Siegwerk secures European patent for plastic deinking technology

Siegwerk has been granted European patent EP4107326 for its deinking primer technology, designed to facilitate the removal of printing inks from plastic packaging during the recycling process. The technology utilizes both solvent-based and water-based primers positioned between the plastic substrate and the ink layer to enable separation during alkaline washing.

This development specifically addresses the challenges of recycling flexible packaging, where inks, adhesives, and multilayer structures often complicate traditional deinking methods. By improving ink removal, the technology helps reduce discoloration, odor, and contamination in recycled polymers, thereby increasing the quality of the resulting recyclate.

The patent comes as European regulations, specifically the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), mandate minimum post-consumer recycled content for certain plastic packaging starting in 2030. Meeting these targets will require significant volumes of high-quality recyclates, particularly for flexible packaging structures.