Solutions That Stick
Happy Holidays from McCourt?Happy Holidays!

As the year comes to a close, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who make our progress possible. In this spirit, we sincerely thank you. Everyone here at McCourt Label wishes you much happiness this holiday season and prosperity in the New Year. We look forward to working with you in 2011.

McCourt Label will be closed in observance of the following holidays:
  • Christmas - Friday, 12/24/10
  • New Year's - Friday, 12/31/10
McCourt Receives TLMI Environmental Award

TLMI Award Team
Employee Non-Contact Cooling Water Program Team (left to right): Larry Skinner, Patty Taylor, Mike Vanscoter, Dan Yasurek and Bert Clark
At the recent Annual Meeting of the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI), McCourt Label received the TLMI Environmental Leadership Award for Process Improvement. This prestigious award recognizes those TLMI member companies that have consistently demonstrated a commitment to progressive environmental practices across a range of areas including solid waste reduction, recycling, waste or energy recovery, the implementation of new 'clean' technology and processes, and the implementation of an education program.

McCourt was cited by TLMI for building upon its ISO-14001 certification, by continuing to add environmental systems that cover every aspect of manufacturing and management, and for reducing solid waste, establishing measurement criteria, reducing hazardous waste by 50%, and additionally instituting a ballast recycling program and a spent polymer recycling program.

The decision for these leadership awards is made by an independent panel of judges from industry peers that recognize and grade the specificity of the submitted applications. This year's entries, like those of the past, demonstrate a commitment of time and research. Past winners of the award include 3M, Avery Dennison, Fujifilm and DuPont.

McCourt won the TLMI award for its overall environmental management system, and specifically for its employee team program -- Non-Contact Cooling Water Recycling. Like many flexographic printers who make their own plates, McCourt recycles washout solvent from the plate making process through a distiller. This in itself is a recycling program that has been practiced for years in our industry. The distiller uses a large amount of water for cooling during the process (over 25,000 gallons per month). McCourt used freshwater from the sanitary sewer system which became a problem as the regulations of the local sanitary sewer provider placed a ban on the introduction of all non-contact cooling water into the sanitary sewer system. The change in the sanitary code resulted in the company being out of compliance. Non-compliance with the code in addition to the large consumption of a natural resource made the activity a significant environmental aspect that needed to be addressed in our ISO 14001:2004 system.
 
Project Planning
A team was put together of volunteers including plate, art, maintenance and management personnel to map out a solution to the problem. The initial goal was to formulate a consensus with two possible solutions and from that point choose the most environmentally-friendly and economically-sound option to institute.

The initial brainstorming sessions came up with many great ideas, including: utilizing the water as gray water; heating portions of the offices; building a water fountain in the parking area; and cooling the water for reuse to a freshwater tropical fish aquarium.
In This Issue
Holiday Closings
McCourt Receives TLMI Environmental Award
Bubble-Free, Highly-Durable Film Labels
 
New Product: Bubble-Free, Highly-Durable Film Labels

Bubble-Free Label

A common problem when applying prime, hazard/warning or instructional film labels is trapped air bubbles. Often, once these labels are applied, they cannot be effectively reworked (removed and reapplied). The result is a lot of label waste and poor label appearance. The latter ultimately can lead to negative consumer perception of the quality of the product to which a label is applied.

McCourt's new specially-engineered vinyl label construction significantly reduces application bubbling, while providing increased ability for successful rework. Additional features of this revolutionary construction include:
  • a smooth printing surface for superior label graphics.
  • highly-conformability; this is ideal for flat and compound curved surfaces, such as: low- and high-surface energy plastics, painted metal, powder-coated paint, polycarbonate, glass, fiberglass, asphalt, concrete and lumber/wood.
If you would like to learn more about this or any other McCourt Label product, please contact your customer service representative at 800-458-2390 or by email.

Source:  FLEXcon

McCourt Label provides products for virtually every conceivable labeling need. Our sales and customer service representatives are highly-trained, knowledgeable, and ready to help you find solutions to your most difficult labeling challenges. We are your flexible and reliable label experts, here for you from project research and development through production and delivery. McCourt has ISO 9001 / 14001 registered management systems, and is a UL authorized printer. Our features:  UV inks, cold foil, silk screen, digital plates, variable imprinting, and a full GCC/IBT union shop.