Fujifilm readies sustainability event

Event attendees will be the first to receive the new whitepaper
Event attendees will be the first to receive the new whitepaper

Fujifilm is readying the next edition of its Real Production Show with a circular economy theme, and has produced a new whitepaper that will be released at the event.

The whitepaper, Digital print for a circular economy, is targeted at brands and print suppliers. It looks at various ways in which, rather than simply cutting back in a bid to meet environmental goals, brands can instead “make much more sustainable decisions in sourcing printed materials, without missing out on all the unique benefits that print offers”.

The online event, The Really Sustainable Production Show, will take place at 10.30am GMT on 24 February.

It will be hosted by Fujifilm Europe product manager for digital press systems Mark Stephenson. The speakers are Jo Stephenson, the founder and managing director of PHD Marketing & Strategy; and Axel Fischer head of public relations at Ingede, the international association for the deinking industry.

Mark Stephenson said the EU’s Circular Economy Plan – which aims to transform sustainability and circularity across Europe by 2050 – together with pressure from consumers and brands would result in additional scrutiny of printed materials, the processes used, and waste generated.

He said he expected some controversial topics would be tackled on the day.

“Jo Stephenson is very clued up on packaging. She’s not taken in by ‘plasticwash’ – it’s not as simple as plastic bad, paper good,” he noted.

Axel will talk about deinking and how Ingede carries out this work at its labs.

“We’re expecting a lively discussion, and then we will open up to questions. Attendees will also be the first people to get the whitepaper.”

Stephenson noted that the radical changes in methods of print production over the past two decades are “extremely positive from an environmental point-of-view”, but not necessarily widely understood outside the industry.

“Sustainability is a huge focus within Fujifilm, so our whitepaper looks in detail at a variety of modern printing techniques and how our own technology, particularly the Jet Press, is helping to reduce waste and boost recyclability.

To register, visit The Really Sustainable Production Show microsite.