< Previous30 Business Link www.blmforum.net PRINTING AND PACKAGING the new The printing and packaging sector has an important role to play in reducing our reliance on plastic packaging, and companies and suppliers have stepped up to the challenge. Embracing 30-33.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:22 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 31 PRINTING AND PACKAGING F igures from the non-profit Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) show that the UK produces 2.4 million of plastic a year. That’s more than a twenty-four per cent rise since 2010. In the decade since, there’s been a flurry of corporate activity in this sphere with environmental strategies being seen right across the board, from blue chips right down to micro firms. While supermarkets are committing to net zero within the next decade, cumulative changes among smaller firms can have a big impact from implementing an office recycling scheme and helping employees curb single-use packaging by encouraging packed lunches, or providing reusable coffee cups for a more sustainable take-away. The most pervasive packaging in most workplaces isn’t food and drink, however, it’s delivered goods such as printing cartridges and office supplies etc., all of which comes with its own packaging. Fortunately, much of this can be recycled, but even problem packaging and those that have been historically impossible to recycle are entering more of a closed loop with specialist recycling companies innovating methods. It’s therefore important for company bosses to reach out and make the effort. Of course, a company’s packaging waste and carbon footprint will largely depend on what kind of company it is. A PR firm, for example, will want to consider where its energy is sourced, the recycling of its waste products, and whether the paper it uses is sustainably sourced, among other things. But for a printing or packaging firm, there’s much more to consider, from the raw materials being used, to machinery and equipment. When it comes to companies – especially food and beverage companies – with products on store shelves, the challenge now lies in juggling environmental issues whilst also appealing to consumers who are increasingly demanding products of a higher standard than ever before. Companies selling in consumer channels are turning towards ever more innovative printing and packaging materials to help their products stand out on store shelves at a time when manufacturers are moving away from plastic and shoppers turn towards more © Shutterstock /Jacob Lund © Shutterstock /Zapp2Photo 32 Á 30-33.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:22 Page 232 Business Link www.blmforum.net PRINTING AND PACKAGING sustainable options. What had once been niche offerings or proof-of-concepts are now becoming more ubiquitous with a mushroom-based solution offering a sustainable alternative to Styrofoam. Packaging is also being made from sugar cane and other renewable sources, many of them pre-existing waste streams such as surplus fruit and vegetables. Edible packaging has also emerged as a means of alleviating plastic waste with an edible coating that cut down on plastic and boosted shelf life was trialled last year by Leeds-headquartered supermarket Asda to great success. Manufacturers can also turn towards digital technologies as a means of market differentiation and to appeal to younger, more digitally-minded consumers. For example, augmented reality (AR) can be used to cut down on packaging and labelling whilst also offering a highly engaging consumer experience. Using AR, a consumer could use an app on their smart phone or tablet with a packaged product to gain information about its origin and production or, if a food product, additional nutritional information. It could also be used as an extension of that product’s advertising, engaging consumers like never before. Of course, a product still needs to work on its own merits, and it’s worth remembering that not all consumers can afford or physically operate touch screen devices. However, AR can be an important tool in a company’s arsenal, both for advertising and for differentiating their product and saving on labelling. Although there’s been plenty of innovation where packaging itself is concerned, with more sustainable materials and digital integration, printing and labelling technologies have also come along in leaps and bounds. Although colour changing inks have been around in the beverage industry for a while now, they’ve really evolved over the last few years and are appearing on more cans on shelves. Thermochromic inks cover a can with a temperature sensitive pigment that could let customers know when the beverage has reached the optimal temperature. Perhaps more exciting is photochromic inks which change colour when exposed to bright sunlight. This could reveal new images, colours and messaging, allowing companies to effectively have two © Shutterstock /Ink Drop 30-33.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:22 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 33 PRINTING AND PACKAGING different designs on every can. Also in this area are the rise of glow in the dark and UV cans, especially for energy drinks and alcohol – perfect for today’s Instagram-minded consumers. Where beer is concerned, there’s been advances in high-definition beverage can printing. This allows for greater detail to be reproduced, allowing a hitherto unattainable quality to be printed on cans. This offers drinks makers a real edge in a crowded marketplace and greater shelf appeal. It is understandable more costly than traditional can printing technologies, but it does allow greater opportunities to add depth, scope and dimension to reap potentially greater sales and a bigger slice of the market. Laser coders are becoming increasingly popular, not only where dates and batch codes are concerned, but for printing competition codes. More companies are looking to engage with their socially- minded and media-savvy consumers and are turning towards engagement strategies such as competitions to do so. Overall, the printing industry is highly innovative, with solutions such as 3D printing rapidly developing over the last decade. Although they’re yet to become standard, they are used in greater capacity in product design and prototyping and for creating food products and packaging that may have remained only conceptual before. Casting a wider net, digital printing technologies such as inkjet and electrography are opening new avenues for supplier and equipment manufacturers. Solutions such as these are continuing to supersede traditional printing equipment thanks to quicker response times, ease of image modification and greater levels of personalisation and customisation. Manufacturers that haven’t already updated their printing equipment will likely be considering it in order to stay relevant and to compete. The printing and packaging sector and the industries it serves have an important role to play in mitigating the climate crisis. However, that can’t come at the cost of sacrificing high-quality and shelf appeal and so the two aims will continue to grow alongside one another. As ever more innovative packaging materials develop to replace plastic and printing machinery goes greener, the industry will lead by example. © Shutterstock /Freedomz 30-33.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:23 Page 434 Business Link www.blmforum.net MEET THE EXPERTS I t’s easy to define an expert as an individual skilled in a given area but doing so eclipses the journey involved in reaching that point. Indeed, experts begin their careers at exactly the opposite end of the spectrum – as bright- eyed novices. From here, they accumulate understanding and experience, honing their skills through learning and through doing until, years later, they can be labelled as experts. Suffice it to say, when you take their advice, you’re getting decades worth of know-how in every answer. What’s more, when you work with an expert, they can bring a wealth of insight to whatever business you happen to be conducting. Perhaps you need a chartered accountancy, a training provider, or a legal firm. In this regard, it’s always better to invest in experts in their specific fields, rather than those who claim to adept across all fields. One can’t help but think of the adage of the jack of all trades being master of none. It only serves to follow that someone who has dedicated their professional life to a specific part of a sector would have much more valuable and practical experience and insight than someone who has only delved superficially across a plethora of different sectors. After all, PhDs aren’t awarded to those students turning their hand to as wide array of topics as possible, but the ones dedicated their time and energies to a specific niche and demonstrating their skill, understanding and knowhow. That’s all well and good pointing out, but what does that mean for businesses? Well, the next time you’re looking to change supplier, don’t just plump for the one that looks the best. Do your research, put the effort in to getting a handle not only on the company but it’s management team. Do they truly have 36 Á Whether it’s a new supplier, new contracts, or trading partners, it pays to find experts in their fields. Worth their weight in gold 34-37.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:26 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 35 MEET THE EXPERTS © Shutterstock/ metamorworks 34-37.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:26 Page 236 Business Link www.blmforum.net MEET THE EXPERTS expertise on their industry, or do they just make loud boasts? It’s pertinent at present as the coronavirus crisis continues to negatively impact almost every sector and continues to leave businesses out to dry. Bosses are, understandably, having a tough time trying to balance the need to reduce operational costs and overheads, whilst also responding to the pandemic and adapting and evolving their operations and services accordingly. While there is a myriad of ways in which companies can reduce costs, swapping suppliers can have a major impact. Some might caution against looking for cheaper suppliers with the notion that cheaper equals poorer service. However, it’s less an issue of finding the cheapest supplier, but getting the best value for money. For example, a single new supplier could be performing the role of multiple existing suppliers. It’s possible that you might be paying too much for an existing supplier. In any case, the expertise of your suppliers should play a key part in your decision making if and when you decide to swap suppliers. It pays to go for experts because only with a deep knowledge of their industry could a supplier actually see how to save you money and how to improve efficiencies. Expertise can honestly be the difference between a bad supplier and a good one, and a good one and a truly excellent one. There’s a wealth of industrial sectors across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire from its pedigree in manufacturing and construction to emerging fields such as cloud computing and game development. With experience comes knowledge and so we use our regular meet the experts feature to invite businesses from across the region to share their knowledge and offer an insight into their success. This latest edition brings you leaders in education and law, with companies that have carved out a renowned reputation for their services and continued excellence. Doing business locally has often been a phrase trumpeted by those in the region who want to have more customers, with some cynically using it as a way to try and shame local companies into using them as suppliers. Nowadays, however, the focus has changed, and local companies are promoting themselves not only on how close they are geographically, but upon their expertise and incredible customer service. In this feature, you’ll be met businesses that have risen to leaders in their respective fields so you can trust that the knowledge you’ll receive is trusted and proven. Who knows, you might even find a new supplier or get the ball rolling on a new contract. © Shutterstock /fizkes 34-37.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:27 Page 3OPM Group The Colour Box, Gelderd Road, Leeds, LS12 6TG Tel: 0113 231 1000 Web: www.opmgroup.co.uk Email: customerservices@opmgroup.co.uk OPM have recently installation of a Controlled Environment Facility to enhance its Pharma, Food and GMP standard audited Leeds site. To meet increasing demand for product produced in Controlled, Critical Environments, OPM have installed a fully enclosed, segregated & controlled print room. Spanning 60 meters in length and 7 meters in height with vision panels throughout, this was a seamless installation taking only 6 days to implement. Providing an environment where air quality, temperature & humidity are highly regulated, to protect print & customer materials from possible sources of contamination & impurities. The integrity of the room is maintained through regular attention to cleaning, maintenance, and microbiological monitoring programmes. Having a protective room where materials are printed, finished & packed ensures OPM’s product meets stringent quality standards required & important within the healthcare, pharma, beauty and specialist food markets. It supports our clients whose products are destined for high-risk areas/consumers. PRINTING & PACKAGING www.blmforum.net Business Link 37 MEET THE EXPERTS © Shutterstock /T iko Aramyan The National Centre for Food Manufacturing (University of Lincoln) Tel: : 01406 493000 Web: www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/holbeach Email: ncfm@lincoln.ac.uk The National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM), the Holbeach campus of the University of Lincoln, is an internationally recognised provider of education, research and technical business support. As a national hub for skills development in the food and drink sector, NCFM is home to specialist technical facilities including a dedicated food factory with full-scale and pilot plant, food chemistry and microbiology laboratories, a test kitchen, sensory suite and technical library. Dedicated to helping employees advance their careers, NCFM’s industry-informed academics understand the demands of studying while working in this fast-moving, dynamic sector. Our comprehensive range of further education and higher-level apprenticeships enables flexible study across a variety of areas. Attracting and retaining talent is key to ensuring continued growth and innovation. Every apprenticeship programme offered by NCFM (levels 2 to 7) aims to improve the performance, skills and confidence of each individual, building long-term careers in quality and technical, production and manufacturing, supply chain management and strategic leadership. FOOD MANUFACTURING Sills & Betteridge LLP Tel: 0800 542 4245 Web: www.sillslegal.co.uk Email: info@sillslegal.co.uk Company Profile Independently recognised for outstanding results and service, Sills & Betteridge LLP is a full service law firm based in Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottingham and Northampton. It has one of the region’s largest commercial departments with a portfolio of domestic and international clients drawn from a wide range of industry sectors, including agriculture, engineering, renewables, property and construction, insurance, and retail. James Conduit Profile James Conduit is head of our corporate team at Sills & Betteridge. With a background in intellectual property and a keen interest in technology transactions and regulated industries, a number of James’ clients operate in the renewable energy, software development, insurance, haulage and agriculture sectors. As a Legal 500 ‘Leading Lawyer’ James firmly believes that knowledge of a client’s industry is key to providing down to earth commercially astute advice. Corporate transactions can easily be derailed and even fail to proceed if lawyers lose sight of what is commercially important to their clients. All transactions involve risk, so the task is to identify the issues and act proportionately to ensure the deal proceeds on time and with minimal risk. LAW James Conduit 34-37.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:27 Page 438 Business Link www.blmforum.net PHARMACEUTICALS © Shutterstock /Andrii V odolazhskyi 38-41.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:32 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 39 PHARMACEUTICALS A lmost every single sector has been impacted in one way or another by the coronavirus crisis. The effects have been doubly felt by the life sciences industries as firms not only undertake research to develop vaccines in-house, but license molecules, antibodies, pre-existing drugs and their own patented platforms, as well as providing financial support to research and caregiving organisations. Indeed, some pharma firms have donated compounds with the potential to treat coronavirus for emergency use and clinical trials – including compounds formerly tested on other viral pathogens such as Ebola and HIV, with the hopes they can be repurposed against COVID- 19. Others are exploring ways to use existing technologies that provide the ability to rapidly upscale production once a potential vaccine candidate is identified. According to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), pharma companies are working in four key areas. Firstly, there’s treatment development. The trade association revealed that, by the middle of May 2020, there were more than 1,000 clinical trials ongoing with over 150 treatments being tested. In this area, companies are Pharmaceutical firms continue to be critical in the ongoing fight against COVID-19. Given Yorkshire and Lincolnshire have a concentration of pharma and biotech firms, our region is playing a key role in this effort. 40 Á COVID Battling 38-41.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:32 Page 2Next >