The Value of Inks & Coatings in a Circular Economy (part 1 of 2)

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2020/04/22 The Value of Inks & Coatings in a Circular Economy (part 1 of 2)

The Value of Inks & Coatings in a Circular Economy
How recyclability, bio-renewability and compostability play a critical role.

Source from: https://www.flexpackmag.com/articles/90399-the-value-of-inks-coatings-in-a-circular-economy

In a world where sustainability is a top priority, brand owners in every industry are positioning their brands as environmentally friendly. From food production to packaging, even price may be taking a back seat to sustainability when it comes to consumer demands.

A study by the Flexible Packaging Association in 2018 concluded that 72% of brand owners believe consumers care about the sustainability aspects of packaging materials. In fact, 79% of consumers say that they prefer products that are in sustainable packaging over those that are not.

Some countries and world organizations are taking it upon themselves to make the world more sustainable. The United Nations, for instance, introduced its initiative, “Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” a plan that highlights 17 UN goals for decreasing the carbon footprint.

Brand owners are joining the cause and finding that if they take the time to listen to consumers and their sustainability concerns, and then take the necessary steps to vet and study the environmental practices implemented by their suppliers and partners, they will be rewarded for their efforts.

There are three components that could play a critical role in the sustainability of packaging — recyclability, bio-renewability and compostability. Each of these plays a specific role in the circular economy and decreasing the carbon footprint.

Recyclability

The world currently runs predominantly as a linear economy, meaning that natural resources are used and then disposed of. With the aggressive shift toward becoming a circular economy, natural resources would be used, broken down and recycled for use again and again.

For example, in a circular economy, a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle with a shrink label affixed could be used, the label de-seamed and the bottle recycled, allowing those same raw materials to be used repeatedly.

The label itself can affect the recyclability of the bottle, and furthermore, the inks and pigments used can impact the recyclability of the label. Brand owners must do their due diligence to understand how their converter partners are contributing to the overall process.

The label should first be stripped off the PET substrate, assuring that it doesn’t interfere with the breaking down of the plastic into pellets to be used again in the circular economy. Otherwise, the label itself and its components, such as the inks and pigments, can potentially contaminate the pellets that are made from the bottle.

Solutions in the marketplace enable brand owners to increase the recyclability of their products that use shrink labels. Currently, offerings exist that provide solvent-based, de-seaming adhesives that replace the traditional solvent seam on the label, allowing easy removal during recycling for an improved, label-free process for recycling PET containers.

De-seaming allows brand owners to continue to use shrink labels, without sacrificing quality packaging or sustainable values as they are contributing to the overall recyclability of the PET bottle.

Another way to recycle inks and contribute to a circular economy is to utilize a water-based flexo dispenser. Using a dispenser allows printers to mix exactly the amount of water-based flexo inks that they need, reduce their inventory and waste, improve color-matching consistency and significantly decrease total operating costs.

Label printers traditionally have to remove ink-soiled containers. For printers with large volumes of leftover ink on their shelves, the water-based flexo ink dispenser creates the ability to mix and match leftover inks and give the color needed within the delta E — thus, reducing inventory and waste.

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