In a speech entitled ‘What’s our view on plastic materials?’ Guandong’s president Edoardo Elmi had this to say on the issue at the latest TAGA Day.
This annual event, organised by the Italian association of graphic arts technicians, has always been an important occasion for meeting up and discussing issues related to the world of printing. This year saw the presentation of the first draft of the TAGA.DOC.20, a technical document dedicated to UV printing on plastic supports. It is the product of a year’s worth of hard work, compiled by a working group comprised of exponents from the world of graphic arts: technicians, printers, and ink and support manufacturers, including Edoardo Elmi and Damiano Merlo from Guandong.
Angelo Meroni, member of TAGA Italia’s Board of Directors, started by saying that “Printing on plastic isn’t a problem; it’s a technique.” He went on to explain that it is essential to know the characteristics of this material, and that while some care must be taken during the printing stage, plastic – in its various forms – offers some very interesting solutions for the entire graphic arts industry. Technology is advancing, as demonstrated by the folder of samples distributed to all the participants, created by TAGA Italia in collaboration with Guandong. “Magnetic or transparent PET with micro-suction cups, PP compound and PVC with glue dots and air release technology, are just some of the most innovative plastic supports that we have recently developed,” explained Edoardo Elmi. “However, we can’t talk about plastic today without broaching the issue of environmental sustainability. This is something that our industry is also increasingly aware of and therefore it’s only right that we clarify this issue.”
“Synthetic resins, commonly known as plastic, are often said to be one of the main sources of pollution. They derive from the processing of crude oil waste that is otherwise unusable, of which they represent 6.5%. Of this, 1.5% is destined for the production of packaging, such as bottles or other types of containers, while just 0.1% is used to make supports for visual communication. The rest is all around us, in the things that make our life easier: housewares, textiles, windows, electronic devices, parts for vehicles, furnishing accessories. Yet despite the small percentage, it appears that only the first two categories are considered major pollutants. Why? Because they are the most visible, due to the improper behaviour of those who recklessly dump waste in the environment.”
According to Edoardo Elmi, it is symbolic that during COP26 in Glasgow, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, they talked about emissions and deforestation being the main causes of global warming, not plastic. “Scientific evidence also makes it possible for us to argue with those who claim these materials are toxic. This is contradictory if we consider the amount of plastic used in the food industry, chosen for being light, safe and hygienic, and therefore ideal for the optimal preservation of food.”
“Moreover, thermoplastic materials can potentially be recycled and reused over and over again. The viscoelastic nature of plastics means that it is sufficient to heat them up in order to rework them into the desired shapes, as is also the case for many of Guandong’s GreenLife supports, which are made with high percentages of recycled and regenerated plastic. Not to mention the fact that end-of-life plastic can be transformed into an excellent fuel: it’s used to produce pellets to fuel stoves, as an alternative to diesel.”
Therefore, according to Guandong’s president, plastic is not an enemy, “if anything it’s the solution. This material offers innumerable opportunities; the most important thing is that it is used and disposed of correctly. It is also vital that those in our industry discuss this issue, with the aim of raising collective awareness.”