Flint Group has announced that several of its nitrocellulose-free (NC-free) ink technologies for flexible packaging have received technology approval from RecyClass. The approval confirms that the inks are compatible with polyethylene (PE) flexible packaging recycling streams under the organisation’s evaluation protocols.
The approved products include the company’s VertixCode Star SC WB1U, MatrixCode Star SC WBU5, and MatrixCode Print WBU8 ink systems. These inks are designed for flexographic and gravure printing applications used in the production of flexible packaging films.
According to Flint Group, the inks were tested using the RecyClass recyclability evaluation protocol for coloured PE films. The results confirmed that the formulations do not negatively affect the mechanical recycling process or the quality of recycled polyethylene when used in printed flexible packaging structures.
Nitrocellulose has traditionally been used as a binder in many flexible packaging inks, particularly in gravure and flexographic printing. However, it can create challenges in recycling processes because of its thermal behaviour during the mechanical recycling of polyolefin films. NC-free ink systems are therefore being developed by suppliers to improve compatibility between printing materials and recycling systems.
The RecyClass approval provides independent verification that packaging printed with these ink technologies can be processed within existing PE film recycling streams. The inks are designed to maintain stability during the high-temperature conditions encountered during mechanical recycling.