Siegwerk wins sustainability award

Siegwerk has won the Sustainability Award 2026 in the Research and Development category for UniLEAF, its acrylic-free ink for water-based flexo printing on paper and board, presented on November 11 at the Sustainable Packaging Summit in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

UniLEAF stands for 'Low Energy Acrylic Free' and builds on Siegwerk's UniNature range. Its formulation replaces conventional acrylic resins with polymers derived from bio-based raw materials. 'We are extremely proud to receive this award for UniLeaf. It is recognition of the passion, expertise and innovative spirit of our teams and confirms that rethinking established formulation approaches can make a meaningful difference,' said Thibaud Liard, business unit head paper and board EMEA at Siegwerk. 'With UniLEAF, we have challenged a long-standing industry convention by eliminating acrylic resins from water-based flexo ink extender while maintaining the performance and efficiency our customers need. This award encourages us to continue pushing the boundaries of acrylic-free ink development.'

Initial industrial trials showed measurable benefits. Compared with UniNature, UniLEAF achieved an additional 50 percent reduction in CO2 footprint, and the share of biogenic carbon in the formulation more than doubled with the complete removal of acrylic resins. The trials also showed energy savings of more than 15 percent during drying at the same production speed. Siegwerk says the bio-based resin system can be used in standard ink-manufacturing operations without major investment in production technology, and that manufacturing efficiency and finished-product quality stay unchanged.