Corrugated and flexo printing materials supplier LeadEdge Flexo has launched a new environmentally focused corrugated plate mounting material – cbak evolve.

The new material is a bio-based Polyethylene (PE) that incorporates at least 30% bio-based material, helping to reduce the industry’s reliance on synthetic virgin material for such products. LeadEdge says the closed-cell foam mounting material combines ‘exceptional corrugated print performance with resource-efficient design’.

Michael Owen, managing director of the company, commented, ‘cbak evolve encompasses our core values. It does not compromise on quality or performance, it does not compromise on value, it is a solution which is at the forefront of our innovative thinking. Displacing fossil-based ingredients with renewable plant-based resources is a positive, logical step and the material should be supported and celebrated by printers and brands alike. As an industry we need to continue the evolution to circular resources and cbak evolve is the first step of our journey here at LeadEdge.’

Available in a range of thicknesses, the cbak evolve PE foam has strong memory and rebound characteristics, as well as being water and solvent resistant, ensuring dimensional accuracy across the web, said LeadEdge. The product reduces the height of photopolymer printing plates, giving printers advantages in consistent ink coverage, reduced dot gain, and reduced fluting on corrugated substrates, the company added.

The product has been certified by Beta Analytic Testing Laboratory with a C14 certification, indicating the percentage carbon from natural sources versus synthetic sources.