Siegwerk, a prominent global provider of printing inks and coatings for packaging and labels, has announced the successful development of a fully recyclable mono-PE bag for dry pet food, utilizing its CIRKIT functional coatings. Collaborating with printing machine manufacturer Windmöller & Hölscher and bag making and machine producer B&B, the company has produced a new high-barrier mono-material packaging. This innovative solution not only matches the performance of the commonly used multi-material structure for dry pet food packaging but also meets recycling standards.
With the EU's tightening regulations, there's mounting pressure on brand owners and packaging manufacturers to rethink packaging designs for circularity. Belal Habib, Head of Brand Owner Collaboration at Siegwerk, stresses the need for new approaches to meet circular packaging requirements while maintaining performance standards. Traditional pet food packaging, for instance, must ensure food safety and possess specific barrier properties. Complex multi-material structures have been utilized, but their non-recyclability poses a challenge. Habib highlights the role of innovative barrier coatings, like Siegwerk's CIRKIT GreaseBar and CIRKIT HeatGuard, in enabling the shift to fully recyclable mono-material solutions inline with Circular Economy principles.
By leveraging Siegwerk's CIRKIT coatings, the newly developed mono-PE bag achieves comparable packaging performance to non-recyclable systems. These coatings are solvent-based, fully deinkable, and compatible with inline printing processes, ensuring no compromise in print quality or speed. Additionally, the use of PU inks supports mechanical recycling and maintains process efficiencies. All inks and coatings comply with recycling guidelines, including the German Minimum Standard and RecyClass.
Habib emphasizes the importance of collaboration across the packaging value chain, which has led to the development of an innovation that is both circular and performance-driven. This success underscores the potential to transition towards recyclable mono-plastic packaging, offering sustainable alternatives to multi-material laminated structures. Siegwerk's comprehensive expertise across the packaging lifecycle positions it as a valuable partner in redesigning packaging structures for sustainability.
