Paper, it's alternatives, Printing and Aesthetics!

When considering the aesthetics of packaging (especially in terms of paint containers) you have to think carefully about the impact and drawbacks there might be.

• The first being The Environmental issues that go hand in hand with ink printing.
• The second being The Re-Use factor. If the paint container is going to be re-used as a paint container, it's unlikely that it will be containing the same colour. This means if you are implementing a refill service or recycle service for these containers there will be issues with incorrect information being displayed on the containers.

So how can we make a paint container versatile to tackle these two problems?

One solution could be a paper-slip that slides over the container. This could contain the paint information such as the colour, recycling instructions etc. This would allow an easy transition of re-use as regards to the paint container; only this slip would need to be changed. Here is an example..

The use of paper is not considered ethically green. So the use of recycled paper is a better option and there is no excuse not to use it! As the benefits state below its almost indistinguishable from virgin fiber paper and keeps paper out of over-flowing landfills.

Not all recycled paper is 100% recycled which is an issue.Tree-Free Paper is a great alternative to recycled or virgin would derived paper. It can be sourced from the parts of plants and agriculture that would otherwise go to waste such as Coffee, banana, wheat, kenaf, hemp plants and even bamboo.

Instead of printing information out onto these paper slips, information could be cut out of it to avoid the environmental impacts such as emissions and energy use. This would work as long as the colour of the over slip didn't clash with the packaging under-neath.

If avoiding ink printing isn't an option there are still things you can do to avoid the impact on the environment; using printing techniques such as Waterless Printing and Digital Printing. Both of these methods are more efficient, reduce the amuont of Volatile Organic Compounds emitted and are more cost effective compared to the traditional offset litho printing used by many companies and factories.

Seed Paper!
 http://seedpaper.co.uk/
Seed Paper creates unique, green and engaging print which can be planted and grown into anything from vegetables to flowers!

Is it really green? 

SeedPaper is one of the greenest forms of print around. SeedPaper is sourced entirely from post consumer waste and implanted with seeds. All printing is done using organic inks and once planted the paper completely biodegrades allowing the seeds to grow into beautiful flowers or vegetables. 

The Advantages of seed paper

• Seeded papers are made in the UK with 100% high grade recycled paper

•  print process uses soy-based inks, organic pigments and unlike other companies they never radiate the paper 

• The paper is also incredibly versatile in that it can be cut or moulded in any shape.

Images and Information source from the book
SustainAble: a handbook of materials and applications for graphic designers and their clients by Sherin, Aaris