Siegwerk presents a new deinking solution for UV-printed labels. In a customer test with Masterpress, the new primer demonstrates its effectiveness in deinking energy-cured printing inks to ensure high recyclate quality.
Siegwerk has announced the market launch of its first complete UV flexo deinking system for the European market: Crikit Clearprime UV E02, a new primer technology for non-food packaging applications that offers a validated solution for the safe and economical deinking of UV-printed self-adhesive labels (PSL). As a result it improves the recyclability of labelled plastic packaging and enables the recovery of high-quality recyclates that are suitable for reuse in non-food packaging.
Although UV inks offer some advantageous properties for printing labels, they also pose a challenge for subsequent recycling. „Depending on the substrate material, UV inks are often very difficult to remove and can therefore lead to Contamination of recyclates which significantly limits their further reuse,“ explains Marc Larvor, Head of Technology Narrow EMEA at Siegwerk. „It is therefore not surprising that UV-printed packaging was previously seen as problematic in terms of a circular economy.“ With Crikit Clearprime UV E02, Siegwerk now offers a primer solution that addresses precisely this challenge. It enables a Simple and secure deinking of UV-printed self-adhesive labels and eliminates the need to remove the labels beforehand, provided the plastics used are compatible.
„Combined mechanical recycling of labels and plastic packaging in this way can not only help to increase recycling rates, but also save time and costs. Our new UV flexo deinking primer thus actively contributes to the realisation of high-quality recyclates for recyclable waste streams.“
Marc Larvor
In an initial field test with Masterpress Siegwerk's new deinking primer has proven its effectiveness. The research and development (R&D) experts at Masterpress used uncoated transparent or white self-adhesive labels (PSL) made of PE85 and applied Crikit Clearprime UV E02, followed by bleed-resistant UV flexo inks and a UV flexo OPV. The primer initially ensured good adhesion between the substrate and the printing inks and enabled the Complete ink and varnish removal from the printed polyethylene (PE) film under standard deinking conditions based on the QT 507 washing protocol of the European PET Bottle Platform (EPBP).
The primer layer dissolved residue-free in the hot wash process, proving its ability to produce high-quality transparent or white recyclates, while the non-bleeding colour formulations used ensured a clean and reusable wash solution. Internal laboratory tests at the companies have shown good recyclate results, underlining the effectiveness of the new deinking primer.
„Masterpress continually invests in its research and development laboratory and has state-of-the-art facilities to test and trial new inks or materials before they are launched. We are committed to driving innovation in the shrink sleeve and self-adhesive label industry and are well positioned to accelerate the commercialisation of new, sustainable, recyclable products and materials in the market. Our tests have confirmed an impressive recyclability of UV printed PE labels. Compared to other labels without deinking technology, we observed that contamination of plastic recyclates by discolouration could be massively reduced by using Siegwerk's UV deinking primer.“
Katarzyna Wasilewska, Research and Development Manager at Masterpress
Crikit Clearprime UV E02 thus makes a significant contribution to the Improving the quality of recyclates and increasing their reusability. The primer can be combined with the company's established Sicura flexo series. In addition, the new primer is compatible with various film materials and enables inline printing of deinkable materials in a 100 per cent UV flexo press. „At just three minutes, the new UV flexo primer even offers as fast a deinking speed as a water-based deinking primer, making it a great alternative for converters using a UV flexo-only press who are unable to process a water-based primer,“ adds Katarzyna Wasilewska.
With Crikit Clearprime UV E02, Siegwerk has expanded its Cirkit product portfolio with another functional coating solution for packaging designs in the spirit of a circular economy and is driving deinking as a new industry standard to minimise Further improve the recyclability of plastic packaging.
Source: Siegwerk
