Hello Friends,
In this role I’ve had the great fortune to see much of the Earth. This job gives me the opportunity to lead a skilled global team to support and enable our customers in the printing and packaging space, an end-market that I find endlessly fascinating. This team is not uniform, it is made up of a unique array of talented team members who represent over 10 different countries and cultures, brought together by a passion for the printing ink and coating industry. Our customers are no different in their diversity and they benefit from the combination of our global, coordinated team coupled with a strong production and commercial footprint that spans all major regions.
In my travels to meet colleagues and customers, I’ve noticed that while singular products or consumer preferences may differ from one country to the next, much of the packaging industry is driven by a few key priorities, sustainability ranking chiefly among them. Sustainable packaging has been a long-term goal for the industry and this target has translated into differing customer goals depending on region, substrate, or application. All countries and (I assume) all brand owners are focused on making sustainability a reality and the urgency to do so is growing. Deadlines to implement bio-renewable, repulpable, and recyclable packaging are swiftly approaching, increasing pressure on suppliers to be ready with effective and proven solutions as we prepare for massive changes in the packaging space.
Our global team at BASF is well prepared to enable the industry with the right solutions at this right time. On the occasion of Earth Day 2024, I am proud of the work we’ve done to focus on earth-friendly solutions to packaging industry challenges and I really enjoy the chance to worth with them world (or earth) wide. For formulators looking to decrease their carbon emissions, we have the Joncryl BRC portfolio with measurable new C14 content in addition to our Joncryl® BMB products where fossil feedstocks are offset, leading to low or even zero carbon footprint. Leveraging our Joncryl FLX products, our customers can make the long-desired shift from solvent to water-based printing inks on flexible packaging, reducing VOC’s and improving worker quality of life without sacrificing performance. Furthermore we have an extensive portfolio of solutions to enable the broader transition from plastic to paper-based packaging. Our Joncryl HPB and Joncryl HSL products can enable greater circularity of packaging, many of these have already passed repulpability and recyclability tests across the world. Of course the majority of these earth-friendly packaging enablers are also available earth-wide.
This Earth Day, I celebrate the great work our team is doing as we work towards a more sustainable future of packaging. Whether you’re in Malaysia or Michigan, Stockholm or Shanghai, Roppongi or Rio let’s work together to put these sustainable solutions into practice. For us, every day is Earth Day.
Take care,
-Simon