As we head towards the fourth year of ChemUK, the team at Dura-ID are keen to reflect on the last year, to discuss focuses for years ahead for the chemical industry and talk about the shifts within labelling in the chemical sector.
Over the next few years sustainability and the changing economic climate will come to the forefront for businesses across the globe. Legislation amendments and new directives in countries like the US and China will undoubtedly positively affect the global market to bring everyone towards a unified goal. The financial stability of the sector globally seems to have levelled out which is a great step forward for everyone.
The transition to bio-based chemicals, green surfactants and bioresources will require significant R&D investments and we’re expecting customers to start looking at the efficiency of their processes and where their supply chain can improve to match their efforts. Reaching the goals outlined for 2030 concerning emissions is going to see a huge step forward and will no doubt be the focus of everyone over the next 7 years.
As a business, we’ve seen changes, no matter how small, that are already affecting the way that customers are labelling their products. The reduction of pre-printed materials to cut wastage and the ability to have one label to include all regulatory factors including IMDG, CLP, REACH and meet the stringent requirements of 3-part BS5609 approval is taking over.
Full colour labelling is changing rapidly, with the need for strong brand presence against competitors and a shift towards the flexibility that inkjet technology offers for incorporation into new smart factories is starting to gain traction. Sophisticated new factories are being built and several of Dura-ID’s current customers have already moved towards Industry 4.0 with the addition of label applicators and robots.
Getting a full labelling system from one supplier and understanding your supply chain throughout the next decade is going to become crucial for businesses. There’s one place that you can be certain you will get to know your suppliers, will be able to openly ask questions and look at new opportunities and equipment for you is the ChemUK exhibition at the NEC.
ChemUK brings together the entire supply chain and hosts insightful speakers each year that cover topics of value to the sector and gives you somewhere to discuss your challenges openly. Ollie Everitt, Sector Manager and Hayley Higgins, Account Manager at Dura-ID have been long-standing faces within the industry and had this to say about last year’s ChemUK exhibition:
“The volume of traffic, quality of enquiries and general buzz around ChemUK was palpable this year. The last two years have been difficult for most businesses due to unstable supply chains and rising costs. However, we noticed in the sector that this negative situation is driving buyers to benchmark their suppliers and review their labelling operations, which is where we come in. Since the last show in May 2022, we have conducted several site visits and submitted numerous proposals. We continue to convert these and bring on board mainly new customers. Chemical label printing can be a minefield but our knowledge, expertise and our willingness to go on-site to understand, first-hand, what producers need, and the hurdles they face is what Dura-ID does well”
Emma Todd, Marketing Manager at Dura-ID had this to say about the evolution of the show “…from a small show in Harrogate to a large multi-show at the NEC … incredible. The event runs smoothly each year and the management team have done nothing but support us, and other exhibitors throughout the years. Now with the four show areas, it’s changing the game for chemical shows across the world, bringing the full supply chain under one roof is imperative to ensure the chemical market continues to move in the right direction, together.”
The Dura-ID team are looking forward to the show on the 10th & 11th of May and we’ve got some exciting offerings on the horizon that we can’t wait to show you. Find us on stand F92 in the Chemical Industry Supply Chain Show right by the Royal Society of Chemistry’s networking lounge.
