Image Reports Feb-March 2022

Actively investigating and supporting the wide-format print sector

ISSUE 1 • VOLUME 30 • FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

CUTTING TO A DECISION 10 minute Dyss Demonstration enough for Entwistle

Greenwashing won’t wash Is eco blah, blah all you hear when you question kit suppliers on environmental actions?

Take your partners…

Is collaborative working your best route to GLYHUVLÞFDWLRQ" The big buy in A look at sustainability developments in retail display and packaging

www.imagereportsmag.co.uk

Actively investigating and supporting the wide-format print sector Authored by former print professionals, Image Reports provides intelligent news coverage which targets those that produce and sell wide- and grandformat digital print.

Dedicated entirely to the digital print provider rather than the manufacturer or supplier, Image Reports presents information via three main filters – business, technology and the environment.

Also part of the Image Reports family is Widthwise Report, an annual survey and report on the state of the UK and Irelands wide-format print sector which is packed with facts, figures and features.

Magazine Newsletter Website Supplements Bespoke Events Roundtables Research Reports www.imagereportsmag.co.uk @imagereports Please contact Carl to discuss advertising and sponsorship opportunities: Tel: 0791 606 7589 Carl.Archer@imagereportsmag.co.uk

Editorial

A TRAVELOGUE OF SORTS Editor: Lesley Simpson lesley.simpson@imagereportsmag.co.uk

Where are you going? According to nearly all the press releases I now receive, many of you are taking your customers on a journey

Production / Design: Alex Gold

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From Top: Lesley Simpson Alex Gold Wayne Darroch Carl Archer

Editor LESLEY SIMPSON LESLEY.SIMPSON@IMAGEREPORTSMAG.CO.UK TEL: 01932 707173

www.imagereportsmag.co.uk | 3

Contents

CONTENTS FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

REGULARS: p6 News Keeping you abreast of all the latest news in relation to digital wide-format print.

p8 Cover Story Advertorial Ten minute Dyss demo enough for Entwistle

p28 Forum Vital stats to help you run your business; Digging below the surface with Industry Mole; Out and About - events diary.

p30 Zeitgeist Is partnership working your best route to diversification?

16 SECTIONS: Business p10 Talking Point Business coach Chris Jordan discusses recruitment and staff retention issues.

p12 Top Tips How to root out racism in the workplace.

Special p15 SDUK 2022 What to expect from the return of this UK trade show in March.

30

Technical p18 What to Watch: Eco impacts NEWS AND VIEWS ONLINE

Go to www.imagereportsmag.co.uk for all the wideformat sector’s industry news, updated regularly online. Image Reports can also send a twice weekly enews bulletin straight to your inbox – register at: www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/ newsletter

What are your kit suppliers doing in terms of their environmental policies and how those impact R+D, parts sourcing, warehousing and shipment etc.?

Environment p23 Cut it and capture it Walter hale investigates carbon reduction plans and options.

p25 The big buy in A look at eco developments in retail display and packaging.

www.imagereportsmag.co.uk | 5

News

GO TO WWW.IMAGEREPORTSMAG.CO.UK FOR THE FULL STORY…

GB Signs Solutions buy-out saves Kesslers

] Water-based coatings price hike announced

Manchester-based GB Signs Solutions, part of the PFI Group, has saved Kesslers, which it bought out of administration in January.

Joint administrators Michael Lennon and Philip Dakin, both of Kroll, were appointed to the Hexcite Group POP specialist on 17 December and made 125 redundancies through restructuring with hopes of selling the £20m+ turnover business as a going concern.

Lennon said: “We are absolutely delighted that we have been able to secure the future of the UK’s oldest supplier to the point-of-purchase sector. As a result of the sale, the business and assets of the company will transfer to the new owners. Employees will also be transferred under TUPE regulations.

“This is a superb outcome as it preserves a longstanding business, provides continuity of

] RA Smart to supply Acuity Prime in UK ] Charities support BPIF Masters Programme with £6,000 bursary ] Blink achieves ISO14001 and ISO 9001 ] Printwear and Promotion Live! moved to April ] Hybrid Software signs up with Ecologi ] Contestants invited to Hexis Wrap Battle at SDUK 2022 ] Epson scoops BLI 2022 awards ] New CEO for Nazdar ] Global Graphics appointment marks expansion in Asia Pacific ] Fespa Global promo campaign launches ] HP named America’s most responsible company ] Innotech expands PVC-free banner materials offering ] Hampshire Flags investment marks new chapter ] Global Inkjet Systems bought out

employment for a number of employees and provides an opportunity of employment for others in the area.”

East London based Kesslers was formed in 1888 and was part of the Hexcite Group created

by Elaghmore in 2019. Poor performance in the retail space, where it had some of its biggest customers, was blamed for its troubles. At the time it went into administration Elaghmore founding partner Andy Ducker said the business “had faced unprecedented challenges over the last two years, leading to substantial losses. While there has been some pickup in demand from retailers, it remains highly volatile.

Coupled with significant increases in the cost of raw materials and the rent on its manufacturing facility in East London, we have reluctantly concluded the business is no longer viable.”

] Simpson Group to produce new PopHeads ] Neschen brings out easyStyle PVC-free film ] Intec brings out new flatbed cutter

Kavalan fire rating breaks new ground

] Integration Technology makes key appointments ] Belle Design and Print helps Made Smarter reach milestone ] Drytac brings out ViziPrint Deco + ] EcoVadis moves to help businesses identify like-minded suppliers ] CMYUK CIRL programme focuses on architectural print design ] BPIF to run signage technician course in 2022 ] Spandex appoints new CEO of textiles ] Roland prints ‘dress release’ ] HP Latex printer users get new route to Color-Logic and Touch7 products ] Antalis opens its new Smart Packaging Centre ] Premier plants 4,000 saplings with the Woodland Trust ] Fujifilm UK graphics service team wins award ] Case studies from Agfa, Bigprinter, CMYUK, Drytac, HP, Highcon, Inktec, Soyang, swissQprint

Two PVC-free printable Kavalan materials - made

by Taya and exclusively distributed in the UK/ Ireland by CMYUK - have been awarded CertifireTS62. Kavalan Sunlight Weldable Frontlit Banner and Spiderweb 300 Mesh Banner will now bear the Certifire mark and once printed, can be used on any scaffolded buildings and construction sites, as well as for other applications.

Steven Swanepoel, MD of Kavalan user Prismaflex UK, has applauded the move, and said: “Recent tragic events have put fire-safety at the top of the agenda for all scaffolding building wraps and supersized banners. Clients are demanding this level of assurance and we are delighted we can offer this level of service.”

Dave Cowen, national sales manager, Prismaflex UK, added: “Kavalan looks, feels,

and performs just like traditional PVC but with none of the eco malignance. It delivers safety and was designed with responsible end of life disposal in mind. It really is what clients have been asking for and there’s really no excuse not to use it. It helps brands and corporates deliver on their sustainability targets in the knowledge that the health and safety aspects are right up there as well.

“The TS62 status given for our particular inks, print processes and specified Kavalan materials sets us apart, making us a trusted certified partner for all printed construction coverings, building wraps and giant banner applications.”

Prismaflex worked with Kavalan supplier CMYUK to achieve the PVC Free TS62 material certification with Warrington Fire.

Marc Olin becomes exec chairman at eProductivity eProductivity Software - the former EFI production software business recently acquired by Symphony Technology Group (STG) - has appointed technology veteran Marc Olin as executive chairman.

Olin was the founder of the software company that later became the Productivity Software group at EFI. He led the business unit expansion within EFI, before becoming EFI COO and CFO. He is a recipient of the NAPL Technical Leadership award, served on the boards of the Graphic Communications Association, Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, and the National Printing Equipment Suppliers.

“When I heard about STG’s investment plans for the Productivity Software business, I became increasingly interested in joining what I know will be a successful future. I am impressed with the progress the business has made in recent years and I am excited to be coming back to where I spent most of my career - transformational

6 | February / March 2022

software technology for the printing and packaging industries,” said Olin.

“We have exciting plans for eProductivity Software to further expand its value proposition to its customers and further accelerate its growth trajectory, leveraging our experience as investors in enterprise software. We are excited to have Marc joining the board as executive chairman, complementing the board with his vast industry experience and market insights,” said William Chisholm, managing partner of STG. EFI sold-off its packaging and print productivity software business to accelerate growth in what it says is its fast-growing industrial inkjet and Fiery business.

“We have never been more excited about the opportunity in the industrial inkjet markets and our ability to leverage Fiery, the leading digital front end (DFE) technology for digital colour

printing, to continue to drive the analogue-todigital transformation in all high-value segments of imaging - while increasingly serving new adjacencies including e-commerce, direct-to-garment, and other rapidly growing segments,” said Jeff Jacobson, EFI’s CEO and executive chairman.

“We are making significant investments to continue to be the clear leader in the packaging and corrugated, display graphics, textile, and building materials/decor markets,” said Jeff Jacobson, EFI’s CEO and executive chairman. “We have never been more excited about the opportunity in the industrial inkjet markets and our ability to leverage Fiery, the leading digital front end (DFE) technology for digital colour printing, to continue to drive the analogue-todigital transformation in all high-value segments of imaging - while increasingly serving new adjacencies including e-commerce, direct-to-garment, and other rapidly growing segments.”

News

In-person FuturePrint Leaders Summit to run in Switzerland in June The first in-person FuturePrint Leaders Summit will take place 29-30 June in Geneva, Switzerland.

This event follows the virtual FuturePrint Leaders Summit that ran in March 2021. The 2022 summit will run as a virtual option too. A number of delegates will be invited by organiser FM Future and a number paid-for places are available at the physical event, which will take place in the Congress Centre of the Geneva Palexpo on 29 June and in the Villa Sarasin for the evening reception that day and host the programme on 30 June.

The first day will comprise plenary sessions, panels and fireside chats in an orthodox conference setting, followed the next morning with various round tables to tackle key issues head-on in working groups.

Topics covered will include the supply chain crisis, bottlenecks, localisation, net-zero targets, skills shortages, technology development and integration, the changing employee/employer relationship and more content to be defined by the FuturePrint Development Group.

John E Wright acquires Hussey Knights John E Wright is buying Hussey Knights, a £2m turnover digital print, business supplies and office interiors company based in Norwich with a satellite branch in Brentwood, Essex.

All existing management and staff are remaining with the business except for one of the owners, Kevin Rhead, who is retiring after 46 years in the industry.

John E Wright is a £6m turnover display graphic and digital print business with five operations from Hull in the north to Oxford in the south and mainly serving the corporate marketing, graphic design and small business communities. MD Tony Barnett, said: “Hussey Knights have excellent management, sales and production staff and, with the significant investment already set aside for the print operations in both Norwich and Brentwood, will help us to grow into the East Anglia, Essex and London markets.”

The new enlarged business will now be run in two divisions - the signage, exhibition and print division, where significant recent investment in digital flatbed and cutting technology has fuelled strong growth in both flexible and rigid signage and display graphics, and a business supplies and interiors division headed by Hussey Knights director Keith Shepherdson.

Fespa UK Association to hold ‘Future of Print Industry Forum’ Fespa UK Association will run a ‘Future of Print Industry Forum’ at Hatfield House on the 10 March 2022. It will take the form of a discussion based around sustainability in print and the waste management programme it introduced last year, plus topics like business development and employee wellbeing.

A networking lunch will be followed by a panel of experts and printers engaging with the audience to discuss strategies and offer an

insight into their own business models.

Suzi Wilkinson, MD of Fespa UK Association, said she hoped the meeting would in particular help move its waste initiative forward, with PSPs helping to create an infrastructure for waste collection, not only of the initial requested materials PVC banner and Polypropylene, but to discuss other materials that they struggle to collect enough of to recycle - or just can’t find an outlet for other than landfill or incineration.

Print Scotland elects its first female president Print Scotland has elected its first female president. Susan Graham, MD of Dalkeith-based FLB Group, has taken on the role for the next two years, supported by new vice president Richard McCombe, MD of Coatbridge-based Matic Media.

Graham has 30 years’ experience in the print industry, initially with Waddie’s, before moving in 2003 to Letts, now FLB Group, where she was appointed HR director in 2016. She was appointed managing director in 2020.

“I am confident that a positive future lies in store for the industry in Scotland. Things are gradually getting better for the print industry as we emerge from the pandemic and I am determined that under my presidency Print Scotland will encourage a dynamic approach to a changing marketplace while guiding our members

every step of the way,” said Graham.

McCombe added: “Today, our industry must collectively support each other to prosper in the future, about which I, too, am optimistic.

“Before entering the print industry, I was a school teacher and I have been particularly impressed by Print Scotland’s dedication to attracting young people to our industry. As a board member I have seen some of the exciting developments being planned to support the apprenticeship programme which will be highly beneficial to Print Scotland members and their employees.”

Print Scotland provides training for Modern Apprentices through the Scottish Training Scheme, which provides a grant from the Scottish Government to cover the cost of the training. It also provides a range of SVQs.

Scotland’s DTP Print and Southfield Stationers merge Edinburgh-based digital and wide-format PSP Digital Typeline Publications (DTP) has merged with Midlothian-based, gift and stationery producer Southfield Stationers to form DTP Southfield.

The new operation will see the merged companies move from the two former sites into a 1858m2 old paper mill building at Inveresk Mills in Musselburgh, East Lothian.

DTP MD Alun Joseph - who will run the merged business - said: “I am excited we have merged with a company we have known and trusted for many years. We will be growing our new facility and product range while continuing to look after our existing customers with the level of service and all

the products they know us for today.”

Family-owned DTP was formed as a photo processing lab in 1983 and turned to digital print in 1994. Its kit includes: a HP Latex 335 for producing banners, posters, window decals, soft signage etc.; a Canon Pro4000 for producing giclee prints on art paper; and Epson Surecolour F6200 for gifting.

Southfield has been providing stationery products for over 40 years, and over the last 20 has been expanding its range of gift items. Its MD, Derek Muller, who is standing down, said: “I am proud of what we have built and believe that the Southfield name and loyal customers will be looked after and continue to grow.”

Mutoh brings out quicker printer replacements Mutoh has unveiled the 54in XPJ-1341SR Pro and 64in XPJ-1641SR Pro digital inkjet printers, faster replacements for the ValueJet 1324X and XpertJet 1641SR respectively.

The XPJ-1341SR Pro is said to be up to up to 212% quicker than the VJ-1324X, and the XPJ-1641SR Pro up to 201% quicker than the XPJ-1641SR. Both of the CMYK models incorporate

Mutoh’s new AccuFine extra-wide 1600 nozzles printhead, the company’s fourth generation Intelligent Interweaving technology i-screen, and its VerteLith Rip software. They also integrate automatic alignments to ensure uninterrupted production and consistent quality.

The machines - which use Gold certified Mutoh MS31/MS41 inks - are targeted at the volume production of sign and display graphics.

www.imagereportsmag.co.uk | 7

Cover Story

DYSS X7 AND CANON ARIZONA FOR ENTWISTLE WITHIN TEN MINUTES OF SEEING THE DYSS X7 RUN WE’D ALREADY MADE THE DECISION TO BUY IT JASON RICHARDS, MD.

8 | February / March 2022

Founded in 1899, The Entwistle Thorpe Group started out offering supplies to the photographic and printing industries. Over the last one hundred years the services offered have evolved, now catering for current trends in computer aided drafting, digital graphic products along with value added packaging and point of sale displays.

Entwistle Group operates at locations in Manchester, Bradford, and Warrington and holds substantial stock of all popular products for both traditional and digital printing. The company is committed to keeping its product range up to date and is driven by new technologies.

Jason Richards, Managing Director at Entwistle Group has been with the company for 37 years, Jason explains “As a company, there is not a business sector that we don’t deal with. The areas our customers operate in include event, pharmaceutical, nuclear, rail, education, and advertising agencies. A high level of service and quality is expected by our clients. Over our history, we have consistently invested in new technologies.”

Jason continues “Print is a commodity, to differentiate ourselves from the competition, customers draw on our extensive knowledge and experience giving true cross media solutions. We project manage everything from digital media and website design to conventional and digital print.”

The smart newly completed Manchester site is a state-of-the-art 20,000 sq ft facility. The premises have been designed to be efficient for production. Much thought has gone into the design of the site, from

energy usage to workflow within the building. Climate controlled storage of stock, separation of FSC and non FSC materials are just some of the measures taken to ensure a quality product.

DYSS X7-1624C The Arizona digital printer at Entwistle’s Manchester site was running close to capacity, so a decision was made to invest in further equipment to meet demand.

An Arizona 2260XT was installed but this then brought its own issues in the digital finishing area. The existing digital cutter was limited to a size of 1600 x 1200mm.

To make full use of the new printing facility, Entwistle Group needed to look at a larger digital cutter with routing capability.

“To justify bringing in a new cutter, any new machine had to be capable of being left unattended to complete work whilst an operator runs the digital print area in parallel. A new cutter had to be larger, faster, have a router and be capable of running everything we throw at it, from paper and vinyl to Foamex and Dibond.” says Jason. “When I saw the DYSS cutter email arrive in my inbox, we booked a demo with AG/CAD.“Within ten minutes of seeing the DYSS X7 run we’d already made the decision to buy it.” adds Jason.

With the added capacity in digital printing and cutting, Entwistle Group are looking to move more into the exhibition sector and will start offering materials such as polytextiles for interchangeable fabric banners.

The DYSS rotary blade tool (RBT) is especially good at

Cover Story

cutting porous textiles that cannot easily be vacuumed down. As with all DYSS standard tooling, the motorised RBT tool is plug and play, it can be added at a later date as new markets are identified.

OPTICAL TOOL CALIBRATION One of the most important features that Jason considered when deciding on a new digital cutter is the ability to calibrate tooling accurately. Jason explains “With our existing cutter, we rely on a visual/manual set, this is both time consuming and inaccurate.

We are running a wide variety of materials requiring frequent tool changes, any new machine had to improve on the previous system.”

All DYSS digital cutters can be supplied with optical tool calibration. The sensors work by measuring the tip of a blade/router bit/ crease wheel as it passes through a light sensor. Readings accurate to onethousandth of a mm are achieved. Having a properly calibrated tool means that precise cutting/routing/ creasing depths can be achieved using the easy to set material profiles in the machine front end software.

The main digital cutter operators at Entwistle are Carl, with an exceptional 44 years at the company, and Ben with 3 years already under his belt. Both operators attended the initial DYSS cutter demo, and both were key in the decision to add the DYSS X7 to the finishing line up. The plan is for two additional members of staff to be trained as business picks up.

ADDED BENEFITS TO THE SALES DEPARTMENT The purchase of the DYSS X7 has added benefits to the profitability of Entwistle in many ways. Not only can the company manufacture materials that had to be outsourced prior to the installation in a faster, more efficient way, but prototyping new work is also much faster.

Entwistle has K-CUT Vision Pro software installed on the DYSS cutters dedicated workstation making the full KASEMAKE design suite available to the machine operator. “It now takes me longer to walk to the machine, than it does to set up a new material profile and get the DYSS ready to cut a pre-production mock-up.” Says Jason. He adds “We plan to use the dedicated training facility at AG/CAD to learn more about the capabilities of KASEMAKE. We can see that it is a powerful tool and want to utilise the parametric and 3D element. Having the facility to add artwork to virtual samples, email them as an interactive 3D PDF to customers for approval, will save hours or even days at a time.”

UNMANNED PRODUCTION ON THE DYSS X7 Jason sums up “With the DYSS cutter, unmanned use has been proven. During the COVID lockdown period when we had fewer people on site, we were able to keep up with both print and digital cut production. The machine operator was able to multitask, running both the digital printing and DYSS cutter at the same time.

The DYSS X7 is dependable, reliable, robust, well made and the backup has been spot on.”

Image generated using KASEMAKE

THE DYSS X7 IS DEPENDABLE, RELIABLE, ROBUST, WELL MADE AND THE BACKUP HAS BEEN SPOT-ON

www.imagereportsmag.co.uk | 9

Business | Talking Point

talks to...

Chris Jordan, As many large-format digital print businesses continue their transformation to meet the demands of a post pandemic world, I talked with well-known business coach and mentor Chris Jordan about attracting and retaining the right staff for a new era.

10 | February / March 2022

Chris, you have been working in the print industry for many years and seen many changes, but we’re in unprecedented times. What are the most notable staffing impacts you’re noticing due to the transformation many companies in the large-format print sector are having to undergo - other than reduced numbers?

The most notable staffing impacts from the pandemic are that millions of employees have realised they have more choice. Prior to the pandemic many companies would not have countenanced people working from home, often because of lack of trust of the employee. The pandemic changed that. Then next came the realisation to many, that VOIP tech such as Zoom, Teams, etc - although we have used Skype since 2003 - meant that a lot could be done online. The next significant shift has started to happen because of the prolonged extent of the pandemic, and many people really started to question if they were working and doing what they want to do.

Supply chain challenges, because of the increased global demand of many items has meant a demand for more people, be they shift workers, print or hospitality. This is not likely to be short term.

No surprise, large-format print is facing the same challenges that many other print sectors are facing, and indeed much of the wider industrial world. Several factors have crept up on us all. Firstly, in the UK we are close to 50% of the school leavers attending university.

Getting a degree and then going into print is not at the top of many graduates’ lists, or even in the top ten. The type of jobs that school and university graduates aspire to has changed.

We need to sell print jobs as being part of the tech industry. Our industry develops a huge amount of technology - just look at the number of inkjet related development companies around Cambridge. Talk to school leavers about “technology jetting” and you get interest and excitement. Talk to them about print, and they just think you’re from the old world.

We should all be running road shows for school leavers, colleges and universities. Plus, we need to show them fabulous samples of what is possible.

How we position jobs in print and the words we use will define how many people want to join this industry What is about to happen is that the bar is going to be raised on networking, and collaboration. Those who were good at it pre-pandemic are increasing their efforts.

Shortly after that will come the pressure on all industries including print to prove what their individual carbon footprint is. Lil Packaging is a great example of what can be done.

As already touched upon, as large-format print companies reinvent themselves they need to attract people that may never normally consider a career in print (eg IT specialists as an increasing number of companies develop in-house workflow systems, W2P portals etc). What advice can you give the the/the sector about increasing the likelihood of attracting these people?

I would start by asking those in the large-format print sector to honestly re-evaluate what they think they need to be good at and to grow. This question has probably never been more important than now as we approach a post-pandemic world in the west.

I started life as a programmer, have worked very closely with some of the best engineering teams in this technology sector, plus worked at incubator tech companies. What today’s ‘hot coders’ want is not normally found in print companies. There are exceptions, but competing for talent in this area will get increasing difficult, and expensive.

After defining what you really need, I would build a highly trusted core team. Motivated, flexible - and well paid. Part of each of their rolls is to find, and manage external resources - experts in recruitment, sales, marketing, social selling, customer research, pitching, accounts, and retention.

Business | Talking Point

Business coach and mentor What I see lacking in all sectors of the print industry are advanced, business development marketing, and selling skills. Selling benefits, and not on cost or cost plus. One huge change that I feel the pandemic has accelerated, and as yet is not appreciated is social media online selling skills. Here, there is an amazing opportunity.

I recently asked a bunch of school leavers what they considered the cool jobs to be. IT, design and technology are on the list - many areas where there are job shortages like print, transportation, farming are not. As an industry we are not good at selling ourselves, a topic that we’ve discussed many times.

Once you have managed to get/train top-flight staff, how do you keep them (beyond offering inflated salaries - I’m thinking about things like share schemes etc.)?

Everyone is grappling with this question. First you need to define who, and which jobs, are critical. You will have to pay them more than in the past, and this goes hand in hand with getting better at selling on value.

The pandemic accelerated online purchases by about 50% in the UK, and did it in less than two years. Many retail suppliers expected it to take a decade.

If the job and individual you want to hire is important then first you need to produce a job advert that starts with what you are offering them - why should they join you?) - and have a potential growth path ready.

In a video world I find it difficult to understand, why the job specs are still just written, because making a short video for each specific job is no longer difficult or expensive. LinkedIn has stacks of people across the UK offering to teach you how to make video’s, quickly and inexpensively.

Do you think employers pay enough attention to managing the expectations/mindsets of the different generations within the workforce?

For sure some employers did pay enough attention prior to the pandemic, but the world has changed, and people’s

expectations have changed. Huge numbers of people who would have been happy to work in companies prior to the pandemic, no longer are. This is as true in print as everywhere else. This is not just a print problem. The jobs that school leavers aspire to today, are very different to 20 years ago, and the pandemic has changed that again.

Owner managers will need to get very creative if they want to attract people to print, farm etc.

Do you think MDs have an outdated view of how their employees will behave?

No, but you have to move with the times, and play what is in front of you. Most, even many, printers of all types do not use/pay for external resources. They are again missing a huge opportunity because there are many highly skilled individuals, in HR, researchers, social media selling, to master pitchers.

The leading companies are already keeping their fulltime employees to a minimum and building a core group of trusted employees who are responsible for finding and managing trusted external resources. We have been operating and advising in this world for nearly 20 years had have an extensive network of individuals who we have worked with and trust.

WE NEED TO SELL PRINT JOBS AS BEING PART OF THE TECH INDUSTRY

What can print companies do to improve their employer brand as it becomes imperative that they do so?

For existing employees and reputations employers should consider changing how they handle people who are leaving their company. What they say about the company they have left is vital.

To attract, start with a great video or videos defining what they stand for. Their ethics, integrity, the charities they support. Communicate more often and be far more open, honest and direct.

Price and convenience, as well as trust, are major factors. But please, no more product-based websites.

More and more of us are only buying from companies we believe in.

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Business | Top Tips

Rooting out racism By downplaying cricketer Azeem Rafiq’s accusations of racism as “friendly and good-natured banter” that didn’t warrant disciplinary action, Yorkshire County Cricket Club stands accused of institutional racism and faces reputational ruin. It’s a cautionary tale to employers never to underestimate instances of casual racism.

Here’s how to act in such instances.

THE FOCUS SHOULD REMAIN ON HOW THE RECIPIENT OF THE COMMENTS FEELS, NOT THE INTENTIONS OF THE PERSON WHO MADE THE REMARK

WORKPLACE RACISM HAS BEEN ON THE RISE FOR SOME TIME NOW. TINA CHANDLER, HEAD OF EMPLOYMENT LAW AT WRIGHT HASSALL OUTLINES THE LEGAL TECHNICALITIES OF MANAGING RACISM AT WORK, AND HOW IT SHOULD BE COMBATTED SHOULD IT EVER OCCUR.

1.

HOW IS RACISM REFLECTED WITHIN THE LAW?

The concept of discrimination on the grounds of race was first introduced into UK law by the Race Relations Act 1976 and now forms a key part of the Equality Act 2010. Guidance on the issue was provided by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which also created a code of practice contained within the Equality Act. While this code is not legally binding, it does offer a framework for best practice, and any employer who fails to follow the code may well be heavily criticised by courts and tribunals.

3.

RACISM IN THE WORKPLACE ON THE RISE

Data unearthed by ‘Financial News’ showed that the number of employment tribunals dealing with race discrimination claims in the UK rose by 48% during 2020. The upward trend has been apparent for some years now - in 2017 there were 2,036 cases, in 2018 there were 2,948 cases and in 2019 a total of 2,464 were pursued - by 2020 this figure had risen to 3,641.

4.

2.

HOW DO WE DEFINE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION?

Outlined within the Equality Act 2010 there are nine protected personal characteristics, one of which is race.

There are several types of discrimination that can be applied to any one of these characteristics: - Direct discrimination. Treating someone less favourably than another because of their race, such as a black person being paid less than a white person doing the same job.

- Indirect discrimination. When workplace procedures or policies put you at a disadvantage due to your race. An example would be banning certain hairstyles or headwear worn for religious or cultural reasons, disproportionally impacting people who are Black or Asian - Associative discrimination. Treating an individual less fairly because they spend their time mixing with people of a specific race.

- Perceptive discrimination. Treating someone less fairly because you believe them to be of a different race, even though they aren’t.

- Racial harassment. Violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment for them, through repeated disparaging comments or actions targeting an individual’s protected characteristic(s).

MISUNDERSTANDING RACISM

Workplace high-jinx or playful and friendly exchanges between colleagues is often a much misunderstood and overlooked catalyst for race discrimination claims.

Implying that racist remarks made in the workplace are simply ‘banter’ is a dangerous assumption. Although the difference between racism and perceived banter can be marginal, the focus should remain on how the recipient of the comments feels, not the intentions of the person who made the remark.

Regardless of if its non-malicious intent, any comment with racial undertones, has the potential to cause distress. Believing something is funny is no excuse, and further berating someone’s negative response to it will only further marginalise them.

Failure to manage such potentially damaging repartee could be incredibly costly in the long term.

12 | February / March 2021

Business | Top Tips

THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS DEALING WITH RACE DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS IN THE UK ROSE BY 48% DURING 2020, AND THE UPWARD TREND HAS BEEN APPARENT FOR SOME YEARS NOW

5.

WHAT IS AN EMPLOYER’S DUTY OF CARE?

The Health and Safety Executive states that employers have a duty of care to protect the physical and mental welfare of their employees, which can of course be damaged in cases of prolonged racial harassment.

If an employee’s mental wellbeing is impacted, and it can be linked to racial harassment or discrimination in the workplace, then the employer may be seen as being negligent. Furthermore, if that employee feels they have been forced to leave their job because of the situation, then the employer may find themselves subject to a claim for constructive dismissal.

7.

HOW SHOULD COMPLAINTS BE DEALT WITH?

If a complaint is made, it needs to be handled in a manner that reflects the wishes of the complainant. In some cases, they may simply request an apology or ask that situation be monitored in the future. In others, the seriousness of the allegation might mean that demand that disciplinary proceedings are commenced.

Often, it is most sensible to follow a formal grievance procedure as this demonstrates an acute understanding of the gravity of the situation and ensures strict protocols are met in investigating the matter and taking any necessary action. If your employee handbook has been put together effectively then it should include details of the procedure that should be followed when a complaint of this kind is made.

Steps will involve providing whatever support is available in-house – such as counselling through an employee assistance programme (EAP), or access to external organisations which provide support to victims of harassment, bullying, and discrimination.

On occasion, the employee may choose to report the matter to the police. If the situation becomes this severe then employers should seek expert legal advice. Even if the case eventually goes to court and the complainant loses, employers may still be in a position to take disciplinary action, as the level of proof needed for this will be lower than that required by a court.

6.

HOW CAN A BUSINESS PROTECT ITSELF?

The goal should be to create a working environment in which racist behaviour is less likely to happen, but also where complaints of such behaviour are treated seriously and dealt with appropriately.

As such, it is critical that businesses have thorough inclusion, diversity, and grievance policies in place. These will ensure that employers are far better placed to defend themselves against claims of harassment or discrimination, on the basis that they had a framework in place to prevent such instances from occurring.

All policies should be based on in-depth consultation with employees to be truly reflective of the workforce. They should include the appropriate mechanisms for highlighting any incidents of inequality, racism, or discrimination, and should be regularly reviewed and evaluated in operation to ensure that it is fit for purpose in dealing effectively, and swiftly, with any complaints.

It is also advisable that a senior member of the management be made responsible for communicating diversity and inclusivity, as well as establishing a strict zero-tolerance approach to any form of racial discrimination disciplining or dismissing those who are found to be in breach of these rules.

Staff training is also advisable, to educate, in practical terms, exactly what is meant by racism in the workplace and terms such as ‘unconscious bias’, as it removes any question over what behavioural expectations are.

8.

THE FAILURE TO MANAGE RACISM

Whilst it’s undoubtedly an incredibly sensitive issue, ignorance is no justification for inaction. Failing to prevent a culture in which racial discrimination is seen as acceptable, and then compounding this failure by dealing with an incident that arises inadequately, could cause irreparable damage to your business.

In the first instance, it could lead to you losing valuable members of your team, followed by having to defend an employment tribunal claim in court.

At its worst, a case of this kind could lead to massive reputational harm. In an era in which the social responsibility of brands plays an increasingly large role in driving the decisions of consumers, this could result in a substantial hit to the bottom line. In other words, promoting inclusivity and protecting your employers is good for business at the same time as being overwhelmingly ethically correct.

Racism in the workplace is not only morally redundant but also mentally corrosive for those involved. By holding anyone who participates in such reprehensible actions accountable, employers can safeguard not only the psychological wellbeing of their workers but ensure a more productive and respectful environment for all concerned.

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Special - SDUK Preview

to allow them to bring more kit to the 2022 event, which is expected to attract 5000+ over the three days. Wide-format kit/consumables exhibitors already booked include Epson, Roland DG, SwissQPrint, Hybrid Services/Mimaki, InkTec Europe, PrintMax, Grafityp, YPS, Josero, Quality Print Services, Stanford Marsh, SSE Worldwide, RA Smart, Zund Plotting Systems, Vivid Laminating Technologies, AG/CAD, Premier Paper Group, Pyramid Display Materials, Perspex Distribution, Hexis and Soyang Europe. And, as you’d expect, there’s more to attract you than exhibitor stands.

MEETING IN THE MIDLANDS? COULD SDUK 2022 BE YOUR FIRST FACE-TO-FACE INDUSTRY NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY SINCE THE START OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC? HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT IF YOU’RE HEADING TO THE BIRMINGHAM FOR THE EVENT NEXT MONTH. The last SDUK was in 2019, before Covid-19 took its toll.

But well before the pandemic hit, people were asking questions about the event’s future, with a new organising team put in place to deliver what they promised would be “a fresh show with a new website, new layout, new features and new stand options”. At the time we spoke with then new event director Jenny Matthew to get her take on what needed to happen to make the next show the ‘must attend’ event it had been recognised as within the UK show calendar for so many years. Big plans were put in place but, like events the world over, Covid put pay to those being realised in 2020. So will the 2022 event prove a convincing come-back?

Well, firstly, at the time of writing - two months out from the show’s opening - UK trade shows were still being cancelled/postponed, but Matthew stressed that SDUK 2022 would “absolutely” go ahead. “We’ve had such positive feedback from both exhibitors and visitors and they can’t wait for the show to open. We’re in the ‘busy’ phase of getting everything ready. Pre-reg went live before Christmas and so far we’ve had a phenomenal response and are tracking 48% ahead compared to the same number of weeks out from the last show open date.”

Matthews confirmed that in January 96 stands had been booked, “with a number on reserve. That’s 8% more than at the last show and we still have 10 weeks to go.” She added: “We took the time in 2020 to see how we could deliver more value to exhibitors and visitors and this is reflected in our new exhibiting packages - which puts making business connections at the heart of the experience. These are being really well received and we’re excited to get the show underway in March to realise the re-imagining of the show.

According to Matthew, a number of exhibitors that originally booked for the 2020 show have upgraded their stand sizes

AT A GLANCE

SDUK 2022 Where: Hall 2, NEC, Birmingham.

When: 22 - 24 March, 2022 Times: 10am - 5pm on Tuesday - Wednesday, 10am - 4.30pm on Thursday Cost: Free. Pre-register online at: www.signuk.com/visit

SDUK EXPLAINS LOUNGE “There’s a real demand for business advice and inspiration this year so we’re creating a new space for informal advice exchange,” said Matthew. “New for the 2022 event will be the SDUK Explains Lounge, where visitors can ask an expert, share experience and get involved in topical discussions.”

A rolling programme of informal talks running throughout the show will include real-world case studies and interactive presentations. All of the sessions are free to attend and there’s no need to book. Sessions include: • Is recruiting and retaining staff causing you pain? The sessions will touch on traditional and non-traditional methods of attracting the right people along with training and support to help them develop themselves and grow your business.

• Is your business in the best shape today and for what the future holds? This will be an open forum session to allow participants to share experiences and learn about best practices adopted by successful businesses in the industry. Topics will touch on financing options, growth and exit strategies.

• Social media and effective marketing. Do you know what really works and what type of return you are getting on the time and money you invest in these areas? There will be a look at real-life examples from within the print industry, with feedback and experiences of the subtle changes taking place across the media platforms.

• Diversifying and thriving in a changing marketplace.

This session will provide lessons learned from business owners that have thrived in the last 18 months.

TRAILS SDUK 2022 will have a dedicated Textile Tech Zone, with a Textile Trail highlighting products that can help PSPs build revenue streams from textile printing. Similarly, a Sustainability Trail will provide a quick reference for visitors wanting to source the latest eco options.

HEXIS WRAP BATTLE Matthew said about 30 contenders have signed up to what is always a crowd-pleasing feature, and this year there are more wrap stations compared to the 2019 show. Contestants will go head-to-head over the three days to showcase their vehicle wrapping skills, culminating in a grand final on the last day of the show, where the winners from the previous two days will return to battle it out.

The third place finalist will win £500 in Hexis vouchers, second place will win £1,000 in vouchers and the overall winner will win the title of Best UK Installer and £2,500 of vouchers plus a one-day driving experience for two.

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Technology | What to Watch

GREENWASHING WON’T WASH ECO BLAH, BLAH. THAT’S WHAT SO MANY OF US HEAR WHEN IT COMES TO ENVIRONMENTAL INPUT, BECAUSE THE GLOBAL FOCUS ON THE ISSUE MEANS EVERYONE HAS TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IT, EVEN IF IT’S REALLY NOTHING OF ANY REAL MEANING. SO WHAT DO WIDE-FORMAT PRINT KIT MANUFACTURERS HAVE TO SAY? Ever asked detailed questions of your kit suppliers in terms of their environmental policies and how those impact their large-format systems R+D, parts sourcing, manufacturing, warehousing locations and shipment, servicing etc.? We have, because the time is coming when such circular economy considerations mean we need to know. But are the manufacturers ready to answer in sufficient detail to make the conversation worthwhile? As you’ll see from the feedback below, some manufacturers are more prepared to have that involved talk than others - and some still not at all, well, not beyond the ‘everything we do is eco conscious’ rote response. Here’s what some of the more responsive had to say.

At Canon, as we’ve oft been told, the vision is to operate according to the Kyosei philosophy, which means living and working together for the common good.

According to Wouter Derichs, sales and marketing director, large format graphics, EMEA, Canon Production Printing, that means striving to nurture the environment, conserve energy and resources - and it means contributing toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of creating a more sustainable present and future by managing environmental impacts.

Drilling down to how Canon’s eco practices impact its large-format print business, take for instance the opening in 2020 of a new head office in Venlo, Netherlands,

18 | February / March 2022

(adjacent to Canon Production Printing’s R&D and manufacturing sites). Located in a forest, the building has been built with respect to its green surroundings, solar cells support electricity generation, and there are hot and cold-water storage, heat pumps and climate ceilings.

In terms of manufacturing and recycling Derichs says: “The company aims to minimise the use of natural resources and design waste. We also ensure that we prolong the use of products at the end of their life cycle where possible. We are committed to reducing reliance on natural resources - choosing long life parts and using recyclable materials were possible, such as steel and iron. And our Arizona and Colorado printers are designed with the circular economy in mind and are eligible for remanufacturing after their first lifetime. This allows us to work with our customers to maximise their own sustainability commitments.”

He points out too that Canon’s large-format graphics printers are also influenced by the need to print consistently well on recycled materials and more sustainably derived materials.

Derichs continues: “As part of our manufacturing, we produce large and heavy parts in-house. This results in lower transport distances and lower stock levels - this in turn helps to reduce our carbon footprint. Our robust designs also help us to ensure a long product lifetime and our practices, which support the circular economy, include local regional refurbishments, factory remanufactured models, and the reuse of service components and parts. At the end of the extended life-time, we operate a centralised dismantling process which reverts devices back to their raw materials.”

When it comes to manufacturing and logistics in relation to consumables, Dericks says: “We have significantly increased our ink production in line with the

Technology | What to Watch

growing volumes of the large-format roll-to-roll market. Our new production facility is designed to be as environmental friendly as possible, focusing on operational efficiencies as well as on delivering high energy savings. With the help of inline statistical processes, we ensure first time right material processing. Raw materials are dosed in an automated way into our processing vessel, resulting in no spillage of materials. We also produce products based on customer orders to avoid over-processing.

“We strive to minimise the amount of waste in the production process with the only waste stream being the filters that we have to use. We avoid the need to rinse away the remains of the previous ink of a different colour, as our inks are produced in colour specific lines, so virtually no waste is generated during changeover.

Additionally, our material packaging (cardboard for the boxes and labels) is made from recycled materials.”

He adds: “As demands increase for sustainable products and regulations evolve, we strive to ensure that we use materials that support the circular economy.

With this in mind we actively research our materials with commercial and academic partners - helping to improve the strength of our eco-base for our UV and UVgel inks.”

The UV inks used in Arizona flatbed printers, and UVgel technology used in the Colorado roll-to-roll printers, support the environment in the following ways: both products are free of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) and Volatile Organic Components (VOCs) and have been awarded the UL Greenguard Gold certificate; the durable nature of the inks means lamination can be omitted; the printers are equipped with filters and can be installed and operated without dedicated extraction - and the radiation emitted whilst in operation is also below the threshold

OUR ARIZONA AND COLORADO PRINTERS ARE DESIGNED WITH THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN MIND AND ARE ELIGIBLE FOR REMANUFACTURING AFTER THEIR FIRST LIFETIME Wouter Derichs, Canon

limit values for UV, visible and IR radiation, according to ACGIH institute standards.

Sustainability is also a key consideration when it comes to Canon’s service and remote support offering.

“Unnecessary onsite service visits are avoided and we minimise travel where possible - whilst ensuring machine uptime at customer sites. We reduce the number of onsite visits by utlising preventive maintenance activities, based on smart predictive analysis. Furthermore, our service training is a mix of virtual and in-person training which also helps to minimise unnecessary travel,” stresses Derichs.

Durst has built a reputation for having an ecological and sustainable approach, which like Canon’s, is entrenched in its corporate philosophy. Peter Bray, MD, Durst UK and Ireland, says: “It is our clear target to offer the most sustainable digital print technologies to our customers. This starts with considering the ink technologies but also considers minimum substrate waste when feeding the machine and minimum waste generation, energy and water consumption in the machine manufacturing itself.

“Every technical solution we provide is evaluated to ensure the least harm for people and the environment, which is why, for example, solvent and eco-solvent concepts have never been pursued within our graphics businesses.”

Bray continues: “A key mission is looking after our environment and having a small carbon footprint. At Durst we offer complete solutions from pixel to output, and at our headquarters in the south Tyrol things come full circle with the mountain habitat and the aim of focusing not just on the machines but also on the people behind them.”

He adds: “For the last few years also greening-up the

Epson identified four priority issues (materialities) that it should address. Through these actions, it will contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

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Technology | What to Watch

At Durst’s headquarters in the south Tyrol things come full circle with the mountain habitat and the aim of focusing not just on the machines but also on the people behind them.

print substrates has come into the spotlight in the industry.

Numerous suppliers are providing print substrates from recycled materials (fibers, polymers, etc.) but are also starting to engage in the field of ‘post-print recycling’. In the latter case, however, only few and strongly application/ material-dependent standard procedures are in place to assess the recycling capabilities of (printed) substrates.

It can be expected that much more standardised testing procedures for recycling will come up in the next years also with a special focus on inkjet-printed recycled media.

Currently, several institutes and universities are focusing on this topic.”

Epson has worked for many years to increase the energy efficiency of its production processes and products, improve resource efficiency, and eliminate harmful and hazardous substances. And it’s making giant strides to go ever further, researching new ways to minimise the environmental impacts incurred by customers using Epson products and to raise operational efficiency and productivity.

To that end it committed to spending 100bn yen during 2020-2030 to reduce GHG emissions in the supply chain by more than 2m tonnes and meet 100% of the electricity needs of the entire Epson Group by 2023 with use renewable energy. It’s also concentrating management resources on the development of products and services that reduce environmental impacts. The latter is part of its ‘Better Products for a Better Future’ commitment, where it strives to create products that are reliable, recyclable and energy efficient.

Epson contributes to the formation of a circular economy in which waste is minimised, by working to reduce emissions and preserve water resources in its production processes. It also promotes the efficient use of limited resources by making products smaller and lighter, by collecting and recycling end-of-life products, and

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EPSON DEFINES AN ‘ECO-CONSIDERATE’ PRODUCT AS ONE FOR WHICH ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ARE CONSIDERED FROM PRODUCT CONCEPTION TO MISSION COMPLETION Phil McMullin, Epson

by developing digital inkjet printing solutions.

As Phil McMullin, pro graphics sales manager, Epson UK, points out, Epson defines an ‘eco-considerate’ product as one for which environmental impacts are considered from product conception to mission completion - that is, at every phase of the life cycle, from design and manufacturing to transport, usage, and recycling.

With regards to its large-format solutions Epson is using post-consumer recycled material in the printer’s plastic and equipping the machines with high-capacity ink tanks (people who print a lot and use larger-sized ink bottles instead of ink cartridges can reduce their CO2 emissions from consumables by about 73% according to McMullin).

At Fujifilm Antonina Realmuto was appointed group sustainability director, ink solutions group, just last year “as evidence of how seriously the company is investing in long-term solutions to minimise environmental impact and protect the planet,” she says.

“Our approach to achieving this is twofold - working to improve sustainable practices within our own manufacturing and operations, while at the same time working to provide products to our customers that help them to reduce environmental impact, and to pass that benefit onto their customers in turn. In all of our locations around the world we’re implementing multiple sustainability initiatives.”

In the UK that has ramifications for the ink manufacturing facility in Broadstairs, Kent, also the headquarters of the Fujifilm wide format inkjet systems business, responsible for the development of the Acuity and Onset printer ranges. In 2016, Fujifilm installed a solar farm at Broadstairs to generate electricity for production. It was predicted to generate 176,600kWh annually, but is exceeding expectations, with 185,094kWh generated in 2019. “With an extension to this solar installation currently underway, we expect this capacity to increase in the next few years. We are doing our best to fill the energy gap with and the additional energy we require on site to be renewable,” says Realmuto.

“In addition to using an ever-greater proportion of energy from renewable sources, we are also continually working to reduce overall energy use. In 2021 at Broadstairs, we reduced total annual electricity consumption by 1.1 MWHr. Heating onsite has been upgraded to be more energy efficient and LED lighting has been installed across the complex.”

Operations at Broadstairs are transitioning to the use of water-based cleaning solutions for cleaning ink pots used in the manufacture of inks too. “This will reduce our use of potentially harmful solvents. Our new water-based cleaning alternative is made of less than 5% VOC’s we are looking to install this system onsite before the end of the 2021 fiscal year,” Realmuto adds.

In addition, Fujifilm has installed electric car charging ports in Broadstairs site to support workers who have switched to electric vehicles, and even the food in the canteen is sourced locally.

Kevin Jenner, European marketing manager, Fujifilm wide format inkjet systems, says that from a product development perspective, “sustainability benefits are a key aspect of planning and design. An example of efficient product design is the new Fujifilm Acuity Ultra

Technology | What to Watch

R2 superwide roll-to-roll machine. Among new features is an energy efficient LED curing option and a clever ink container design which is built to accommodate seven litres of ink, which means the whole contents of a standard ink bottle are used when refilling and printers no longer have the irritation of a lot of ink potentially being wasted.”

Steve Davis, EMEA marketing director at Roland DG says: “Sustainability has undoubtedly become a buzzword in today’s printing industry and arguably, one of the biggest emerging trends. With the rise in ecoconsciousness, consumers are under increasing pressure to do things more sustainably, with the growing legal and regulatory pressure on businesses to follow suit.

‘In light of this, Roland DG has adopted various ways to cater to the needs of their customer base through environmentally friendly products. Our inks are Greenguard Gold certified and the inks and primers for our Texart printer are Eco Passport certified. In addition, we’ve also opted to reduce energy and resources during each stage of the lifecycle of our products - from design and development to transportation, use and disposal - for a low-carbon and recycling-oriented society’.

SwissQprint has a ‘Greentech’ policy that answers many of the questions the company says it is being asked about its ecological and sustainability practices. For instance, when it comes to CO2 emissions it points out that its shipping distances are short - 80% of its own suppliers, providing 90% of

IN ALL OF OUR LOCATIONS AROUND THE WORLD WE’RE IMPLEMENTING MULTIPLE SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES (U[VUPUH 9LHST\[V -\QPÄST

all machine parts, are Swiss companies and many are located close to its production facilities.

All of its current flatbed and roll-to-roll printers are ‘energy efficient’, as evidenced by ISO 20690:2018 certification. It flags up that the UV printing process requires neither heating nor ventilation, which keeps the energy requirements of its printers low (two electric kettles need the same amount of energy per hour as a Nyala claims SwissQprint) and that the LED lamps they use consume little electricity and have low emissions.

Also worth note is that swissQprint products have a service life of up to 12 years. And the company makes a point saying they are low maintenance, minimising service calls and consumable parts that need replacing.

On what seems an appropriate end note, finishing manufacturer Summa said its eco considerations come to fruition in the following ways: its co-operation with a dealer network means there’s local support, cutting travel and thus bringing all the associated eco benefits; bundling shipments means optimal transport logistics; many machine parts are retrofittable so machines can be used multi functionally and can grow with the customer’s business; and everything in the company is recycled as much as possible.

Hopefully, some of your questions will have been answered in the responses provided here. No doubt they have also raised others. Increasingly, manufacturers are going to have to be prepared to answer them. Keep asking until they do.

Environment

CUT IT AND CAPTURE IT PERHAPS GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD SHOULD STOP ARGUING LIKE KIDS IN THE PLAYGROUND AND WORK TOGETHER ON A PLAN TO CUT CARBON IN THE ATMOSPHERE. WALTER HALE INVESTIGATES.

Almost everyone accepts that we need to act now to avert the most catastrophic consequences of climate change. Unfortunately, almost everyone has different ideas on what actions we need to take.

You don’t need to be unduly cynical to believe that many parties think that it’s someone else’s job to make sacrifices. In a variation on the old school playground squabble - “You started it! No, you did!” - the emerging economies, especially China and India, point out that the industrialised West has been filling the atmosphere with carbon for almost two centuries - which is true.

In response, the West points out that China is now the largest carbon polluter in the world - accounting for 27% of global emissions - which is also true. (And India is not too far behind). Asia’s leaders hit back by

WHAT IF THE WORLD’S GOVERNMENTS SET UP A FUND TO ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF CARBON CAPTURE?

pointing out that their CO2 emissions per head are much lower than, for example, America, which happens to be true as well.

As claim and counter-claim fly thick and fast, it is easy to understand why many individuals and companies begin to lose faith that anything will be done and either make a few token gestures in the right direction or simply brace themselves for the worst.

It doesn’t have to be like this. The trouble with pacts such as those signed at various climate summits in Kyoto, Paris and Glasgow is that they are complex, subject to conflicting interpretations and vague enough to allow countries to exploit loopholes for their own economic gain. Such ambiguities also make it hard to judge whether the recent avalanche of net zero

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Environment

pledges from companies and governments actually means anything.

If you look at the small print of some of these claims you will invariably find one of two things. First, there isn’t any small print because the organisation in question has effectively made a pledge, usually with a deadline of around 2O5O attached, but hasn’t really figured out how it’s going to fulfil it. The point of the 2O5O deadline is that it gives managers more than a few years to work something out. Second, many of the pledges are more ambitious when it comes to offsetting emissions than actually cutting them.

So why don’t we put all these protocols, treaties and pledges to one side for now - they are, in part, engendering a cynicism which makes their fulfilment less likely - and focus on a clear, simple challenge that the whole world can understand and rally around?

What we need is something like John F. Kennedy’s moon landing speech, delivered in Houston on 12 September 1962. The most famous line - “We choose to go to the moon not because it is easy but because it is hard” - still resonates, but it’s the passage that follows that seems particularly relevant today: “that goal will serve to organise and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one we are willing to accept, one which we are unwilling to postpone and one which we intend to win.”

If we apply that thinking to climate change, there is one obvious goal. If we have, especially in the West, been filling the atmosphere with carbon for two centuries, why not devote the best of our energies and skills to taking it back out again?

We can still do all the other stuff, which will certainly make a difference, but what if the world’s governments set up a fund, into which they invested substantial sums of money - possibly 1-2% of GDP a year for countries that can afford it - to accelerate the development of carbon capture?

The best way to describe how carbon capture storage (CCS) works is to think of a vacuum cleaner on top of a smokestack. As the pollution from a factory or a power station is released, it is sucked out of the atmosphere and stored to be used elsewhere or to be stored deep underground. Most people think the technology is new but it isn’t - the energy industry has been using it since the 197Os and, in the 199Os, Norwegian oil giant Equinor began sinking CO2 in saline reservoirs so it didn’t have to pay carbon tax.

There is an alternative form of carbon capture which is much newer and much more expensive called Direct Air Capture (DAC) in which, to use the same image, uses a vacuum cleaner to suck carbon out of the open air. The largest DAC plant, which came online in Iceland in September, only captures the equivalent annual emissions of 25O American citizens.

CCS has been held back by two main factors: cost

MANY OF THE PLEDGES ARE MORE AMBITIOUS WHEN IT COMES TO OFFSETTING EMISSIONS THAN ACTUALLY CUTTING THEM

and opposition from activists who fear it will delay the transition to an economy based on renewable energy.

Such objections are understandable - there is a risk that, as individuals, we assume that this challenge is being dealt with by this magical technology and therefore don’t need to change our lifestyle - but, as we discussed earlier, these options are not mutually exclusive.

Most governments and many climate scientists accept that certain industries - steel and cement, for example - rely on carbon in their chemical processes and to reach certain temperatures and, given the jobs they create and the revenue they generate, will be with us for a while yet.

The cost of CCS has meant that, in the past decade, many promising projects have been abandoned. At present, there are around two dozen large installations across the world and they are capturing a mere O.1% of global emissions. The good news is that since 2O2O, governments have invested at least $25bn in carbon capture and the American infrastructure bill includes funding to support DAC development. It’s not enough but it’s a step in the right direction.

To restrict global warming to 2C what we need, according to a report by Royal Dutch Shell, is 1O, OOO large facilities in place by 2O7O. China is putting a lot of faith in CCS to reach its net zero target by 2O6O but, so far, has not invested significantly in this technology.

In other words, in Kennedy’s terms, averting catastrophic climate change by developing CCS until it goes mainstream is not going to be easy, it will be hard, which is why it will require the best of our energies and skills - and a degree of global commitment to a common vision.

There are alternative solutions to carbon capture - some advocate adding iron to the oceans to stimulate the growth of carbon-absorbing plants, although others worry about unexpected side effects and whether the scheme will even work - but carbon capture, especially CCS, seems the most promising option, especially given the time frames we are dealing with.

It can be hard to believe, given the amount of rubbish we hear from our political leaders, but when they say this has to be the decade where we begin to manage climate change, they are not joking or exaggerating. To paraphrase the old joke about Grimsby, this isn’t the end of the world but you can certainly see it from here.

So, let’s have a little less shilly-shallying about protocols, pacts and pledges and a little more focus on a common cause that can make a difference. Turning up - in person or virtually - and making promises to mitigate global warming is easy. Actually spending money to achieve that as part of an international collaboration is hard, but essential.

If we are tempted to give up, despair or resign ourselves to the inevitable, we should remember one of Kennedy’s other memorable lines: “Our problems are manmade, therefore they can be solved by man.”

www.imagereportsmag.co.uk | 25

Environment

THE BIG BUY IN IT’S HAPPENING. BRANDS ARE STARTING TO DEMAND BETTER RECYCLABILITY OF TEMPORARY RETAIL DISPLAY AND PACKAGING. SO DO YOU CHECK OUT AS A SUPPLIER? Towards the end of last year we reported that well-known sustainability consultant Steve Lister had teamed up with POPAI on research into the recycling of temporary display and packaging within retail - research that confirmed what we already sort of knew, that most is not recycled despite brands and retailers saying it’s an important issue. The topic was explored in more detail in a recent Antalis webinar entitled ‘Sustainability in Retail: Past, Present and Future’, the key points of which are worth digesting - and acting upon.

For a start, though nearly all respondents to the POPAI poll confirmed they had corporate sustainability goals, only about two thirds said they had specific measurable targets for display and secondary packaging - surprising high really given the confusion that abounds.

While retailers are keen to meet their own recycling targets and reduce their landfill tax liability, only 41% said they receive information about end-of-use recycling from their suppliers.

Half of them thought the materials regularly used in temporary displays could not be recycled - and a fifth thought there were unrecyclable materials used in secondary packaging.

Most brands had no idea how much of the POS display they supply to stores is ultimately recycled - 85% didn’t know what happened to their branded temporary displays.

Almost half (46%) of brands said that all their retail clients specify recycling requirements for the display materials they provide. A further 38% said that most of their retailer partners had provided recyclability specifications.

However, 16% were unaware of whether retailers provided them with guidelines or not.

Retailers 100% agreed that temporary display recycling was their responsibility. Even so, some brands said that it was also their responsibility to ensure that displays could be easily recycled. Both felt a responsibility to design these in a way that promotes recycling at end-of-life.

And to improve display recycling rates 65% wanted more printed end-of-life recycling instructions on displays and packaging, 43% wanted legislation, 48% more staff training, 52% more data on recycling materials, and 35% wanted a sustainability scoring system to improve the recycling of display and packaging materials.

As we know, around 80% of the environmental impacts of products and services are determined at the design stage, and at the webinar Steve Lister offered up tips to improve end-of-life recyclability. For instance, avoid using self-adhesive labels, multi-layered laminates and PVC components in packaging as even compostable,

KELLOGG’S, PRINGLES AND OTHER BIG BRAND NAMES ARE INCLUDING DISMANTLING AND DISPOSAL INFORMATION ON THEIR POS DISPLAYS

biodegradable and oxy-degradable plastics can create huge issues for waste management and recycling companies.

For POS, Lister suggested avoiding UV inks, varnishes and double-sided laminates, and to use water-soluble glues rather than hot melt - interlocking even better! Also, where possible, eliminate plastic shelf clips and adhesive on the side cladding of FSDUs, and replace plastic shelf trays and ticket strips with fibre-based materials.

What’s clear is the need for better partnership working across the whole supply chain. Antalis, for example, is working with waste management and carbon offsetting companies and can advise on how its customers and end clients can meet their environmental objectives. It also has its Green Star System rating scheme that considers factors such as the type of raw material used and the recyclability at end-of-life for each product - attributing zero to five stars accordingly.

According to Lister, the trend now is for displays that look more sustainable, with natural textures and the use of materials made from recycled board and alternative materials such as coffee beans, office papers, shells, ocean plastics, yoghurt pots etc.

He believes that modular displays that can be reused/ repurposed will increase in popularity, and that Europe is seeing an increase in collapsible, storable displays. Designs that cut out glue, hooks, reduce ink and include interlocking construction with the use of wood or wood fibre materials in their construction are increasingly being sought.

When it comes down to it, knowledge sharing will be paramount in 2022, with the likes of Kellogg’s, Pringles and other big brand names including dismantling and disposal information on their POS displays.

The research certainly confirmed that intentions are good.

Sustainability and recycling are high on the agenda for most consumers, retailers, brands and suppliers. Now we all need to buy in to better education, collaboration and knowledge sharing.

www.imagereportsmag.co.uk | 27

Forum

DIGGING BELOW THE SURFACE WITH INDUSTRY MOLE Comments please to industrymole@imagereportsmag.co.uk

Bah humbug! My gentle post-Christmas reintroduction to Mole Graphics was disrupted by an email outlying six critical business trends for 2O22. The first was: ‘Turn your marketing strategy into customer journeys’. I don’t know what the other five trends were - I deleted the email in fury.

When did customers start going on journeys and stop simply buying stuff? If I asked Mole Graphics’ loyal customers - yes, there are some - to describe their journey, they’d probably back away, bemused.

Sometimes, business rhetoric does my head in.

I blame the Americans. Their instinctive reaction when faced with a short word is to use a longer one - so ‘know’ becomes ‘cognisant’ (which, of course, they spell with a z) and buying and selling becomes a ‘customer journey’.

Mole Junior has been on a real, old school journey - from the east coast of America where he completed his degree in Western civilisation to the ancestral seat just in time for Christmas.

It’s not the most useful degree - my uncle snorted: “Good luck getting a job with that” - but he has a decent CV and besides, as the media

blithely assures us, there has never been a better time to job hunt in Britain.

That isn’t how he has found it. One recruitment agency regularly invites him to become a customer services advisor (ie work in a call centre). Three other agencies haven’t replied - nor have four of the companies he has applied to. The pandemic isn’t helping.

It’s a soul-destroying business. I keep reminding him that, as Mole Sr told me when I was in the same predicament, you only need to get one job, so the number of rejections is an irrelevant statistic.

It all reminds me of when I left university, humming the line from that Clash song: ‘Career opportunities, the ones that never knock’. My roommate, who studied accountancy, papered the walls with his acceptances! If things don’t pick up, he would throw Mole Jr a few quid to improve our paltry social media presence. That said, given the increasingly pretentious world of British commerce, asking him to convert our marketing strategy into customer journeys might stand him in better stead.

PRINTWEAR AND PROMOTION LIVE!

FESPA GLOBAL 2022

THE PRINT SHOW

When?

22-24 March, 2022

When?

24 - 26 April, 2022

When?

31 May - 3 June, 2022

When?

20 - 22 September, 2022

Where?

NEC, Birmingham

Where?

NEC, Birmingham

Where?

Messe Berlin in Germany

Where?

NEC, Birmingham

Cost?

Free

Cost?

Free

Cost?

TBD

Cost?

TBD

Who will be there?

The SDUK event which was due to take place in May 2021 was scrapped due to the Covid pandemic, and will next take place this March.

Traditionally, this show brings together those wanting to come and see developments in the sign and digital print market, and organisers are expecting a decent turnout.

Who will be there?

This is the UK garment decoration industry’s key event so those relevant to the sector will be there.

Who will be there?

Given that the 2021 was somewhat curtailed for, obvious reasons, this event should see the great and good gather to show off their wares.

Who will be there?

This is a ‘general’ print exhibition so you’ll find a smattering of exhibitors from across the whole spectrum.

Should you go?

Probably, though some of the big names are missing from the exhibitor list.

Should you go?

If you’re thinking of getting into this type of print!

Should you go?

Covid situation permitting, this should be on your travel list.

Should you go?

If you want a UK-based overview of what’s out there.

EVENTS

SIGN AND DIGITAL 2022

28 | February / March 2022

Rating

7/10

Rating

5/10

Rating

9/10

Rating

5/10

Forum

LEGAL EAGLE LEGAL EAGLE

EMPLOYMENT LAW DEVELOPMENTS IN 2022 FROM MENZIES LAW

Employers can expect a busy year for employment law in 2022, so this Legal Eagle is somewhat longer than usual to flag-up key areas: 1.The Employment Bill The Employment Bill may be published this year, paving the way for a number of new laws including: - Changes to flexible working. Following a period of consultation, any new law is expected to include a new right to request flexible working from day one of employment - Progression of the Good Work agenda, by introducing a new right for workers with variable hours to request a more ‘stable’/ ‘predictable’ contract after 26 weeks’ service. Also, potentially new rights to give employees reasonable notice of a change to working hours and compensation for short-notice shift cancellation.

- Harassment. The promise of a new ‘proactive’ duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace puts the onus of responsibility on employers if employees are harassed by customers or other third parties.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission may use this year to start a consultation process for its new Code of Practice on Harassment creating significant change in how employers are required to manage the risks of harassment.

- We may see the Bill create legislation on nondisclosure agreements (NDAs).

2. Pay and holidays The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee gives us an extra public holiday (Friday 3 June). The late Monday May bank holiday has been moved to Thursday 2 June to create a four-day weekend.

Judgements in two major holiday pay cases are anticipated this year which may clarify some holiday pay rights.

From April the National Living Wage (for workers aged 23 and over) rises to £9.50 an hour, the social care levy will be introduced UK-wide (collected by an NI contribution rise of 1.25%) and there will be the usual uplifts to statutory rates and limits (including statutory sick pay and maternity pay).

3. Pandemic-related developments Government appears reluctant to impose new restrictions but key is whether more employers will introduce mandatory vaccination / testing / Covid pass policies.

More rulings are likely on the furlough scheme, whether anti-vaccination stance is a protected belief, and whistleblowing Covid-19 safety at work cases.

The first cases to reach court will involve events from the early days of the pandemic such as ‘no jab, no job’ policies some employers implemented. We might also see some cases coming to Tribunal this year on when Long Covid is a disability for equality law purposes.

4. Modern Slavery Act The Modern Slavery Act is likely to be strengthened this year, implementing the plans announced in September 2020.

5. Pay Transparency - gender pay, ethnicity reporting, disability We expect the rules governing gender pay gap (GPG) reporting to be reviewed in 2022. Expect a consultation process before any changes are made. We may also see movement on the introduction of Ethnicity Pay Reporting which has been debated for some time now. Voluntary reporting may be the start point.

At the end of 2021, the government launched a consultation on the potential

introduction of disability reporting. This will close 25 March 2022 with a published response expected in June.

6 Gender identity Some of you will be following the Maya Forstater case where the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) ruled that a belief that sex cannot be changed is protected by equality law - as is a belief, or lack of belief - in gender identity. 2022 may see similar cases highlighting the difficult balance between legal regulation of those people who hold ‘protected’ gender-critical beliefs and the unlawful and harassment of trans people.

7. Equal pay The equal pay claims brought by store workers at supermarkets and other large retailers continue to progress through the courts.

Rulings have confirmed that female store workers can compare themselves to male distribution depot workers. The focus now moves to whether the relevant types of work are of equal value and, if so, whether paying different rates for them is justified.

8. Family rights Under the Government proposals, working carers will be able to take up to five days’ unpaid carer’s leave each year to help them with their caring responsibilities. The Employment Bill may see these cemented in law along with two more government promises: - improved redundancy protection for pregnant employees and maternity returners with similar protection for parents returning from adoption or shared parental leave.

- a new right to 12 weeks’ paid neonatal leave for parents whose babies spend time in neonatal care units.

www.imagereportsmag.co.uk | 29

Zeitgeist

Take your partners…

IS YOUR BUSINESS SUSTAINABLE? DO YOU NEED TO ADD SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS TO MAKE IT SO? CAN YOU DO THAT ON YOUR OWN, OR SHOULD YOU FORM MORE PARTNERSHIPS? MIKE FREELY, MARKETING AND SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTOR AT SERVICE GRAPHICS DISPLAY, BELIEVES IN THE LATTER.

Are you dancing to new tunes given all the changes the Covid-19 pandemic has wrought? Diversification has become the go-to strategy within so many print companies since early 2020, but we all know it can be a costly and time-consuming business. Partnering may be a more viable option, and in the ever-expanding graphics division of Paragon Group UK (parent to Service Graphics Display, Octink, Human Built an Image Factory) that’s proving its worth. Mike Freely, marketing and sustainability director at Service Graphics Display articulates why more PSPs should be looking at this route to futureproofing business.

Freely says: “Like most operations in our sector, we within the graphics division of Paragon Group are alert to the fact that the world can change very quickly, whether due to macro-economic reasons or local market conditions that drive clients to demand ever more from their supply chains. As such the need to pivot and flex with ideas, innovation and offer that total solution is more important than ever.

“The visual communications sector is probably as competitive as it ever has been, and as a brand collective we have found that collaborating with specialists and influencers to integrate new products and value-added services is a great way to access to the latest innovation and develop a genuine end-to end proposition - it provides a cost-effective and quicker route to market in many cases.

“Clients are rightly making increasing demands on their supply chains, demanding partnerships that deliver far more than just being a company that delivers product to them compliantly or at the right quality. Increasingly our experience is that they want to explore our capability for creative design, innovation, and environmental thinking

30 | February / March 2022

WE HAVE JUST PUBLISHED OUR ‘SUSTAINABLE CHOICES’ PLAN, A ROADMAP FOR SUSTAINABILITY THAT CAN ONLY BE DELIVERED THROUGH COLLABORATION

as part of an end-to-end total package. Creating robust, well-structured partnerships where additional expertise and capacity can be leveraged as part of our own offer is proving invaluable.

“Looking at what Octink has done in this area, a common theme throughout has been the environment.

Octink now has five or six partnerships to enable it to deliver everything from living walls to reusable displays and air cleaning coatings. Those partnerships seek to add capability as well importantly driving core business to maximise our printer capacity!

“A great example is Octink’s latest partnership is with hoarding disrupter Kwik-Klik. Traditional hoardings constructed from timber are inherently unsustainable, so finding a business built on providing a genuine eco alternative was a great fit to everything we are already doing in regards to this agenda. Geared to both interior and exterior hoardings, the materials used are both reusable and recyclable and when paired with our eco-rated graphics the result is a major tick for our construction sector clients as well as retailers and those involved with live events looking to solve sustainability in their supply chains.

“The relationship with Kwik-Klik is highly collaborative on both sides, working together to explore mutual opportunities for both hoardings and graphics that exist within our respective client bases and adding great value along the way. The results are already paying dividend helping to maximise our printer capacity and graphics output as a result.

“As with the Kwik-Klik relationship, our plan is to remain inquisitive towards additional partnerships during 2022, with the aim of bringing ever more value and innovation to our clients. Like all relationships however, any potential partnership must be taken seriously, with critical time investment and energy from both sides in order to maximise the opportunities and to ultimately provide a robust a client offering.

“Partnerships don’t always have to involve physical product though, and we also place great importance on our association with key interest groups and bodies that are pushing important agendas. Paragon’s Human Built brand has recently partnered with ISLA, a force for good within the events and exhibitions sector that is driving sustainability and change in what has historically been a hugely wasteful sector. Being a part of its print working group directly supports our divisional mission to go ‘green as standard’, helping define not only the eco rated print substrates that we bring to market but also the waste streams that push a closed loop approach to these products at the end of their service life.

“We are now working to a position in 2022 of being ‘green first’ in our approach to specifying projects, alongside routes to reusing and recycling product post use. We have just published our ‘Sustainable Choices’ plan, a roadmap for sustainability that can only be delivered through collaboration and partnering with the best suppliers in the business.

“Paragon’s strategic partnerships are a force for real change and competitive advantage in the long run. We have many more examples of where partnering has extended our capacity for research and development, our knowledge and insight. What recent history has taught us is the absolute need to be agile and to see short-term disruption as an opportunity to execute real change.

Partnership working can certainly help you do that.”

Weblook | Inks / Hardware

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