A unique educational innovation has won a Grimsby digital packaging solutions company a major industry accolade.
Ultimate Digital, based on Europarc, picked up the Flexible Packaging Award at the 2019 HP Inkspiration Awards UK & Ireland.
Its Kids Ink campaign, described as a fun, interactive and educational platform, gives children the opportunity to design their own unique, reusable lunch bag using the latest Biomaster antimicrobial technology. It is also made from 100 per cent recyclable plastic – involving the next generation in tackling today’s environmental issues.
Chris Tonge, executive director of Ultimate Group, was delighted to win the award. He said: “This has been a really rewarding project to work on and it has involved the entire Ultimate Digital team. It has been fantastic to get some of the kids here to see their designs being printed.”
Using the latest variability capability of Ultimate Digital’s HP 20000 presses – with the Grimsby team the first in the UK to adopt them – thousands of individual children’s designs can be printed in each production run.
Kids Ink integrates with the school curriculum, allowing children to design their very own personalised lunch bags while teaching children on the important topics of healthy eating and the environment.
Children have used their designs to write messages on their bags, such as “recycle plastic” and “one person can change the world”, reinforcing responsible actions.
Chris said: “Recyclability and sustainability of plastics is so important and Kids Ink enables schools to teach this in a fun an interactive way.”
Ultimate is no stranger to the HP Inkspiration Awards UK & Ireland, winning back in 2017. The team led on the KitKat promotion with Nestle, putting 56,000 fans’ faces on the iconic red wrappers.
Commenting on the award, presented in Spain, Andrew Pike, marketing manager at HP, said: “Ultimate Digital is truly innovative and delivers exciting campaigns every year. This is the second time in three years that they have lifted this award.”
Bringing a drawing tool to the photo-upload element seen on the KitKat run, it takes the IT-based Smartflow programme it developed further.
The £50 million turnover firm has targeted 2025 for 100 per cent recyclable or compostable production. More than 70 per cent of its work is for fresh produce, with supermarkets accounting for a similar percentage of the output.
