Bemis’ Print Processes
FLEXO: Your website draws particular attention to various special effects—textured inks, metallized films and foils, matte/gloss effects, etc. What is so special about special effects?
Bemis: With 70 percent of purchases made at retail shelf, a package needs to work hard to capture the consumer’s attention. Unique appearances created from film, ink applications and coatings that provide a unique feel bring the package to life on shelf and help it differentiate from the competition.
Specifically, we have a printing capability—tactile printing—that creates a natural look and feel on package, with different textures that engage consumers’ sense of touch. It is primarily used to deliver a more natural, paper look and feel that can communicate a small batch, fresher, more artisanal product to consumers.
Bemis on the Flexo Market
FLEXO: Where has the flexo market gone in Bemis’ history?
Bemis: The flexographic printing industry has naturally evolved in tangent with consumer needs. The large volume, wide press production needs of the past decades have evolved with consumer trends which resonate with products that offer more variety in flavor options. This has resulted in a vast expansion of SKUs, where individual SKU volume is lower than in past decades, while overall demand remains the same. These changes have required a different capital approach to fulfill customer requirements, while delivering cost efficient solutions that are also very serviceable.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”Bemis Executives” link=”” color=”#0000ff” class=”” size=””] Through years of applying FIRST methodology internally and continuously speaking this language with prepress vendors, we now find FIRST has become the go to tool to help communicate like a set of industry standards. [/perfectpullquote]
The level of print quality expectations has also elevated the capability of the flexographic industry, increasing the standards of resolution and reproduction to that of other technologies.
FLEXO: Where does the company see demand from consumers affecting operations? Are there any specific products seeing a surge?
Bemis: In traditional retail, we know that packaging plays an imperative role as the vehicle to engage and reinforce consumer selection. The customary means of attracting consumers or reinforcing our customers’ marketing efforts have been through having a deep understanding of their challenges in order to either create a new package or augment a current package.
Today, the level of differentiation on shelf is waning and we see brands dash to aesthetic options to stand out from the crowd—if for only a moment—until the rest of the shelf shifts to that same aesthetic. As a result, enhanced consumer engagement technologies are seeing a lot of interest, where the package can reinforce product messaging through multiple consumer senses.
Bemis on Sustainability
FLEXO: What does sustainability mean to Bemis?
Bemis: We take our responsibility to the environment very sincerely. We have designed programs and initiatives to meet our sustainability goals and have customized packaging solutions to help our customers meet theirs.
FLEXO: What are some sustainable initiatives at the company?
Bemis: We have a number of sustainability initiatives we plan to continue to improve and expand on:
- Since 2006, Bemis has participated in the Carbon Disclosure Project to support greenhouse gas emissions reduction
- Every Bemis facility has a waste minimization plan; more than 85 percent of the waste we generate is reused or recycled
- We strive to use small amounts of water in our manufacturing processes; from 2010 to 2014, our process water discharge decreased by about 70 percent
- We continually invest in projects that reduce energy usage, such as lighting upgrades and energy efficient manufacturing equipment
- Our EHS Management System monitors the use of solvents from selection through final disposition with a goal to minimize toxicity, volume of use, emissions and handling concerns
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