Sustainability has become non-negotiable says Nova Abbott, Head of Marketing at Kavalan but there’s always more that can be done to improve standards
Today, protecting the environment is no longer something that is simply a ‘nice to do’, and being ‘green’ is more than just a buzzword. The shift towards sustainable operations has become non-negotiable and in 2025, every business should be thinking of itself as a sustainable business and working to reduce its negative environmental impact.
With sustainability legislation continuing to come into effect, such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the five-year mark approaching for 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals, instilling sustainable practices throughout the value chain is essential for all organisations.
The large-format print, signage, and advertising sectors are no exception. Many campaigns only have short lifespans, with the result being that large amounts of waste, including toxic PVC, go to waste-to-energy, if not landfill, after use.
The good news is that there are already numerous ways businesses can assess their impact and take positive steps to improve this. With accurate measurement, businesses can effectively analyse their impacts and map out achievable sustainability plans. Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), such as those carried out on all Kavalan products, evaluate the cradle-to-grave environmental impacts of a product, including sourcing and processing of raw materials, manufacturing and production processes, transportation and distribution, usage, and disposal. This empowers businesses with a real understanding of how they affect natural systems.
Transparent, accurate, data-based reporting of progress towards achieving sustainability goals is also vital, and businesses can draw on LCA data alongside standardised nature data to show improvements. And, of course, it is also vital for businesses to seek opportunities to collaborate across their industries, up and down their value chains and throughout their regions to ensure that sustainability efforts and successes can be both shared and amplified. It is so exciting to see initiatives born out of this approach emerging around the world, and we look forward to seeing even more businesses to focus on these opportunities and take a more positive path moving into 2025.
In 2024, for example, one of our longstanding customers in the UK celebrated a 67% reduction in the environmental impact of its banner output in the three years since adopting PVC-free Kavalan banner materials. They are just one of many around the world and we can’t wait to highlight more stories of sustainable success in 2025.
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