Siegwerk brings all circular coating solutions into new Cirkit portfolio

Under the new Cirkit portfolio, Siegwerk bundles all its circular coating solutions and continues to develop functional coatings for circular packaging.

Germany-based Siegwerk currently offers a range of functional coatings and continues to innovate to create customized solutions that comply with current and upcoming European regulations.

The latest initiatives are in line with Siegwerk’s ambitions for a circular future in packaging. The introduction of a unified naming concept for Siegwerk’s growing portfolio of functional coatings is expected to increase recognition and transparency among stakeholders across the value chain.

The printing ink and coatings supplier said functional coatings can help replace additional layers of material and reduce packaging complexity. It can also be used to equip renewable materials such as paper with functional properties, allowing them to be used in a wider range of packaging applications.

Gilles Le Moigne, Head of Business Unit CE Coatings at Siegwerk, said: “Especially given the increasing importance of sustainability, functional coatings offer great potential for the future of packaging. As they provide specific functional properties that are critical to the performance and durability of packaging, they play a key role in enabling packaging solutions in the sense of a circular economy."

Siegwerk’s functional coatings portfolio now includes a variety of water-based and solvent-based technologies, tailored for different applications, substrates, coating methods and performance requirements. The CIRKIT product portfolio includes Cirkit Oxybar, a specialized oxygen barrier coating that ensures extended shelf life, especially for dry food packaging.

Additionally, it includes Cirkit Greasebar, an oil and grease-resistant barrier coating, and Cirkit Uvbar, which provides UV protection. Another solution, Cirkit Clearprime, promotes smooth deinking of challenging surface printing structures and laminates. Siegwerk believes that realizing packaging recycling requires the collaboration of the entire packaging value chain.

Currently, the company has multiple development companies throughout the supply chain. These initiatives result in enhanced packaging solutions that improve performance and recyclability. One notable collaboration is with Henkel, a German company that co-developed an oxygen barrier coating. Last month, Siegwerk partnered with Borouge to develop a fully recyclable single-material packaging solution.