A STORY BY Michael Vetter

EcoLeaf
Sustainable printing technology

A STORY BY

Michael Vetter

Published

09. Mar 2024

CATEGORY

Sustainability

Reading time

3 Minutes

New ecoLeaf technology has the potential to revolutionise print finishing. It’s expected to generate significantly less waste material, making it another milestone for resource conservation and sustainability. Introduced at Vollherbst last year, we are the first print and labelling company in the world to use ecoLeaf in the wine and spirits segment.

Sustainable - protecting the environment

Sustainable: Protecting the environment

Print finishing with hot or cold foiling is now the most common method for metallic finishes. It has been proven to increase sales as the light reflections it creates make your product stand out on the shelf. Conventional hot or cold foils come in large plastic rolls, and pressure and heat are used to transfer metallic shapes onto the material. Once the metallic shapes have been cut out the remaining foil is discarded, resulting in significant wastage. With ecoLeaf technology, the metallic pigments are transferred directly onto the label, so there’s no wastage as everything is used. The new technology also cuts out the need for making elaborate embossing dies.

At ecoLeaf's stand at drupa, a 2.50-m-high mountain of hot or cold foiling was piled up. Next to it, was a small jar of metal pigments. That's how few pigments ecoLeaf needed for the same job. I was impressed!

Michael Vetter

Chief Operating Officer

EcoLEAF

Saves material, waste, costs and time for the print and labelling company

Revolutionary: A new technology from Israel

The technology on which ecoLeaf is based was invented by Israeli entrepreneur Benny Landa who’s regarded as the Steve Jobs of the printing industry. In 2016, he presented his technology at drupa, the leading trade show for the printing industry that’s held in Düsseldorf every four years. Vollherbst operations manager Michael Vetter was also at drupa and immediately recognised the value of ecoLeaf, which was being displayed under a different name at the time. He and Vollherbst CEO Matthias Vollherbst closely followed the new technology’s development. Initially it didn’t meet their demands. “But if everything goes as expected, ecoLeaf will save on material, waste, costs and time for the print and labelling company” Matthias says. “We now want to try it out.”

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We decided to test ecoLeaf last year, making us the first print and labelling company in the world to use it in the wine and spirits segment. We don't see this technology displacing traditional methods, but rather as a future-oriented addition.

Michael Vetter

Chief Operating Officer

Diverse: More colours to choose from

ecoLeaf offers new possibilities in metallic colours. Gold and silver tones are particularly popular in the wine and spirits, and luxury food industries, especially for lettering, coats of arms or embellishments. Not all gold is the same. As with jewellery, there are warm and cool tones. Thanks to ecoLeaf we can now offer our clients a wide variety of gold tones, and other unusual colours without restrictions such as minimum quantities. “With ecoLeaf, we’re deliberately positioning ourselves in the premium segment and we’re excited to see what new horizons we can conquer,” Matthias says. “ecoLeaf is still in the test phase at Vollherbst. The first client projects are scheduled to start this year.”

Would you like a label made using the latest ecoLeaf technology?

For more info go to actega.com/de/de/brands_ecoLeaf

We’re committed to sustainability in many areas.

Here you can find info about Fair'n'Green

Here you can find our vision on Fair'n'Green

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Would you like more information on the topic of sustainability? Just get in touch with our expert!

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Stefan Vollherbst

Reading time 3 Minutes

Fair'n Green

Our vision: Sustainability

Fair’n Green is a system for sustainable viticulture. Sustainability experts annually audit winemakers and wineries, and their suppliers in the areas of business management, environmental protection and social commitment. The goal is to ensure that companies take responsibility for people and nature, and act accordingly. The entire value chain is covered, including printers. Last year, Vollherbst became the first print and labelling company to receive Fair’n Green certification. It’s an important step on the way to becoming a sustainable business.
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