The technology is another step forward for the company in enabling recyclable, circular packaging.

Des Moines, IA – Siegwerk, one of the leading global providers of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications and labels, has received an honorable mention in the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) sustainability excellence awards. The awards are given to companies who demonstrate a commitment to and pursuit of sustainable package printing. Siegwerk entered its light block technology for consideration, as part of its commitment to providing a commercially viable printable-tunable light barrier solution that possesses all needed functional properties and is recyclable to provide a more sustainable and eco-friendly environment.

Using printable-tunable light barrier coatings, Siegwerk’s technology eliminates hard-to-recycle (white/colored) plastics to shift to clear sustainable alternatives, without compromising on light barrier performance. Currently, the technology on the market which is designed to block and light and thus preserve the shelf life of a range of goods from foods to cosmetics has the drawback of making the packaging more difficult to recycle. Siegwerk’s light barrier technology eliminates this problem, increasing recyclability and allowing recyclers to increase reclaiming rates for recyclable plastic, without sacrificing packaging performance.

In addition, printable-tunable light barrier coatings can be tailored to work with existing recycling streams, such as floatable (stay-on label inks), washable inks (deinkable shrink sleeves), and mono- material films (MDO-PE). This innovative light barrier coating solution can be tuned to block (up to 99.8%) light in the wavelength range of 200 nm - 900 nm.

“Light sensitive products need protection from UV and visible light. Today the light block packaging solutions offered in the market are not recycle-friendly. Siegwerk's patent pending light barrier solution changes all of that by providing brands with a printable coating that can be tuned to achieve minimal light block sensitivity all the way across the light spectrum to full coverage in the highest wavelengths. No added equipment or process change is needed. Moving from colored or opaque containers to clear recycle-friendly containers has never been easier,“ said Zack Meister, Global Business Development Manager, Flexible Packaging at Siegwerk.