UK – Le Mark Group, the leading provider of tapes and labels to the entertainment production industry, has introduced an important new solution to limit the everyday impact of productions on the environment. The new product, Paper-Tak, is a tough, self-adhesive, PVC-free tape which is an alternative to the hundreds of thousands of pieces of PVC tape commonly used for colour-coding, cable-coiling, identification, spiking and countless other on-site production tasks.
Made using 70% recycled paper, a core of 100% recycled cardboard and with recyclable packaging, Paper-Tak provides a viable solution for companies working in production who are serious about minimising the environmental impact of their activities. With a quick-stick, multi-surface, natural rubber-based, pressure-sensitive adhesive, Paper-Tak’s crepe paper surface is easy to tear and easy to write on, with a pen and pencil receptive surface, offering a usable solution for the vast majority of applications. Sealing Putty Tape
Le Mark’s Stuart Gibbons OBE says: “Greenpeace considers PVC to be the single most environmentally damaging of all the plastics we commonly use and our industry discards tonnes of it every year. The need for a new approach cannot be overstated: this is a hugely significant step for our industry.”
The market has already shown a welcoming response to the innovation, with leading companies immediately seeing the benefits of the product. Among those is White Light, which is now making Paper-Tak available via its online shop. Other companies who have seen the unique value of this new sustainable offering include Theatre Supplies Group and Canford Audio.
Le Mark’s Jeff Demain says: “Paper-Tak has many uses and will transform the environmental impact of the work that backstage crews do every day. Imagine the number of PVC strips that are discarded after every event, especially in festival environments, and the clean-up and disposal costs that are increasingly being imposed by venues. Wherever it’s suitable, using Paper-Tak is a must.”
He adds: “We’re very clear that Paper-Tak is only meant for non-critical use – that is to say ‘non-electrical’ use – because it is not an insulator and is not meant to replace electrical insulation tape. Also, it’s a light-weight tape, so while it’s well suited for coiling most cables and for attaching basic cable runs to truss, for example, it doesn’t have the strength for securing coiled multicores and heavier cables.”
Paper-Tak is currently available in packs of six rolls (red, green, blue, yellow, black and white) and in roll lengths of 10m, 25m or 50m, on a 32mm core. It also offers distinct advantages in size and weight over PVC tapes: a 50m roll of Paper-Tak is about the same size as a 33m PVC roll, and 20% lighter. Paper-Tak is available in standard widths of 19mm, 24mm and 48mm.
Commenting on the benefits of Paper-Tak, White Light’s head of customer service, Craig Bennett, says: “As a company with B Corp accreditation, we try to ensure our entire operation is as sustainable as possible. It’s great to see developments in manufacturing that change the impact of the products we sell and the productions they are used on. Le Mark has created a tape that allows for the usual colour-coding, cable-coiling, looming, and fixing that we all carry out daily - but without PVC - making it extremely environmentally friendly. We’ve been searching for a reliable alternative to PVC for years and I am excited that we are now able to supply Paper-Tak.”
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