Ilford Environmental Credentials In Action at EcoPrint 2012

Ilford has shared a vision which will see the company established as a leading provider of environmentally responsible substrates for commercial printing.

Aiming to offer print specifiers and print service providers a range of high performance printing substrates with strong environmental credentials, ILFORD draws on complete product lifecycle thinking to demonstrate a multi-level commitment to environmental responsibility, encompassing the products the company brings to market, the sourcing of raw materials and its Swiss manufacturing operations. Visitors to EcoPrint Live in Berlin on September 26 and 27 are invited to find out more by visiting the ILFORD Stand 3-318.

Committed to progress: ILFORD BioMedia

Introduced in 2011, the ILFORD BioMedia substrate range has been developed in direct response to market demand for sustainable printing solutions and offers a PVC-free alternative to traditional vinyl display products. The range brings together display films, boards and laminates offering a number of biodegradable, recyclable, incineration-friendly and low-energy printing credentials.

ILFORD has established processes for continuous improvement of the BioMedia range from design through to final application, with active participation in the ESMA standards committee and in the EcoPrint Ambassador group, which works towards an agreement on standardisation.

Committed to Change: ILFORD OMNIJET

Alongside ILFORD BioMedia, ILFORD has identified the longstanding ILFORD OMNIJET range of high performance commercial printing substrates as a priority for development. In a sustained effort to improve the environmental credentials of the range, ILFORD introduced the FSC® Certified (C107238) OMNIJET Photo Realistic photo paper in 2011, with PEFC certified RC papers becoming available in 2012. For 2013 ILFORD will introduce a recycled range of film-based display products.

Committed to a sustainable future: holistic product life cycle analysis

ILFORD develops and coats substrates at the company’s world-class coating facility in Switzerland, where stringent environmental controls are in place throughout the manufacturing process.

ILFORD is a voluntary member of the Swiss Private Sector Energy Agency CO2 Reduction Scheme, which certifies a commitment to the active reduction of CO2 emissions and to the optimisation of energy efficiency. Following an agreement signed with the Federal Environment Agency, ILFORD is on track to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% for the period between 2008 and the end of 2012. Projects implemented to achieve this goal have included installing a heat recovery system on the main boiler at the ILFORD site in Switzerland, as well as an improved drying process of coated ILFORD media. The recently passed Swiss CO2 Act for the 2013 – 2020 period will require ILFORD to reduce CO2 emissions by at least a further 10%.

ILFORD has also implemented a number of recycling initiatives, including incinerating 250 tons of miscellaneous waste locally, producing heat and electricity. With a focus on recycling, ILFORD has recycled 100 tons of polyethylene-coated paper into plastic moulded parts, 65 tons of paper and cardboard into cardboard and recycled 7 tons of glass.

Alongside compliance with strict Swiss environmental standards, ILFORD manufacturing involves no solvents or toxic waste and ILFORD sources raw materials through selection, assessment and control of suppliers.

ILFORD in the industry