconsin, October 14, 2021 – Appvion Operations, Inc., continuing its focus as a responsible coatings solution provider, introduces a patent-pending, phenol-free technology that is foundational for its future direct thermal portfolio. As a leading innovator, Appvion builds upon its long history of material science and delivers a chemistry design utilizing phenol-free materials that are safer for human health and the environment. 

“As an industry leader, we stopped producing direct thermal products with Bisphenol-A (BPA) in 2006. Today, we understand phenol studies have shown rising human, reproductive, and environmental concerns. As a result, our R&D team pushed the limits to create a phenol-free chemistry,” shared Graeme Hodson, Executive Vice President and President, Advanced Materials & Solutions. “Their efforts validate our dedication to responsible coating solutions and reinforce our strategic commitment to the direct thermal market.” 

The patent-pending chemistry allows Appvion to lead the industry in developing a complete line of phenol-free direct thermal solutions to complement current product offerings. Appvion understands the evolving market and focuses on the possibilities of increasing the breadth and value of its solutions. The new phenol-free technology design produces a

heat-stable product that meets or exceeds all critical product characteristics.

“We recognize how important it is to do our part and find a solution to eliminate phenols. Launching a phenol-free portfolio of products is ideal for human health, the environment, and our long-term business strategy,” said Meyer Weiss, Vice President, Advanced Materials & Solutions. “We tasked our team with developing a business compatible solution that did not sacrifice the product quality or performance that we are known for, and they delivered.”

Résiste Rx with Phenol-Free Technology is Appvion’s first commercialized product within this new portfolio. Résiste Rx serves the pharmaceutical market as a variable information printed (VIP) direct thermal label for pharmacy and mailorder prescriptions. To learn more, please contact your Appvion sales representative or visit us at www.appvion.com. 

About Appvion Operations, Inc. 

Appvion was founded in 1907 and is a pioneer in material science, providing full-service specialty and highperformance coating solutions. Headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, Appvion develops innovative, water-based, and environmentally responsible coating solutions for consumers’ everyday life. Primary product offerings include direct thermal paper and film solutions and renewable, fiber-based consumer and industrial packaging solutions. Appvion applies functional coating solutions to a wide variety of flexible substrates, including products from an FDA-compliant facility. As a leading manufacturer in North America, you can count on Appvion to tackle your customers’ biggest challenges. Connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn to learn more.

Appleton, Wisconsin, October 6, 2021 – Appvion Operations, Inc. is pleased to announce the creation of their Advanced Materials and Solutions business division, which leads growth and innovation objectives that utilize core competencies and leverages the DNA of the heritage company. The Advanced Materials and Solutions (AMS) division contains the current direct thermal and dye sublimation businesses.

“Rethinking the tag, label, and entertainment (TLE) thermal business unit was important to support our forward-looking vision and better represent today’s offerings,” shared Graeme Hodson, Executive Vice President and President, Advanced Materials & Solutions. “We aspire to create a diverse range of innovative and socially responsible product solutions that address the anticipated needs of the global market, and our AMS team is in a position to achieve this.”


As a world-class provider, the AMS business creates unique solutions that make a material difference in consumers’ everyday life. Appvion is a highly technical and specialized manufacturer that categorizes direct thermal technology as an advanced material. The AMS business focuses on consistently demonstrating to customers and stakeholders their ability to develop and produce innovative products and apply proprietary coatings to various substrates.

“The AMS team has set out to challenge and align the organization to look beyond established business boundaries,” adds Meyer Weiss, Vice President, Advanced Materials and Solutions. “Our forward-looking focus energizes the team, and we expect the AMS business to look different one year from today and undoubtedly different five years from today.”

Under Appvion’s corporate umbrella, there are two primary business units:
– Advanced Materials and Solutions
– Packaging and Specialty Coatings

Appvion’s new strategy ensures synergies between the business divisions, including intellectual capital, expertise, and technology. For more information, visit www.appvion.com.

Green Bay, WI — Rol-Tec has completed construction of a 15,700 s.f. addition to its Green Bay headquarters where it manufactures rubber covered rollers, metal roller bases, laser-engraved flexo sleeves, and tungsten carbide roller coatings for printing, industrial and converting operations throughout North America. The company is also a unique manufacturer of custom cast urethane parts for a variety of industrial applications.

According to president Matt Umentum, “The new addition will help improve work flow and increase production capacity to meet growing sales with both printing and converting customers. This includes a specially controlled 2,200 s.f center that houses our new laser engraving machines. We not only produce the highest quality print sleeves, but our state-of-the-industry laser engraving technology can handle the largest cylinders and process customer art files direct to PDF without manual art manipulation. This speeds production time, reduces file art charges, and prevents potential file transfer errors.”

The company’s expanded metal machining operation is already transitioning into the new space to support the company’s roller and sleeve production. Machine installs start with five turning lathes including three full CNC lathes, two CNC milling centers and two CNC machining centers. A new CNC engine lathe capable of handling 240-inch roll lengths is presently awaiting delivery. Three new 5-ton bridge cranes can easily handle heavy rollers. Recently, Rol-Tec also increased roll production capabilities with the 2020 acquisition of Axis Grinding, a precision roll manufacturer and roll grinder, located in
Green Bay.

The plant expansion additionally accommodates a new employee locker room, new break room, and additional parking. The company growth is now driving new hiring. Employment inquiries are welcome by phone or via the company website: www.rol-tec.com