Reducing waste with today’s flexo technology

Whether it’s excess substrate during setup, inefficiencies in multi-step workflows, or designs that limit recyclability, every unnecessary scrap adds to cost and the carbon footprint. For converters, reducing waste isn’t just about efficiency anymore; it’s central to meeting sustainability targets, regulatory requirements, and brand expectations.

This is where modern flexographic technology is stepping up. Today’s flexo presses are engineered to minimise waste at every stage of production, from job setup to material usage, while also opening new pathways to recyclable, circular-ready packaging.

Traditional analogue processes have often required lengthy setup runs to achieve accurate colour, impression, and registration. That meant metres of substrate wasted before the first saleable copy was produced.

Today’s flexo technology has changed the equation. Automated systems for register, inking, and impression control, such as Edale’s AiiR technology, can bring a press into alignment within just a handful of metres. By reducing setup waste from hundreds of metres to a few dozen, converters not only save materials but also time and operator intervention.

For short runs especially, this waste reduction is transformative. Less substrate consumed in setup means higher yield, lower cost per job, and less scrap leaving the factory floor.

Waste isn’t only about the substrate; it’s also about process inefficiency. In conventional workflows, moving jobs between multiple machines introduces more offcuts, more spoilage, and more energy use.

Single-pass flexo consolidates these steps. Printing, varnishing, embellishing, die-cutting, and stripping are all performed inline. Every job runs cleaner and faster, with fewer handovers and fewer chances for error. The result is less wasted time, less wasted labour, and significantly less wasted material.

It’s also an energy story. Running a job through one machine instead of three or four reduces power consumption and eliminates unnecessary WIP transport, therefore helping to cut carbon emissions across the workflow.

One of the most exciting shifts in the European market is the growing alignment between press capability and sustainable substrates.

Modern flexo presses can run on thinner films, fibre-based substrates, and recycled or recyclable boards without sacrificing quality. They also support water-based inks and wash-off adhesives that meet recyclability standards. For converters, this compatibility ensures compliance with regulations like the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) while answering consumer demand for environmentally responsible packaging.

And because flexo is fundamentally versatile, converters can adapt quickly as new materials enter the market. This agility is vital as brands experiment with linerless labels, compostable substrates, and mono-material packaging designed for circularity.

Europe’s regulatory landscape is moving quickly. EPR schemes, deposit-return systems, and stricter recyclability requirements mean waste management is now under more scrutiny than ever.

Flexo’s ability to reduce setup waste, consolidate processes, and run on compliant materials gives converters a practical way to demonstrate progress. These efficiencies don’t just improve the bottom line, they help businesses measure and reduce Scope 3 emissions, a critical component of ESG reporting from 2027 onwards.

At its core, waste reduction is about making packaging smarter. Smarter to produce, smarter to use, and smarter to recover at the end of its life.

Flexo printing, especially when combined with automation, single-pass workflows, and recyclable substrates, offers converters a pathway to lower costs, higher sustainability, and regulatory confidence.

For businesses navigating the twin pressures of profitability and planet, modern flexo isn’t just a print solution, it’s a sustainability-led strategy.