HAVING successfully navigated a period when all eyes and capacity were focused on meeting demand for labelling from food and pharmaceutical industries coping with the Covid-19 curved ball, Siyakha Imperial Printing’s project head Jessica Busa and her colleagues have taken this period as a learning opportunity to improve the pressing need for sustainability.

LIt’s very much a team effort, both internally and externally, Jessica points out. ‘Wide collaboration is essential to deal with climate change and depletion of resources. Our focus is on sustainability that can be implemented practically and efficiently to ensure lasting change. We offer materials that can be recycled. Liner recycling programmes are on the cards and modern labels can be cleanly washed from PET bottles, allowing for 100% bottle-to-bottle recyclability.

Siyakha offers products containing up to 30% post-consumer waste recycled content, she continues. ‘We use only what is necessary, opting for thinner substrates and introducing future linerless label technology into the country that minimises excess paper from the waste stream, while increasing the number of labels per roll and decreasing the frequency of roll replacement.

‘Customers enjoy the peace of mind that the products they are purchasing have been sourced responsibly using Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper. Our partners offer a life cycle assessment tool, which can compare two pressure-sensitive materials to reveal the products’ environmental impact across six categories, from material extraction and processing to end of life.’

The Siyakha factory uses a sustainable and efficient waste-management system from a highly-effective waste collection method, separating recyclable waste for reuse through an intricate extraction process. This material is then recycled by the company’s community upliftment programme.

Instant information

Siyakha’s highly-automated platform takes care of customers’ needs for instant information and results, Jessica explains. ‘It comprises a workflow and operating model via a paperless system that links departments into one synchronised network, which can be accessed anytime and anywhere,’ she elaborates. ‘An integrated track-and-trace system from point of order to point of dispatch allows customers to access their order information instantly. This generates more value from data, improves system security, reduces costs and improves efficiencies.’

Siyakha’s partnerships with global specialists ensures it keeps abreast of the newest trends and advancements. These include embedded technology that allows packaging to be scanned and read with a smartphone, and smart packaging that tracks key features such as traceability for the manufacturer. Augmented reality allows the packaging to interact digitally with consumers to provide security, product information or entertainment. Aesthetics are also new generation, with specialised finishes that give labels texture and create a unique appearance that invites consumers to touch and interact with a product.

‘Investing in the latest automated inspection technology provides advanced process control and quality assurance,’ Jessica adds. ‘Our quality inspection system, which is integrated through our printing and finishing processes, is designed to enhance print quality via automatic online and offline inspection and sophisticated colour measurement. It features proprietary algorithms that detect information and artwork control unique to the product.’

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