Greiner Packaging, Siegwerk and Krones have collaborated on an initiative that showcases the capabilities of recycling facilities in transforming direct-printed polypropylene and polystyrene (PS) cups.
Using hot caustic washing, a standard procedure in PET bottle recycling, the initiative deinks and converts rigid containers into high-quality white recyclates while maintaining the integrity of the ink formulation and print design.
These tested containers were deemed as non-recyclable by some ‘Design for Recycling’ guidelines.
According to the companies, the hot caustic washing process is being increasingly adopted by recyclers who are working with polyolefin and PS rigid streams.
The findings highlight the need for guidelines to evolve with technological advancements in recycling for a more efficient and sustainable circular packaging economy.
