DENISE KIRBY fuels, fossil fuels are used in paper production. Paper is far more energy intensive to produce than plastic and, of course, has a much shorter service life. Plastic that can be reused becomes greener with each reuse, as resources are saved. Whether plastic or paper is greener can only truly be determined by looking at the specific application requirements and the whole life cycle of the product. Plastic offers a functionality, convenience and price point that is hard to beat and, in many cases, can’t be beaten. Where plastic falls down is end- of-life. Once it’s no longer in use it can be hard to get rid of due to a combination of factors- the type of plastic used, the willingness of users to make the effort and investment to dispose of the material correctly and a lack of local infrastructure to collect and process these materials. Many plastics can be recycled, the problem is they aren’t. There is a lot of focus on finding and using plastic alternatives but equally plastic isn’t going away anytime soon so we really need to see the same commitment to recycling and disposal. While it is true that of all the plastics we use, self- adhesive PVC creates the greatest environmental burden due to the ingredients and additives used to make it functional, conformable and durable, again, it is important to look at the whole life cycle of use to decide if it is the right solution or not. Consider a vehicle wrap. That’s approximately 5kg of plastic used over many years. When the average Australian is using 130kg of plastic a year and only recycling 12%*, 5kg is not a major contributor to waste. On the flip side, promotional window decals for weekend sales generate high volumes of waste and don’t need the conformability or durability of PVC. Here it would be much more sustainable to use PVC- Free films, or even better films and materials that can be recycled to create zero waste. Before we demonise plastic as a whole or allow our customers to, it would be better to look at the bigger picture and consider the cost to the environment vs commercial necessity. It is not always the case that you have to choose between one or the other. Sustainability and commercial viability can be mutually inclusive. In reality, we will not be giving up plastic any time soon. We can, however, make much better choices about what materials we use, and where we use them and look to reduce the biggest problem with plastic which is waste. Plastic that is made from recycled plastic, or less toxic ingredients, or can be recycled end of life creates much less of an environmental burden while still providing the needed performance. We can also do better at engaging with customers and educating them on material options to ensure they are choosing solutions that are truly sustainable. *Source: www.wwf.org.au/get-involved/plastics DENISE KIRBY has over 27 years’ experience supplying self- adhesive media to the sign and print industry. Initially starting out in the family business as a distributor, she went on to work for leading self-adhesive manufacturers in marketing, business development and product management roles across Australia and New Zealand. She now has her own business, Kirbyco, which develops and supplies eco-friendly, recyclable and sustainable print media, and created ZERO, a product stewardship scheme which recycles end of life printed media. Denise is highly passionate about the industry and enjoys writing about applications, opportunities and new developments in print and signage. Her goal is to inspire people to explore new creative, functional and sustainable opportunities in print as well as educating the industry on products, trends and innovations. WWW.IMAGEMAGAZINE.COM.AU AUG/SEP 2022 41 Photo Credit: Sigmund (Unsplash)
