Masterpress unveils magnetizable inks to boost PET bottle recycling

POLAND – Poland-based shrink sleeve specialist Masterpress, in collaboration with Magnomer and leading ink suppliers, has developed new retentive and magnetizable inks designed to overcome persistent challenges in PET bottle recycling.

The innovations align with growing EU regulatory pressure under the forthcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which demands improved recyclability and design-for-circularity in plastic packaging.

In the recycling of PET bottles, labels often cause contamination when inks dissolve during the caustic wash process.

This “ink bleeding” not only discolors the wash water but also compromises the purity of recovered PET flakes, limiting their reuse in food-grade applications.

To address this, Masterpress worked with ink manufacturers to develop a retentive ink series that withstands high temperatures and chemical friction, ensuring inks remain attached to the label throughout washing.

“If the ink remains on the label, it’s much easier to remove the entire label cleanly,” explains Katarzyna Wasilewska, R&D manager at Masterpress.

“That way, PET flakes stay uncontaminated and can be reused safely.”

These retentive inks, applicable across different label materials and print methods, represent a step forward in enabling closed-loop recycling of PET bottles, a key objective in achieving EU’s 2030 recyclability targets.

Revolutionary magnetizable inks

The second innovation, magnetizable inks, addresses an even tougher challenge: separating PET-on-PET shrink sleeves, where both label and bottle share identical densities and chemical compositions. Traditional flotation-based separation fails in such cases.

Developed using Magnomer’s patented magnetic coating technology and optimized by Masterpress for industrial printing, these inks enable recyclers to extract labeled PET using existing magnetic sorting equipment, which is already used for metal contaminants.

“With this magnetic coating, we can ensure clean separation, enabling better recycling yields and less contamination,” Wasilewska says.

The invisible magnetic layer does not alter the sleeve’s appearance or performance, though balancing magnetic strength with proper shrinkability required precise formulation.

The technology has been recognized by the US Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) as a recycling-friendly solution and could soon gain traction in Europe as PPWR drives innovation in packaging design.

Masterpress’s dual-ink developments mark a significant leap toward full recyclability in shrink sleeve packaging, helping converters and brands meet upcoming sustainability mandates without compromising performance or aesthetics.

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