United Kingdom: UK printing companies are sending an estimated 120 000 tonnes of label waste to landfill every year due to the belief of there being no alternative solution. But now the Zero Labels 2 Landfill Scheme, which is provided by Prismm Environmental and sponsored by the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF), has a service whereby label waste is diverted from landfill and instead used to produce high value solid recovered fuel (SRF) used in the production of cement.
Experts claim, this will improve the environmental performance of label printing companies, which will be popular with big brand clients seeking improved sustainability through their supply chains. Materials that are collected under the scheme include matrix waste, glassine, silicon packaging paper, waste foil on cores and make-ready and set-up reels. Collections can be arranged from as little as 600 kg up to 26 tonnes and are available nationwide.
Through this scheme, Prismm has saved 42 000 tonnes of label waste from landfill since 2015, collecting from printers nationwide.