Sustainable packaging could soon receive another upgrade after an ink company introduced a nitrocellulose-free ink that makes recycling easier. 

Inks on packaging have a detrimental impact on recycling processes. Certain inks can be difficult to remove, meaning packaging cannot be reborn into new recycled materials. 

Nitrocellulose-based inks create difficulties with decomposition, as they can lead to the formation of gel particles within recycled plastics.

INX is rolling out the new ink. Renee Schouten, the vice president of marketing for the company, explained to Packaging World that new packaging focused on recyclability and material recovery encourages "brand owners and converters to design packaging with end-of-life outcomes in mind." 

Schouten added, "Designing for recyclability requires every layer — from film to adhesive to ink — to work together."

To accommodate this packaging process, INX has rolled out "Innova Plus NCF nitrocellulose-free flexographic inks" that are just as high quality as traditional packaging inks but don't hinder the recycling process. 

This comes at a time when efforts are being made at a global level to put stricter restrictions on companies' packaging and packaging waste.  

"States like California, Colorado, Maine, and Oregon have already passed Extended Producer Responsibility," Schouten told Packaging World. "It's only a matter of time before others follow."

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, EPR is when producers are "responsible for their products along the entire lifecycle, including at the post-consumer stage."

Innovative changes to packaging can mitigate landfill pollution that contributes to groundwater, soil, and carbon emissions. Packaging waste sheds microplastics that can later enter the human body in food or from the water supply. These tiny pollutants have been linked to various health issues. 

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According to sustainable asset managers Emerald, "roughly 50% of packaging waste in the U.S. ends up in landfill, where much of it — especially the plastic sort — can take thousands of years to decompose."

Further, estimates suggest that less than 9% of all plastic gets recycled, with much of what is meant to be recycled simply being converted into lower-quality products, sent to landfills, or exported to countries with poor recycling infrastructure, effectively creating a larger carbon footprint. 

With more companies moving towards planet-friendly forms of packaging, it signals an appetite for eco-friendly products among consumers.

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