Reducing environmental impact by surface printing lidding film: RETURIN® 194-26
Strong performance printing in one solution
One of our customers found a solution to meet consumers’ requirements regarding performance and sustainability. They experienced that RETURIN® 194-26 was ideal for printing on lidding film for thermo formed rigid food packaging. The customer uses surface printed lids for their packaging, which is why the mechanical resistance from RETURIN 2K ink is very beneficial. RETURIN® 194-26 was originally developed for printing on polyamide-, cellulose- and fibrous meat casings as well as food grade packaging. It is designed to provide very good adhesion, heat seal resistance and even sterilization performance.
RETURIN 194-26 ink - a sustainable printing success
The customer reduced plastic film from 85 micron to 34 micron and switched from multi component to a monolayer substrate. Furthermore, they eliminated their lamination process and thereby reduced both their carbon footprint and cost. They also experienced logistics efficiency since they were able to transport the same quantity of printed meters but around 40% less weight due to less plastic.
This case shows that our varnishes and inks create new opportunities for minimizing plastic consumption and that we strive to help our customers reduce their carbon footprint through our innovative approach to product development.
One of the major concerns for customers is the use of lamination, which involves the bonding of multiple layers of material using adhesives. Lamination can enhance the packaging’s durability, strength, and barrier properties, but it also increases the amount of plastic used and can be difficult to recycle. As such, there has been a growing interest in exploring alternative techniques such as surface print, which involves printing directly onto the packaging material.
“Surface print has been shown to significantly reduce the amount of plastic used compared to lamination. In fact, surface print can half the amount of plastic used, resulting in a much lower carbon footprint and better sustainability profile. While surface print may have a lower environmental impact, it is important to assess its performance compared to lamination. Surface print is suitable for some applications, whereas other applications may still require the use of lamination”.
Kristian Karlsen
Director of R&D
Your needs?
Working with ink on food packaging, Resino is exposed to many different requirements for the printing ink. Some customers use Resino’s printing ink for an informative purpose and other customers may use it for a decorative purpose, but they all must comply with same, high safety standards.
The RETURIN® ink range can meet different demands such as:
- Boiling & Sterilization resistance
- Deep freeze resistance
- High flexibility
- Good adhesion
- Long pot-life
- Oil & grease resistance
