Siegwerk launches deinkable products

Newly launched products increase the recyclability of UV-coated paper and board packaging and support the material-specific recycling targets, according to the EU Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC).

It is important that ink and varnish films are fragmented into small hydrophobic (water repellent) particles during the recycling process in order to become detached and more easily separated from the substrate fiber. However, standard UV inks still often show an extremely poor deinkability as they form a solid, chemically, and mechanically resistant layer that is strongly attached to the cellulose fiber. They are difficult to remove during the recycling process resulting in big color spots in the recycled paper.

Based on Siegwerk’s Sicura Low NRGY UV/ LED UV ink series, launched in 2019, the company’s experts have developed another UV offset ink series, specially designed for offset and packaging printing of non-food applications: Sicura Plast SP. It has outstanding deinking properties when compared to the deinkability of conventional oil-based sheet-fed offset inks.

Sicura Plast SP also offers offset properties and high color strength, as well as good adhesion on absorbent and non-absorbent substrates. It was specially developed to achieve a very high polyvalence use on board.

The deinkability of Sicura Plast SP alone, and in combination with the new deinkable UV flexo varnishes, has been proven by using the INGEDE method 11, the officially approved industry standard for deinking testing.

‘Our new UV flexo varnishes are recyclable by the standard flotation deinking process also used for the recycling of printed ink films on paper and virgin fiber board without any adaption,’ explained Thomas Glaser, head of technology sheet-fed at Siegwerk. ‘This enables us to offer commercial and packaging printers the complete package of recyclable UV offset inks plus varnishes. A very good example of Siegwerk’s circular economy strategy, which enables our customers to become more sustainable – in this case by increasing the recyclability of paper.’