From the design of its newest facilities to product R&D, Sun Chemical has prioritized sustainability in its operations. It’s no secret that brands and consumers have demanded greater sustainability from their end-use products, and the ink plays a critical role in the packaging process.

Sun Chemical’s inks have been formulated using bio-renewable raw materials, and they deliver high adhesion without the use of a primer, saving material and costs. Plus, UV LED flexo recyclable inks have been engineered for shrink and non-shrink applications, for energy savings.   

Mono-web coatings have also been a popular feature of Sun Chemical’s portfolio, as these products eliminate the need for lamination, saving material, cost and packaging weight.

Customized ink dispensing technology for UV flexo and water-based applications, to save on finished ink inventory and transportation costs, as well.

“All of Sun Chemical’s sustainability efforts in research and product development are rooted in a ‘5Rs’ framework (Reuse, Reduce, Renew, Recycle and Redesign),” remarks Nikola Juhasz, global technical director of sustainability, Sun Chemical. “This has led us to develop a wide variety of bio-renewable, compost-compliant and recycle-friendly product lines under our SunEco portfolio of solutions.”

Over the past year, Sun Chemical has developed new photon ink technology to meet this demand. The company’s latest technology utilizes less UV photoinitiator, generates less odor and provides higher adhesion. This technology enables a printer to reduce or eliminate primers especially on difficult substrates and cleans up more easily, thereby improving pressroom efficiency.

Plus, the new SolarFlex CRCL is a UV flexo ink that allows the removal of ink from various films, without requiring a primer, thus increasing the recyclability of products that use crystallizable PET shrink sleeve labels. According to Dennis Sweet, Vice President-NWTL, Commercial, Rycoline and Distributors, Sun Chemical, eliminating a primer reduces overall cost. SolarFlex CRCL inks can be used in both wash-off and retention modes and are designed for high-speed reproduction.

“The latest generation of SunVisto AquaGreen renewable water-based inks incorporate even higher levels of bio-renewable content, making this product family among the most sustainable inks on the market,” adds Sweet. “Not only do these inks deliver strong sustainability attributes, they offer exceptional on-press and in-application performance, which both brand owners and converters value.”

Sun Chemical’s mono-web coatings have become an important offering as brands shift from laminated label and flexible package structures to mono-web structures. Designed to meet the individualized needs of narrow-web tag and label customers, Sun Chemical’s wide range of mono-web coatings makes it easier for packaging to be recycled and reduce the need for film and adhesive to lower packaging weight and cost. The coatings are available for a variety of print technologies, including UV flexo and water-based, among others.

“Converters require solutions that meet the latest market trends, including faster print speeds and increased sustainability, without compromising ink quality, durability or resistance properties,” comments Sweet. “In terms of sustainability, one challenge is to consider the complex set of end-of-life scenarios and recyclability requirements of specific materials within a label or container. Sun Chemical has extensive expertise here to support and guide customers according to the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) design guidelines.   

“Another challenge is formulating products to deliver the right end-of-life solution without loss of application performance – including cost – which is a tricky balance that Sun Chemical achieves with our compost-compliant and recycle-friendly SunEco products,” Sweet adds.

Sun Chemical has emphasized collaboration with its customers to ensure they’re receiving the products that meet their sustainable requirements. “Our experienced global R&D team listen to those customer needs, then design and deliver the products that best accommodate the customer requirements, including the sustainability objectives,” notes Juhasz. “Developing sustainable products and meeting those customer requests is a critical part of Sun Chemical’s three-pillar sustainability strategy, which includes focus on operations, on products and services, and on collaborations.”