Closing the loop with deinking

Inks make up a small portion of packaging percentage-wise, but play a big role in packaging functionality, informing consumers about the contents of the packaging and promoting the packaged product on the shelf. However, inks can become a challenge when it comes to packaging recyclability, as they need to be removed to obtain clean, pure recyclate that can be given a second life.

Here deinking comes into play. The technology of removing inks from packaging has been used in paper recycling for several decades. More recently, the focus has extended to plastics. Advances in ink and deinking technologies can play an important part in closing the loop and producing better quality recyclate that can be used again in packaging rather than being downcycled.

Read the full article from Packaging Europe.