Matrix waste from Labelexpo Americas to be recycled

In a trade show first, matrix waste and finished rolls from the show floor at Labelexpo Americas will be collected and recycled with the help of Greenwood Fuels and Channeled Resources.

The material will be collected every few hours and taken to the show’s Ecovillage area to showcase the amount of waste that could potentially be recycled instead of being put into landfills.

After the show, all waste will be compacted and picked up by Greenwood Fuels to be made into fuel pellets. Greenwood’s fuel pellets are a direct substitute for coal yet can have a higher BTU content, is more cost-effective than land filling and reduces the overall environmental footprint of producing labels.

Danielle Jerschefske, L&L’s North America editor and co-author of a ‘How to’ guide to sustainable labeling, said: ‘As consumers more frequently review and purchase products based on their environmental footprint, the supply chain will inevitably be held more accountable for its sustainable stewardship.

‘In collecting these label materials at Labelexpo Americas, the show is demonstrating to the industry – and its investors and the value chain – a viable closed-loop solution for solid waste. The process maintains the value of such material throughout manufacturing by finding new opportunity at the “end of life” stage and creates a renewable energy alternative to coal.

‘This waste-to-energy system is an excellent resource for label converters to drive zero waste manufacturing, to reduce their own carbon footprint and to gain competitive edge.’

Also featured at the Ecovillage will be a selection of exhibitors who offer products and services to support a better performing, more environmentally conscious label industry.

Click here for more stories about Labelexpo Americas on L&L.com.