Siegwerk and Borouge to develop 100% recyclable single-material coating solution

Siegwerk announces collaboration with Borouge to develop 100% recyclable single material solutions. It will further promote packaging design for the circular economy. The goal of the collaboration is to build a range of solutions that enable converters around the world to produce advanced single-material packaging. It will meet the growing market demand for sustainable packaging.

The new partnership aims to replace multi-material packaging with advanced single-material structures. Single material solutions combined with innovative ink and coating technologies will deliver the same performance and they are also easily recyclable. Both companies are committed to contributing to sustainable packaging solutions, which are designed to increase circularity and reduce carbon footprint.

"Most flexible packaging still consists of mixed materials. Due to this multi-material structure, it is challenging to recycle it in traditional recycling processes," said Dr. Stephane Bertaux, Head of Brand Owner Partnerships and Circular Economy for Southeast Asia at Siegwerk Thailand.

"Here, moving to single-material packaging is an important means to simplify packaging recycling and increase its circularity. However, moving to single-material structures comes with several challenges. This includes ensuring a reliable seal, certain mechanical properties or thermal stability, or achieving a specific level of barrier properties depending on the end use." Bertaux added.

"Using Borouge's high-performance polyethylene products combined with innovative ink and coating technologies to achieve single-material construction enables ideal packaging results," said Anton Wolfsberger, Vice President Global Marketing, Packaging and Circular Economy at Borouge.

"Through this new way of industry collaboration, we help address global challenges and improve sustainability and circularity. Upcycling becomes possible through mechanical recycling. This results in high-quality recycling. It further improves circularity and reduces the carbon footprint compared to currently used multi-material packaging, which is mostly incinerated." added Wolfsberger.

One of the first joint developments between the two partners will be a self-standing barrier bag. It is a reinforced HDPE FB5600 based on Borealis Borstar® technology from Borouge and an oxygen barrier coating CIRKIT OxyBar BC1582 from Siegwerk. The project also includes its primer solution, CIRKIT Clearprime, for smooth deinking of laminates.

“By incorporating our special deinking and layering primer into this innovative single-material structure with superior performance and mechanical properties, all used inks and coatings can be removed from the printed film during the recycling process, the result is a material suitable for reuse in new packaging,” adds Bertaux.

Siegwerk and Borouge are already working with selected converters around the world. This is to provide a solution to produce a high barrier single layer that combines oxygen (Oxygen Transmission Rate OTR < 1 cc/m2.day) and Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate (MVTR) barrier coating (MWTR < 1 cc/m2.day).

Both parties are committed to contributing to sustainable and future-proof packaging through single-material construction. It can replace multi-material packaging structures that are difficult to recycle.