Diamond Packaging Commits to 100% Wind Energy

Diamond Packaging today announced a commitment to purchase clean, renewable wind energy for 100% of its electrical energy requirements through RG&E and wind energy marketer and developer Community Energy. The purchase illustrates the company's continued commitment to the environment and the community.

Diamond will purchase approximately 6,723,600 kilowatt hours (kWhs) of renewable energy credits over a one-year period. Compared to the average generation mix in the regional electric grid, the environmental benefit from this purchase is equal to offsetting approximately 4,156 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, the impact of which is equivalent to planting more than 3,744 acres of trees each year or not driving 10.4 million miles. more

Dennis Bacchetta
Diamond's greenbox initiative
Packaging

Diamond Packaging Announces Sustainability Initiative

Diamond Packaging today announced their Diamond greenbox initiative, the company’s commitment to research, design, and implement packaging solutions that are innovative and sustainable. The initiative balances business with environmental considerations by promoting sustainability in all aspects of package production.

The core of Diamond’s greenbox initiative – designs, materials, and methods – represents a comprehensive approach to packaging that minimizes environmental impact throughout the supply chain. more

Dennis Bacchetta
Diamond's greenbox initiative
Packaging

Green Plastics Find Cautious Market

Plastics made from corn and other plants are carving a tiny niche from the market for conventional petroleum-based plastics and being touted as green alternatives for everything from bulk food containers to lipstick tubes and clothing fiber - as well as gift cards.

So-called "bioplastics" offer the world a way to wean itself off oil, and most biodegrade to varying degrees. But their makers' green argument is complex, and environmentalists are cautious in their support. more

Dennis Bacchetta
Diamond's greenbox initiative
Packaging

Sustainable Green Printing (SGP) Partnership Forms

In an effort to assist the printing community in their push for sustainability, the Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) and its partners have established the Sustainable Green Printing (SGP) Partnership. more

Dennis Bacchetta
Diamond's greenbox initiative
Packaging

Does Recycling Always Make Sense?

Does recycling always make sense? Not necessarily, according to Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of Freakonomics, a book which examines the hidden incentives behind all types of behavior.

Although the phrase "recycle - reduce - reuse" are considered major tenets of being "green", the truth is a little more complicated than it seems.

Click here to see the interview on Good Morning America.

Dennis Bacchetta
Diamondessence™
Packaging

Sustainability Claims Questioned

A new independent life-cycle study commissioned by the Athena Institute refutes some claims made regarding sustainable packaging. The study examined the environmental affects of packaging derived from petroleum- and bio-based plastics.

The report emphasizes that we must consider all factors when debating the merits of any given material, including fossil fuel depletion, irrigation requirements, diversion of land from growing crops, and end-of-life alternatives (e.g. landfill capacity, biodegradability, composting, incineration, recycling etc.).

In the summary, Wayne Trusty, President of Athena Institute, states, “In general, then, the world of plastics is no less complex than any of the other environmental issues that we face. There are no simple, black and white answers. While this report doesn’t cover all of the issues to the same extent, or to the degree that may be warranted, it does provide hard data on the environmental flows associated with comparable plastic products made from bio-based and petroleum-based resins. We trust that it will help shift the discussion from a fairly simplistic focus on attributes toward a more scientific and objective analysis of true environmental performance. As readers will see from the results presented here, there is no clear winner in this comparison; there is an identification of trade-offs, which is as it should be.”

Bob Lilienfeld, editor of The ULS Report, said, “This study illustrates that one of the keys to increased sustainability revolves around minimizing packaging weight and not worrying about whether the plastic involved is made from renewable or non-renewable resources. In the end, the package that weighs less is usually the best choice for the wallet and the environment.”

Click here to ready the complete study.

Dennis Bacchetta
Diamondessence™
Packaging

Packaging Diva Tells All in New Book

JoAnn Hines, the Packaging Diva, tells all in her newest release, Do It Yourself Packaging Workbook.

This easy-to-use packaging workbook is a resource for guiding packaging buyers through the step by step process of developing packaging solutions. Topics include:

The "Nuts and Bolts" of how product packaging works

The "How To" of packaging your product to sell

The "Inside Scoop" on finding a packaging supplier

How to have premium packaging on a startup budget

How to avoid packaging disasters

How to get started packaging your product if you know nothing at all about packaging

Dennis Bacchetta
Diamondessence™
Packaging

Wal-Mart Releases Initial Results of Packaging Scorecard

During the second annual Sustainable Packaging Exposition, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. released the initial results of its Packaging Scorecard. The scorecard, which was launched on Feb. 1, evaluates Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club suppliers on the sustainability of their packaging and offers suggestions for improvement. more

Dennis Bacchetta
Diamondessence™
Packaging

Designing With Foil - part 2

This segment is the second in a three-part series that will discuss areas of production where the design of a piece directly impacts cost, quality, and the overall success of the job.

Avoid Knock Outs
When stamping a piece that has been printed, it is best to stamp over the ink instead of knocking out the image to be foil stamped. Metallic foils are completely opaque, so it is unnecessary to knock the image out. Trying to hit the exact mark
every time in perfect registration is an impossible task.

Because every press has a slight amount of movement, creating a piece with the images knocked out is creating a registration nightmare. The answer? Simply print the entire piece and overstamp the images, making sure that the correct inks and coatings are used.

Build in Trap
Situations do exist when an image needs to be knocked out. For example, when stamping a piece with foil that is not completely opaque, such as with a pearl or pigment foil. If knock out is necessary to maintain color integrity, then it is imperative that appropriate trap be built into the design, just as with printing. Trap, as far as foil stamping is concerned, is defined as fattening up the foiled image so as to allow for a small amount of overlap onto the printed area, thereby accounting for slight variances in registration. The amount of trap that should be built into the design can depend on several variables, including size of the image, type of the font (i.e., serif vs. sans serif), and even the type of die used – as some will expand more than others. However, as a general rule of thumb, the amount of trap should equal at least .020” or approximately 1/64.

Reprinted with permission from the Foil Stamping and Embossing Association (FSEA).

Dennis Bacchetta
Diamondessence™
Packaging

Designing With Foil - part 1

Understanding various production techniques and how the design can affect the final outcome of a project is very important to ensure the highest quality work at the most efficient cost. This segment is the first of a three-part series that will discuss areas of production where the design of a piece directly impacts cost, quality, and the overall success of the job.

Image Placement
When dealing with multiple passes of hot stamping foil, where the images are placed within the design is extremely important in determining the number of passes it will take to foil stamp the piece on press. This is one area in the design process where communication with the foil stamper could possibly save production time and money. A slight change in the placement of an image may save an entire pass on press.
Many variables come into play when deciding whether or not to run a job with multiple foil pulls:

• Press type
• Direction of feed
• Placement of images to be stamped and/or embossed
• Types of foils specified
• Type of substrate
  

However, as a general rule, to run multiple webs of foil, you will need at least one inch between images to allow for foil waste and die lock-up. The key here is to discuss your options with your foil stamper while still in the design process.

Also keep in mind that stamping fine-line, intricate images at the same time as ones requiring large, solid coverage can be a challenge, depending on the variables listed above. These types of designs may also require additional passes through the press – even if ample space is allotted between images. Again, communication with your foil stamper is key.

Reprinted with permission from the Foil Stamping and Embossing Association (FSEA).

Dennis Bacchetta
Diamondessence™
Packaging