Is your Packaging & Print Vegan?

Is your Packaging & Print Vegan?

When reviewing their boxes, one customer asked if the packaging we supplied was vegan-friendly. There are no obvious animal products in our packaging materials or processes, but it prompted deeper research. It transpired that we couldn’t evidence that flood printing inks are vegan and that influenced the packaging design.

Transparency with Primary Packaging Decisions

Minimising environmental impact encompasses products, processes and packaging. Being able to trace sustainable practices through the supply chain is a priority for many of our customers. For one customer, being able to certify that their packaging was 100% vegan was also important. The result influenced the final packaging design.

Ethical product sales are soaring, but it is not enough to enter the market with sustainable, fairtrade, vegan or 100% natural goods. The entire company culture, supply chain and packaging have to be in line with the products. In the past year, we have received many more questions about our processes, materials and resource management than ever before.

Ethical companies know that they will come under scrutiny. They want to ensure that their brand is transparent and can stand up to any environmental and social claims that are made. In many cases, they want hard evidence; quality marks and certification.

Printed Cardboard Packaging Under Review

Aylesbury Box Company has supplied cardboard boxes to a locally-based, leading UK business for many years. Our close proximity means we can deliver the boxes without ramping up the miles. This was one of the factors that led them to select us as their packaging supplier. The fact that our cardboard boxes are predominantly made from recycled fibres and are 100% recyclable after use was also valued.

Since becoming an FSC® certified company, we can evidence sustainability through our supply chain, which ticks their boxes. Having said this, when it came to updating the packaging design, the company asked if our inks and manufacturing processes were 100% vegan. We are confident that no animal products are used in the inks or process, however, we couldn’t prove this.

This was a fresh challenge for us and we started exploring the options. The inks used to flood print boxes have not been officially vegan approved, but we found a solution that is. In our tests, this vegan-approved ink worked better for a graphic pattern or text printing, rather than a flood coating. As such, the branding and print design for the new packaging was adjusted.

Whilst reviewing the packaging design, we considered the board grades and the box style to ensure we offered the best packaging solution for their requirements.

With an imminent product launch, the company were delighted with our solutions and placed an order. Deadlines were tight, but our team pulled out all the stops to get the boxes to them on time.

What Goes Around, Comes Around

Once the product is removed from these vegan-print boxes, the cardboard can be flattened, added to the recycling bin and put out for the fortnightly kerbside collection. Facilities at the local recycling centre will separate the cardboard from other recycled materials.

In just two weeks, it can be treated, pulped and reformed into cardboard sheets, ready for the Aylesbury Box Company team to manufacture into more boxes. It’s part of the circular economy and it ensures that the next online order can be despatched!

If your brand is looking for sustainable packaging to match your brand values, get in touch with Aylesbury Box Company on 01296 436888 or enquiries@abcbox.co.uk. We are happy to find the answers and offer solutions that ensure your environmental and social claims are robust throughout the packaging supply chain.