Page 22 - Print21 March-April 2022

Printer Profile
AFI hits sustainability milestone with 250 tonnes
An industry-first fabric take-back scheme
for AFI Branding has hit a sustainability milestone, by diverting 250 tonnes of fabric from landfill. AFI has been partnering with Coritex textile and media print specialists and circular industry leaders Circular Centre, and with its Circular Textile Waste Service.
“It’s a proud day at AFI to know we’ve been able to change our processes to reduce our footprint on such a scale. Every month, we print in excess of 15,000sqm of fabric for
retail, events and exhibition industries, and
we recognise we have a responsibility to where that fabric ends up. In 2019, we launched the first fabric take-back scheme in the signage industry – ‘be sustainable’ to a great response. We are excited to continue shaping the future of textile flow in Australia,” says Glenn Watson, managing director of AFI Branding.
The Circular Centre is working to create
a range of innovative solutions for a variety of AFI Branding’s signage types. “Take-
back signage is trickier than you imagine. Like clothing, there are a variety of textiles and finishes plus the need to take into consideration what’s printed on them, so to reuse, redesign and repurpose these resources into other products is an exciting step,” says Alison Jose, director of Circular Centre.
One recent initiative that has significantly contributed to AFI Branding's 250 tonne milestone is Circular Centre's partnership with Sealy, whereby specific fabrics are sent to Queensland to be used as raw materials in Australian mattress products. This circular initiative was assisted by the Circulate grant from the NSW Environment Protection Authority Waste Less Recycle More Initiative, funded from the waste levy that supports aspects of the Circular Textile Waste Service.
“Our 2022 plans include an innovative Circular ReDesign Competition for accessories and interior designers. When product designers get involved, we see incredible resource innovations for textile waste redesign. In fact, we have announced the winners of our Circular Denim Redesign Competition collaboration with General Pants Co, who collected 1000 pairs of unwanted denim, which we gave out to fashion designers to re-imagine, and the results are astounding,” says Jose.
Australia’s largest fabric printer, AFI Branding, celebrates hitting a business milestone, 30 years in operation, growing from a two-man band in 1992 to become an innovative high-tech company today.
AFI Branding celebrates
flying the flag for 30 years
Initially named Auto Flags International, the company was started by father and son team Al and Glenn Watson, with Glenn now managing director
of the business.
AFI was founded to sell custom
flag holders designed to fix to the outside of a car, featuring a small, detachable flag to be waved at whatever event the drivers were heading to. While the flag holder, brainchild of Al Watson, may not have taken off, the production of flags certainly did.
Over its three decades in print, AFI has serviced Australia’s retail, events and exhibitions industries including the Commonwealth Games (both 2006 and 2018) amongst its highlight projects. With a full service offering at its dedicated facility
in Carrum Downs, AFI now offers industrial design, printing, sewing, fabrication, sales and despatch specialists within its team.
AFI was founded on a philosophy of innovation and being first to market. Glenn Watson, founder and strategic director said, “We might not always have had the answers or solutions, but we knew the places to go and
the people to speak to, to ensure our business stayed one step ahead.” Key to its development was a
trip to Europe in the early 2000s, the team looking at how print technology and processes were
22 Print21 MARCH/APRIL 2022
Above Founders: (l-r) Al and Glenn Watson, AFI Branding
evolving, and bringing them back to Australia. In 2006, AFI was the first company to offer three-metre wide fabric printing in Australia.
“This was a real game changer
for us,” says Watson. “By being first to market, we were able to open up wide fabric printing within Australia to a range of new industries, like exhibitions and retail. Now, 16 years on, they have become core business streams for us.”
In October last year, AFI was acquired by IVE Group, Australia’s leading holistic marketing and print communications company. The acquisition means IVE now offers in-house fabric printing for the first time in its rich 101 year history.
Watson said, “‘If you’d asked
me 30 years ago where Auto Flags International might end up, I don’t think either Al or I would have said here. From the offset we have valued our people, we have a passionate and talented team with a can-do mindset which really does make anything possible. That’s definitely an approach echoed at IVE, which makes the opportunities that lie ahead in our next chapter even more exciting.”
Later this year, AFI will join its parent company IVE Group, in a custom-built facility in Braeside, Victoria. 21