Agrovyl® Film: The Quest for Greener Office Materials
Businesses have no choice but to think green, as their customers increasingly insist on buying sustainable and eco-friendly products. In that quest, Travyl® has found new ways to save up resources and use more recycled materials to make stationery and graphic arts supplies.
Used wooden pallets and PVC production scraps are turned into new products containing up to 20% vegetable fibers and recycled materials.
”I believe we are entering a new cycle for plastic products, where all the sustainability aspects will be considered,’’ explains Travyl®’s CEO Luc Chavany. ‘’A folder or notebook that lasts longer will be a strong argument in the future ... back to the mentality of our grandmothers."
For years, this French company has worked to reduce its environmental impact during production and the complete life cycles of its products, says Chavany.
‘’We systematically propose our customers to collect, regrind and reuse their production scraps when it is economically viable, explains Luc Chavany. ‘’The thermoplasticity of PVC makes possible to reprocess it several times.’’AGROVYL WOOD® is a new important step in this direction, he says.
‘’The external aspect given by the wood fibers allows us to use higher recycled quantities as the small contamination will be less visible,’’ adds Chavany smiling. ‘’The film is lighter and has excellent mechanical properties. It can be printed on and remains easily recyclable as only one polymer is used.’’
The difficult part was finding a way to introduce the fibers to produce films with a thickness between 100 and 200 microns, says Chavany.
‘’We had to adapt the wood grinding to get the optimal fiber length for the mixing process. The formulation has been adjusted to maintain its properties, and we pay special attention to the color needed to obtain harmonious combinations,’’ he says.
Many markets take advantage of AGROVYL WOOD® greener character, like pocketbooks, notebook covers or small flexible printed “give-aways’’, says Chavany.
As the ‘customer is king,’ there’s no turning back.
Find out more from www.travyl.com
