Sustainable Plastics - March/April 2023 - 26

recycling
continued from page 25
brands. For example, CEFLEX's
D4ACE-Guidelines; Plastic Recyclers
Europe's RecyClass tool;
and the Ellen MacArthur Pioneer
Project Barrier: " Recyclability
Guidelines for Plastic-Based
Flexible Barrier Packaging " .
There are, however, several
best practices regarding ink selection,
which brands can follow
to maximise their packaging's
suitability for recycling and keep
ahead of any future regulations:
* Printed packaging should
follow the 5% rule: The ink printed
should be 5% or less of the
total weight of the packaging.
This doesn't present a problem
with modern coding and marking
solutions, even if the amount
printed is increased to print
more information, for example,
in high-resolution 2D codes or
on-pack recycling labels. For
full product printing, using digital
inkjet printing technologies
rather than analogue printing
methods will also help ensure
the quantity of ink printed stays
below the 5% mark.
* Inks should be composed
of ingredients that are unlikely
to create technical problems
during recycling: For plastics,
where the temperature of reprocessing
materials sits between
200° C and 270° C, it is important
to avoid ink ingredients that
may thermally decompose and
create harmful or problematic
materials. Certain ink ingredients
can generate corrosive
materials that can damage recycling
equipment, gases that
downgrade the quality of the
recyclate, and other chemicals
which can cause discolouration.
Inks should also be " non-bleeding " ,
i.e., no noticeable discolouration
of washing waters
during recycling or of recyclate
flakes after drying.
* Inks should either be of a
similar chemical nature to the
packaging substrate or able to
be separated easily from it. Inks
that remain on a recycled material
can alter the colour and
transparency of the recyclate
and make it less valuable. Creating
high-quality recyclate from
flexible packaging may, therefore,
require a de-inking process
to remove leftover colourants
and return the material to its
original state. Analogue printing
- where an ink layer for the
full decoration of the packaging
is embedded between two thin
layers of the packaging substrate
- can be very difficult to
de-ink. Placing the ink on top of
the substrate - surface printing
- using digital printing technologies
increases the likelihood
that the ink can be removed,
thereby increasing the value of
the recycled material.
* Inks should adhere to European
Printing Inks Association
(EuPIA) guidelines. When recycling
plastics, it is not always
possible to remove all contaminants
present on the original
packaging material, and, over
time, this can cause an accumulation
of contaminants within the
recycling stream. It is therefore
important to ensure that inks
printed onto recyclable plastics
are free from ingredients that
could pose a problem for human
health if built up in higher concentrations
through recycling.
To this end, any inks used for
recyclable packaging should
be designed and manufactured
in line with the EuPIA Exclusion
Policy, avoiding the use of harmful
or hazardous substances.
Given the many benefits of
flexible packaging and its wide
use in global food and beverage
markets, it is unlikely that we will
see a decrease in the use of flexible
plastics in the near future.
However, it is undeniable that
more must be done collectively
to increase the percentage of
flexible plastics that are recycled.
While improving recycling
infrastructure is one crucial element,
it is also vital that we
make recycling information
more straightforward and accessible
for consumers as well
as harness technologies to improve
sorting and processing
within recycling facilities.
Inks play a fundamental role
in this communication, so ensuring
inks are designed for
recyclability is critical. This is
where partnering with a reliable
ink supplier with experience
working in coding and marking,
and digital printing, can stand
brands in good stead as we
strive to meet global objectives
to increase the recyclability of
flexible plastic packaging.
We build partnerships and enable the
value chain. Together we can create a
future where all plastics and chemicals
are made of renewable and recycled
materials, replacing fossil resources.
Visit us at PRSE stand R13, Hall 11.
Learn more about us
Towards a sustainable
future together
neste.com
26
March/April 2023
http://www.neste.com
Sustainable Plastics - March/April 2023

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