A sustainability analysis usually looks at waste as well as efficiency considerations that can lead to waste; especially wasted resources such as materials and energy. As every sustainability initiative must also provide an advantage to your business, waste also means wasted money with implications for your company’s bottom-line.
Does your labeling process figure into your sustainability analysis? Companies are realizing that “sub-processes” that are not manufacturing, yet are a key component in production can have a significant effect on your sustainability scorecard.
You can begin by asking these questions:
- Do we have to often re-order/re-print labels due to label content changes or errors?
- Are labels that become obsolete disposed of in landfills?
- Do we have to order and store more label inventory than we use?
These questions lead to the larger question; “Is printing labels on-premise more sustainable than having them pre-printed by a 3rd party?
Implementing a digital, print-on-demand labeling solution and printing your labels on-premise, at the time you need them, in the exact quantity you need them, provides several benefits that improve sustainability.
- Significantly reduces label waste
- Significantly reduces pre-printed label inventory
- Reduces energy consumption by bringing label production in-house
- Drastically reduces the need to re-order and re-print labels that have been pre-printed
These and other benefits help to improve your overall sustainability scorecard under the heading of production. Further, the systems and materials used for on-premise, on-demand label printing are themselves becoming more sustainable every day. Much progress has been made in producing and supplying sustainably sourced and manufactured label stock as well as printing inks and toners toward the goal of reducing their environmental impact and carbon footprint.
Together with our partners, Brandywine is committed to helping our customers achieve their sustainability objectives, while setting an example of leadership in environmental stewardship and sustainable business practices for our industry.