Many of the things you see on a daily basis rely on different decorative methods. Just take a car. It likely has a powder coat finish rather than being raw metal. Inside there are probably plastic pieces of trim with foil coatings to make them look like metals. While the decorating makes the items look better, it is important to think about the impact on the environment. Sustainable foils can be the best option for a number of projects.
Classic enhancement processes
Sticking with trim for vehicles, we want to have a quick look at why the foils are more eco-friendly.
There are a number of classic ways to enhance these plastic parts. Firstly is metallisation. Here you can use methods like vacuum metallising, arc and flame spraying, or plating. What you do is add a coating of metal to the plastic. It can change the aesthetics, making the product glossy and reflective. In addition, it can improve key characteristics like abrasion resistance.
Another option is to choose and apply a surface pigment. Here you spray fine insoluble particles to coat the surface. The process can give you a great deal of choice in terms of colour, gloss level, and opacity. The coating can also enhance characteristics like abrasion and corrosion resistance.
A modern alternative
While these classic processes still get a lot of use, people have concerns about their impact on the environment. Sustainable foils and hot foil stamping can be a really great alternative here. The process applies a thin layer of foil to the plastic to give it an exceptional final look. Items can also have similar benefits when it comes to wear resistance.
The big advantage here is the foils and foil stamping produce far less CO2. KURZ has done testing to examine the difference. They looked at different decorative methods for a 1m/sq surface. The foiling produced 50% less CO2 than metallising, 80% less than pigmentation, and 95% less than chrome plating.
Another big advantage is the foiling means the plastics are still entirely recyclable if they are initially. The KURZ foils are so fine that they have no impact on recycling.
Talk to us about sustainable foils
If you are looking at decorating methods for plastic trim and other products, foil is a great choice. As you can see, it is better for the environment because it produces much less CO2. Plus, it means the resources are still recyclable so they can avoid going to landfill at the end of their lifecycle.
At Foiling Services we are proud to use the sustainable foils from KURZ. We appreciate how great they look, the excellent performance, and the economic benefits. Plus, in a world where being eco-friendly is crucial to most brands, it really stands above other methods.
So, if you want to try the foiling for your next project, contact us.