INNOVATION | RIGID PACKAGING


project partners say they are now advocating a re-evaluation of the role of printing inks and coatings in recycling and calling for a broader assessment of packaging deinkability under standard hot caustic conditions which will hopefully culminate in the adoption of the corresponding test standard published under DIN SPEC 91496.


Above: Greiner Packaging is involved in a project with Siegwerk and Krones on deinking of rigid plastic cups during recycling


with food packaging. Establishing closed loops can mitigate this issue. “In a project with ARA, Austria’s leading collection and recovery scheme for packaging, we successfully established such a loop,” Sabo said. “In collaboration with the Austrian Coffee Brewers Association, used coffee capsules are collected, cleaned, and disassembled into pure aluminium and plastic, which are then used to make new products.” When mechanical recycling falls short, chemical


recycling offers a potential alternative for mixed packaging waste containing PP and PE. However, it is generally more energy-intensive and produces higher CO2 emissions, making it a complementary rather than primary solution. “Progress in recycling processes is already evident,” said Sabo. “There are promising signs of progress. With technological innovations, strategic adjustments, and close industry collaboration, we are confident that the PPWR requirements will be met and that the transition to a functioning circular economy will be successful.” Further underlining the importance of collabora-


Right: Gneuss says use of its Super Clean Process enables regrind from bottle caps to be reprocessed back into caps


tion, Greiner Packaging has also joined forces with wash technology group Krones and Siegwerk, a German provider of printing inks, in a new initiative highlighting the capabilities of modern recycling facilities in the conversion of direct-printed PP and polystyrene (PS) cups. Despite being considered non-recyclable by some in the context of design for recycling, the alliance was able to effectively deink and convert rigid containers into high-quality white recyclate without altering the ink formulation or print design. This was achieved by using hot caustic washing, a process for PET bottle recycling being increasingly adopted by those working with polyolefin (PO) and PS rigid streams. These findings emphasise the need for guidelines to evolve with technological advancements, ensuring they reflect the most efficient and sustainable routes to a circular economy available at any given time. The


30 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | September 2024


Deinking labels In July, Siegwerk launched its first full UV flexo deinking system for the European market, known as Cirkit Clearprime UV E02. The new primer technology for non-food packaging applications offers a validated solution for safe and economic deinking of UV-printed pressure sensitive labels (PSL), improving the recyclability of labelled plastic packaging.


“Depending on the substrate, UV inks are often


very difficult to remove and can therefore lead to contaminations of recyclates, which significantly limits their further reuse,” said Marc Larvor, Head of Technology Narrow EMEA at Siegwerk. In a field test, experts from Masterpress, a supplier of high-quality labels and printed packag- ing solutions, used uncoated transparent or white PSL made of PE85 and applied Siegwerk’s Cirkit Clearprime UV E02 followed by bleeding resistant UV flexo inks and an UV flexo OPV. The primer created adhesion between substrate and inks, and later enabled full ink and varnish removal of the printed PE film at standard deinking conditions based on the QT 507 washing protocol of the European PET Bottle Platform (EPBP). The primer layer dissolved residue-free.


High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is widely used in the manufacture of bottles, containers and caps because of its superior strength and rigidity, and in packaging for personal care products, detergents, and industrial fluids, because of its durability. HDPE bottle caps can go through the same washing


www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


IMAGE: GREINER


IMAGE: GNEUSS


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