Zwevegem, Belgium, – Format Werk, Austria's largest producer of stationery for schools and offices has chosen Bekaert's eco-friendly coating for bookbinding wire – Ecobind - to produce a range of sustainable spiral bound exercise books.

Committed to a green policy
Format Werk's Managing Director and CEO, Mr. Thomas Riemer, explains the company's policy: "Throughout production we strive to use raw materials that are managed in a responsible way. To live up to this ambition, we have set up a multi-faceted environmental system, which is also part of the quality control. This enables us to guarantee the sustainable credentials of the high-quality raw materials we use and their sources."

A brand new green finishing
When Bekaert introduced Ecobind - bookbinding wires finished with a carbon neutral, colored coating, developed specifically for the ecology-minded producer and consumer of spiral bound stationery - Format Werk immediately saw the potential.

The coating on the Ecobind wire is a 'green' polymer completely derived from natural resources. While having the same technical properties as petroleum based polymers, Bekaert Ecobind decomposes when left in an industrial composting environment. Following thorough testing on the characteristics of Ecobind, Format Werk's production manager Kurt Mayer concluded various successful quality trials. He comments: "Ecobind fulfills our needs completely and is an ideal addition to our spiral products."   

Partners in green product innovations
"In these times we must strive to realize every detail, every item and every idea that might contribute to saving our environment," adds Mr Riemer. "The combination of our paper products and Bekaert Ecobind is a positive example of how sharing expertise can help achieve these goals. Having a partner like Bekaert is crucial. It has the same environmental awareness and motivation as Format Werk to continuously improve products while keeping an eye on nature."  

Marcelo Xavier, Global Market Manager at Bekaert, underlines the importance of this cooperation: "Format Werk's belief in Ecobind clearly illustrates the market's needs for environmentally conscious products. Bekaert Ecobind has closed the natural cycle and fits the Format Werk policy perfectly."

Format Werk is now using Ecobind for all its spiral and double loop products in the Formati, Format-X and Ursus Green brand portfolio as well as its Private Label range.