The plastic packaging manufacturer Greiner Packaging, the printing ink supplier Siegwerk and the mechanical engineering expert Krones have joined forces in an initiative. Their aim is to develop modern recycling systems that can process directly printed PP and PS cups into high-quality recyclate.
Although this packaging is not considered recyclable according to some design-for-recycling guidelines, the three companies said they were able to „de-ink“ the stable packaging and turn it into white recyclate to convert. And all without having to change the colour formulation or print design. This was achieved by using hot liquor, a standard process for PET bottle recycling that is increasingly being used by recyclers working with polyolefin (PO) and PS material streams.
The findings emphasise the need to evolve the guidelines in line with technological advances in recycling to ensure they reflect the most efficient and sustainable pathways to a circular economy for packaging. The project partners are in favour of a Reassessing the role of printing inks and coatings in recycling and call for a more comprehensive assessment of the „de-inkability“ of packaging under standard hot leaching conditions and the adoption of the corresponding test standard published under DIN SPEC 91496. This position is in line with the position paper recently published by EuPIA.
Source: Greiner Packaging
