Page 21 - FINAT Yearbook 2012

Affairs consists of the Chairman (Uwe Düsterwald, BASF SE) and 5 experienced team colleagues from member companies out of all major industries in the self-adhesive labeling value chain. Our team has to respond to the increasing EH&S (Environmental, Health & Safety) needs of a globalizing label market on its way to step into the packaging markets. Thus, we are continuously dealing with the complex world of regulatory/legislative issues that may be affecting our member company’s business. It is our job to keep members informed about upcoming or existing legislation that may affect all of our businesses. This information is validated and evaluated objectively in our regular cross-disciplinary meetings. Our findings are forwarded to the FINAT Technical Committee and the FINAT Board via position papers or general recommendations. Finally, it will be communicated to the FINAT community. It is difficult to predict what the future holds in terms of new initiatives from legislative bodies, both from the EU or from national authorities. But what we already can see at the horizon is that European Chemicals Legislation REACH, Product and Food Safety, Good Manufacturing
Practices for Food packaging, Packaging and Packaging Waste Directives , EU Regulation on Classification, Labeling and Packaging (CLP), just to mention the most prominent ones, are gaining more and more relevance for the self-adhesive labeling industry. REACH as such, its revisions and the results of the exposure studies already underway at the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) will provide more than enough to ensure an always challenging agenda for FINAT´s Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee. We will keep the FINAT community updated. And if necessary we will provide guidance to support our FINAT members enjoying the self-adhesive label markets.
• Sustainability Sub-committee: covering all technical aspects of sustainability
Chaired by Calvin Frost of Channeled Resources (USA), this group brings together expertise from various core functions representing the supply chain that embraces the self-adhesive laminate: equipment, paper, films, adhesives, inks and coatings, and recycling/desiliconisation. Calvin comments: “Our goal continues to be to make an effort to provide
information to FINAT members and to the public domain on all aspects of sustainability, and to reduce the environmental impact of self- adhesive labels.” Committee projects include liner recycling (both paper and film), matrix recycling into energy, contamination of PET thermoform containers caused by self-adhesive labels, and an examination of environmentally- friendly adhesive technology. The sub-committee liaises closely with the Sustainability and Recycling platform under the Board’s responsibility (see above).
• Digital Printing Task Force: about predictable parameters and specifications for digital label printing On the initiative of Wilco De Groot, IGT Testing Systems (NL), a task force has been set up to explore the possibilities of creating a common testing framework and making digital label printing a more standardised technology, employing recognised test equipment, procedures, and standards. Where possible (and also considering liability issues), it could provide predictable parameters and specifications for converters to facilitate their work, optimise printing, reduce waste, and meet customer requirements. The focus is limited to the three different types of digital label printing (liquid toner, dry toner and inkjet). The core group of seven is now focusing on comparative application tests on the materials shown at the digital printing workshop at Labelexpo Europe. Once the data have been compiled, compared and analysed, the group will have a clearer picture as to which test methods will be appropriate and whether new test methods will need to be developed. The information will be available in the course of 2012 and be communicated to the entire working group and FINAT members.
The kick-off meeting of the Digital Printing Group in September 2010
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FINAT YEARBOOK 2012 |