Digitally printed packaging boosts brand sustainability success

HP is a Business Reporter client

Packaging is one of the most destructive forces we have on our planet – and HP is the only printing company in the world that removes 26 per cent of packaging waste.

The ‘one-size-fits-all’ era is over, and the print industry has been undergoing a steady evolution with the rise of the digital press. Over 50 per cent of consumers are looking to buy more sustainably and 68 per cent say they rely on brands to be leaders in driving positive social and environmental change. Brands are realising that packaging is a vital area where they can make a difference – revaluating how it is produced, used and disposed of – and a powerful tool for driving sustainable practice and behaviour change.

The biggest challenge for brands is the problem of production and waste. The carbon output in manufacturing processes is disturbing the planet’s natural ecosystem as packaging waste continues to pollute coastlines, clog waterways and cost the global economy billions of dollars each year. Although packaging remains an important part of how we safely and hygienically transport products around the globe, we can do more to reduce the impact that this has on our planet. If we want to divert from the climate crisis, now is the time to co-create and work to cut around 65 per cent of global emissions ahead of 2030.

However, this is not just a challenge for the supply chain; it encompasses the entire value chain and is an issue that touches almost every industry across the globe. When a brand adopts digitally printed packaging as part of its media plan, the cumbersome stages of analogue printing are removed, dramatically accelerating the speed to market, reducing the amount of waste produced and erasing the need for minimum order quantities. Not only does digital print remove up to 80 per cent of CO2 emissions, but it can also work with a wider range of substrates and environmentally friendly materials.

HP Graphic Arts has partnered with brands and proven that digital print boosts sustainability credentials and brand reputation. Whether it’s saving endangered elephants or giving underrepresented communities a voice, it is through the adoption of digital print that brands can amplify their purpose on pack, resulting in authentic, timely and relevant campaigns – all while being more sustainable. Crucially, digitally printed packaging is a powerful process and offers the building blocks for a better future.

We are the co-creation generation! Let’s unlock creativity for a better world www.reinventing-creativity.com

Originally published on Business Reporter