Sustainability is top-of-mind for many converters and brand owners, and the market is looking for products that enable them to achieve sustainability goals. One area getting particular notice is the recyclability of plastic bottles, an important component of which is labels.
To explore this issue in-depth, we recently sat down with two experts from Sun Chemical – Dr. Nikola Juhasz, Global Technical Director for Sustainability, and Dennis Sweet, Vice President of Narrow Web, Tag and Label.
Juhasz notes that packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws are emerging around the world and are spreading to more and more states in the U.S. “That’s a very important driver for sustainable packaging solutions.”
At the same time, roadmaps to recyclability already exist.
“A determination of the recyclability characteristics of any plastic item is based on the Association of Plastic Recyclers, or APR. Their published design guide is the leading North American authority on plastic recyclability,” Juhasz said, adding that Sun Chemical is designing new inks, coatings and adhesives that are adapted to those recyclability standards.
Compostable packaging is one route to sustainability that is getting more and more attention.
“We have compost-compliant inks that are certified by the TÜV body in Europe,” Juhasz notes. “Bottom line, Sun Chemical is thinking about sustainability and circularity in all of our product development activities.”
During our interview, Sweet shared additional examples of how Sun Chemical is helping converters meet sustainability goals.
“Reducing and reusing are important to our converter customers. They strive to not only meet recycling requirements but to reduce their own consumption of energy, materials, and waste streams,” Sweet said.
One example Sweet shared included the development of systems designed to actively measure the coating thickness on a press. This provides instantaneous feedback to the converter so that they know with precision accuracy the amount of coating being applied.
“This reduces usage, drives sustainability, and improves the overall product performance,” Sweet notes.
To learn more about Sun Chemical’s sustainable solutions for the narrow web, tag and label market, visit their website.
Listen to the full podcast interview below to learn more.
