RMC Digital Print hits sustainability targets with Soyang Europe’s PVC-free solutions

Hull-based wide-format trade print company RMC Digital Print has opened up about how its long-term use of PVC-free materials from Soyang Europe has helped it win a host of new customers and expand its service offering.

Specialising in graphics for the signage, exhibition, set and stage markets, RMC Digital Print will this year celebrate its 10^th year in business and recently underwent a management buyout, in a move it said has enabled it to make decisions quicker.

This shrewd approach to business has helped RMC Digital Print establish itself as not only one of the leading providers of trade wide-format print to the UK market but also as a business that is highly committed to the environment and to offering its customers planet-friendly products.

RMC Digital Print’s long-term relationship with Soyang Europe has played a key role in the business hitting its sustainability targets. The two companies began working together in 2014 when RMC Digital Print approached Soyang Europe to learn more about its PVC flex face skin material, as it was experiencing issues with the previous product from a different manufacturer that it had been using.

Having been able to identify a high-quality replacement that fit all its criteria in the form of Soyang’s PVC flex face skin material, RMC Digital Print went on to use a wide range of substrates from the company, printing on its Durst Rho 512R and EFI VUTEk GS5000r printers.

“One of the main reasons we like working with Soyang is their knowledge about the substrates they provide,” RMC Digital Print Commercial Director Alex Wood said. “Their customer service is also exceptionally good, and we feel like we can rely on them.

“The products we use are of excellent quality; Soyang has a number of different ranges of materials to choose from. We’ve also found that their stock levels are good, and we very rarely have difficulty in getting a substrate in from them. You can give them a call with an application in mind and they will be able to suggest a suitable material to use.”

Alex Wood in particular noted the impact of working with PVC-free materials from Soyang Europe – including PVC-free Double-Sided Banners, Roller Banners, Mesh Banners and Frontlit Banners – all of which have played a major role in the company securing new work from like-minded and green-minded clients.

“Soyang Europe have offered us a number of PVC-free alternatives that have helped us to expand into new markets due to the demand for sustainable products increasing in almost every market in which we work,” says Alex. “Additionally, both RMC and Soyang have partnered with FESPA UK and Prismm on their initiative to recycle PVC products, further expanding our green credentials.”

FESPA UK and recycling specialist Prismm Environmental launched this impartial waste management scheme for its members which allow FESPA UK members from across the wide-format, textile, corrugated and screen-printing markets to safely dispose of their waste and significantly decrease the amount of print waste materials being sent from the industry to UK landfall sites.

In terms of other solutions, one Soyang Europe product that has proved extremely useful for RMC Digital Print over the years is Polycril, a seamless wallcovering product that is available in white back, blockout and recycled options, all in widths of up to 5m. Alex said the use of this materials has significantly helped the company gain more work in the wallpaper market.

“Many of our clients prefer the material as you don’t need a join in it; at first they were worried that it would be difficult to install but now a lot of them find it much easier than traditional wallpaper,” Alex said.

“Since working with Soyang we’ve been able to offer a variety of products to our clients which has helped them secure more work.”

Alex added that such has been the success of the partnership with Soyang Europe that RMC Digital Print plans to continue working with the supplier for many years to come as it pursues further growth and environmental goals.

“As a company we pride ourselves on giving good customer service and collaborating with our clients to provide a resolution to any issues that may crop up,” Alex said. “Soyang are very similar to us in this regard, and we feel like we have a partnership with them rather than them just offering us a service.”

Soyang Europe’s green goals are also very much in line with those at RMC Digital Print. This strategy stretches outside of the workplace and into the car park; Soyang Europe currently has four electric Tesla cars across its fleet, with this set to increase to five in the coming months as the supplier looks to further enhance its already-excellent green credentials.