"A product portfolio less dependent on silver"

BetterSense · Mar 31, 2011

For 2011, the company is taking aggressive action to improve the operating results from these businesses. These actions include capitalizing on Kodaks market-leading position through a continued focus on unsurpassed quality and service and the introduction of innovative, new film products; continuing to aggressively reduce costs in line with industry decline rates; and taking aggressive actions to mitigate silver pricing volatility, including the implementation of an indexed pricing model for key products and a transition to a product portfolio less dependent on silver.

What could that possibly mean? Is there really any way to reduce the use of silver? Use smaller formats?

brucemuir · Mar 31, 2011

They mean getting out of the film business period, or at least cutting MORE film/paper products.

BetterSense · Mar 31, 2011

well, I should have quoted the whole thing. The whole paragraph is speaking specifically to the film, photofinishing part of their business.

lxdude · Mar 31, 2011

How about providing a link, to help with context?

brucemuir · Mar 31, 2011

perhaps they are talking a more sensitive grain structure (like t grain?) or something.
we already have seen sheet films diminish

i just know I will be real upset when Trix in 120 goes,
hate to be a bummer but...

Kevin Caulfield · Mar 31, 2011

Let's support Ilford and Fuji and the others who don't feel "dependent on silver".

brianmquinn · Apr 1, 2011

"This forum is NOT for rumors and speculation"
Let us keep it that way.

2F/2F · Apr 1, 2011

Perhaps it means going to T-Max films alone, and/or designing new papers.

I wonder if there is a way the manufacturers could set up a way that we all could donate the reclaimed silver from our spent fixer back to them (or sell it back at a lower rate than they normally pay for it), or if this would even help them. If you figure that over 50 percent of the silver in the average piece of film or paper gets removed (and dumped down the drain by most people, it would seem from several old threads here), that is quite a substantial amount of silver that will never be of any use to humans ever again.

BetterSense · Apr 1, 2011

Someone else mentioned that color technologies are less silver-dependent than B&W ones because all the silver is bleached out and can be reclaimed. Of course this directly benefits the photofinishers and not the person buying the film but one can assume the effect would trickle down somewhat.

Link to the statement on Kodak website

http://kexmd.kodak.com/eknec/PageQu...n_IN&gpcid=0900688a80ea9257&ignoreLocale=true

removed account4 · Apr 1, 2011

it is in the paragraph after the one you quoted:

"In addition, Kodak is leveraging its expertise in materials and chemical science and coating technology to expand its participation in large industrial markets around the world, including printed circuit boards, industrial printing, and gelatin for pharmaceutical and other applications. As volumes decline for traditional photographic products, Kodak plans to increase sales in these new markets to mitigate the decline by repurposing existing technology and assets."

removed account4 · Apr 1, 2011

2F/2F said:
Perhaps it means going to T-Max films alone, and/or designing new papers.

I wonder if there is a way the manufacturers could set up a way that we all could donate the reclaimed silver from our spent fixer back to them (or sell it back at a lower rate than they normally pay for it), or if this would even help them. If you figure that over 50 percent of the silver in the average piece of film or paper gets removed (and dumped down the drain by most people, it would seem from several old threads here), that is quite a substantial amount of silver that will never be of any use to humans ever again.

keith it would be great if the average person cared enough to do something like that
in the spent fixer poll thread i started years ago nearly 70% of all the responders
couldn't care less or be bothered to do much more than pour their spent fixer down the drain.
... even with silver prices the highest they have ever been,
and there is a easy and inexpensive way to reduce one's silver waste footprint
and make $$ at the same time... people still don't care.

too much trouble, or its my right to do whatever i want or ...,
i can't imagine them wasting their time and energy to mail 32 troy oz of silver flake back to kodak
as a hand-out ( when they complain incessantly about how kodak has discontinued this
and discontinued that, and raised their prices and ...., )
when they don't even bother to have the 32 troy oz refined to convert it to
$800 for their own 'GAS SLUSH FUND" or automobile fuel, or food, or
money for a rainy day fund ...

john

2F/2F · Apr 1, 2011

jnanian said:
keith it would be great if the average person cared enough to do something like that
in the spent fixer poll thread i started years ago nearly 70% of all the responders
couldn't care less or be bothered to do much more than pour their spent fixer down the drain.
... even with silver prices the highest they have ever been,
and there is a easy and inexpensive way to reduce one's silver waste footprint
and make $$ at the same time... people still don't care.

too much trouble, or its my right to do whatever i want or ...,
i can't imagine them wasting their time and energy to mail 32 troy oz of silver flake back to kodak
as a hand-out ( when they complain incessantly about how kodak has discontinued this
and discontinued that, and raised their prices and ...., )
when they don't even bother to have the 32 troy oz refined to convert it to
$800 for their own 'GAS SLUSH FUND" or automobile fuel, or food, or
money for a rainy day fund ...

john

Yes, people don't make sense sometimes. Why they cannot do the simplest thing to show some respect for the environment and the economy is beyond me.

I don't use the silver magnets or trickle tanks, but I am considering them. Right now I take my chemicals to the local haz-mat disposal yard.

Perhaps if Kodak, Ilford, et al included silver magnets with their fixers along with rebate forms? Build the cost of silver into the product, but make it so the customer can get gift certificates or coupons when they send in the magnets. Something like the redemption value for bottles and cans is what I am thinking of. Not only does it reclaim silver, but it gives customers incentives to keep buying the company's products.

Have you tried pitching the silver magnet thing to Freestyle? Maybe they could serve as a sort of "collection center," and provide in-house coupons to those returning magnets. It would maybe be possible there, but likely not with Kodak or Ilford directly. I don't know if they would bother.

removed account4 · Apr 1, 2011

yeah, that would be a good idea !
build in the recovery right into the product
and it would be a win win situation ...
and maybe people would actually use their fixer
to its capacity !

but then we'll have to hear:

" they are making me buy that too ?! forget-it ! ... i'm going to get my fixer
from the fertilizer guy or the pool shop ... or...
can i use sea water or salt or baking soda or all tempa cheer for fixer, how about KELP ? "

"A product portfolio less dependent on silver"

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