Siegwerk and Masterpress partner for eco-friendly label solutions

GERMANY – Siegwerk, a leading global provider of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications and labels, has announced the launch of CIRKIT CLEARPRIME UV E02, its first full UV flexo deinking system for the European market.

This innovative primer technology is designed for non-food packaging applications and offers a validated solution for the safe and economical deinking of UV-printed self-adhesive labels (PSL).

By improving the recyclability of labeled plastic packaging, it enables the recovery of high-quality recyclates suitable for reuse in non-food packaging applications.

While UV inks offer several advantages for printing labels, they pose significant challenges for recycling.

“Depending on the substrate, UV inks are often very difficult to remove and can contaminate recyclates, significantly limiting their reuse,” explains Marc Larvor, head of Technology Narrow EMEA at Siegwerk.

Consequently, UV-printed packaging has been problematic for the Circular Economy. CIRKIT CLEARPRIME UV E02 addresses this issue by enabling easy and safe deinking of UV-printed self-adhesive labels, eliminating the need for prior label removal if the plastics are compatible.

“This combined mechanical recycling of labels and plastic packaging can help increase recycling rates and save time and costs,” Larvor adds.

The new UV flexo deinking primer actively contributes to creating high-quality recyclates for circular waste streams.

In a field test with Masterpress, the effectiveness of Siegwerk’s new deinking primer was confirmed.

Masterpress’ R&D experts used uncoated transparent or white pressure-sensitive labels (PSL) made of PE85, applying Siegwerk’s CIRKIT CLEARPRIME UV E02 followed by bleeding-resistant UV flexo inks and a UV flexo OPV.

The primer created perfect adhesion between the substrate and inks, enabling full ink and varnish removal of 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 washing process, proving its ability to generate high-quality transparent or white recyclates, while the non-bleeding ink formulations ensured a clean and reusable washing solution.

In-house laboratory tests at Masterpress and Siegwerk demonstrated excellent recyclate results, underlining the effectiveness of the new deinking primer.

“Masterpress, consistently investing in its R&D laboratory, brings state-of-the-art capabilities to test and trial new inks or materials before they enter the market,” said Katarzyna Wasilewska, R&D manager at Masterpress.

“Our tests confirmed impressive recyclability of the UV-printed PE labels. Compared to other labels without deinking technology, we observed a massive reduction in contamination of plastic recyclates due to discoloration using Siegwerk’s UV Deinking Primer.”

CIRKIT CLEARPRIME UV E02 significantly improves the quality and reusability of recyclates. It is compatible with Siegwerk’s established Sicura flexo series, such as the non-low migration Sicura Flex 39-8 and the dual-curing series Sicura Flex Dual Cure.

Additionally, the new primer works with different film materials and allows inline printing of deinkable materials in a 100% UV-Flexo press setup, keeping complexity low for users.

“With only three minutes of deinking speed, the new UV flexo primer is as fast as a water-based deinking primer, making it a great alternative for converters using a pure UV flexo press who cannot process a water-based primer,” Wasilewska adds.

With CIRKIT CLEARPRIME UV E02, Siegwerk not only adds another functional coating solution to its CIRKIT product portfolio for circular economy packaging designs but also continues to promote deinking as a new industry standard to enhance the recyclability of plastic packaging.

The company’s portfolio of circular coatings already includes various water-based and solvent-based technologies for different applications, substrates, coating processes, and performances.

These range from barrier coatings against liquids, oil, grease, water vapor, oxygen, and UV light to heat seal and protection coatings, as well as delamination and deinking primers.

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