Ink manufacturers report that sustainability is on their minds, whether it is raw materials, production, or end-of-life requirements for printed materials.

malp/stock.adobe.com

Sustainability is an all-encompassing topic. It covers diverse areas such as sourcing raw materials, manufacturing products in a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly manner, and having a plan for reusing, recycling or disposing of the products when their use is finished. It is a topic that is appearing earlier and more frequently in discussions between ink manufacturers and their customers.

Alina Marm, head of global sustainability and circular economy for Siegwerk, noted that sustainability comes up early with customers in the context of circular packaging, especially if customers support ambitious brand owners in their transformation journeys.

Nikola Juhasz, global technical director, sustainability, Sun Chemical, noted that sustainability comes up early in discussions with customers, not only because of the environmental issues related to carbon emissions and waste, but also because of new laws and regulations across the globe that impact the design and marketing of end products, especially for packaging.

“Concerns about circularity – the ability to collect, sort and effectively recycle those end products – are driving fundamental changes in packaging design,” Juhasz added.
Paul Edwards, VP of the Digital Division at INX International Ink Co., observed that sustainability is a common question and is often discussed with regards to the digital implementation of a printing process.

“It does relate to the fact that digital often plays well with shorter-run print opportunities,” Edwards noted. “There are usually benefits in set-up times and a reduction in wasted materials, which can be seen positively impacting both resources used to print and in reducing the waste stream. But even more so today, customers have a general focus on sustainability-related topics such as renewable materials, energy reduction, recycling, and compostability.”

“Sustainability remains a central focus in customer conversations, with businesses increasingly committed to reducing their carbon footprint and tackling Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions,” Doug Aldred, chief commercial officer and CEO and president of Packaging Inks, North America for Flint Group, said. “Operational efficiency, as a key aspect of sustainability, is at the forefront of nearly every customer discussion. Companies are prioritizing ways to reduce waste, streamline complexity, and lower costs, making this one of the most pressing topics in the industry today.

“The transition toward a circular economy is a consistent theme across all packaging and label market segments,” Aldred noted. “From global corporations to independent businesses, printers and converters are turning to their suppliers for solutions that enhance recyclability, compostability, and the use of bio-based, responsibly sourced materials.”

Hideki Ohba, GM, Marketing Department, International Division, Toyo Ink Co., Ltd., reported that sustainability is now one of the first topics in nearly every customer discussion.

“Brand owners and converters are under increasing regulatory and consumer pressure to adopt more sustainable packaging solutions,” Ohba observed. “Customers are looking for low-VOC and recyclable ink solutions, as well as functional coatings that enhance the recyclability of flexible packaging. As part of the artience sustainability vision 2050/2030 (asv2050/2030), we have made it our mission to proactively engage with customers from the early stages of product development. This ensures our solutions align with their sustainability goals, regulatory requirements, and lifecycle assessments, helping them transition toward a circular economy.”

The Emphasis on Sustainability

While sustainability has become a hot topic in recent years, it is not a new one. Juhasz noted that Sun Chemical has prioritized sustainability across the organization long before it became the urgent topic that it is today.

“Sun Chemical prides itself on sustainability leadership through the innovative products and services we bring to the market, the high expectations we set for our supply chain, the full solutions portfolio and expert support available to global customers and our active collaboration and cooperation in cross-industry initiatives,” Juhasz added.

“At the artience group, we emphasize sustainability in three key areas,” added Ohba. “They entail developing eco-friendly ink and coating solutions such as low-VOC, recyclable formulations and functional coatings, as well as optimizing manufacturing processes to help reduce emissions, waste, and resource consumption. We also focus on enhancing the sustainability of our global supply chain with sustainability-minded raw material and equipment suppliers. At Toyo Ink, we view sustainability not as an obligation, but as an opportunity to drive innovation and create a positive environmental impact.”

“It is a core value in the mission statement of our ‘Coloring a Safe and Sustainable Future’ (CSSF) model,” Edwards said. “INX is steadfastly focused on packaging and sustainability is top of mind with the brand owners and printers whom we work with.”

“It’s part of our business strategy,” Marm said. “We are using an integrated approach, because we are convinced that a successful business of the future has sustainability integrated in its business model.”

“Sustainability is a fundamental pillar of Flint Group’s Core Values, embodied in our PRISM platform, which focuses on three key areas: Product, Planet, and People,” Aldred said. “For our customers, Flint Group is dedicated to delivering innovative products and services that promote circular economies and support their sustainability objectives.”

Sustainability and Suppliers

For ink manufacturers, discussions about the general topic of sustainability are also present in talks with raw material and equipment suppliers.

“In its many forms, sustainability is a core consideration as we work with the suppliers of both raw materials and - in the world of digital printing - with regards to the type of printer and ink chemistries which are chosen to address applications and market demands,” said Edwards. “Emphasis is also placed upon new projects where sustainability is part of the solution.”

“Suppliers are still a mixed bunch,” Marm said. “We have very forward-looking suppliers that actively reach out to understand our needs in terms of sustainability. But there are also suppliers where we have to position sustainability topics. No matter which group the supplier belongs to, we actively seek collaboration.”

“Sustainability is a key focus in our discussions with vendors, as we strive to collaborate on innovative solutions that drive circularity while ensuring full regulatory compliance with all raw materials,” Aldred said. “As part of our onboarding process, we require vendors to outline their sustainability objectives, reinforcing our commitment to responsible sourcing and environmental stewardship. Ultimately, Flint Group is dedicated to reducing its Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, and ensuring our vendor network shares this commitment remains a top priority.”

“Sustainability is embedded in our procurement strategy, ” Ohba said. “Our focus areas include sourcing bio-based and renewable raw materials to reduce reliance on fossil-based resources, working with equipment manufacturers to optimize ink performance for energy-efficient printing processes (e.g., UV LED), and collaborating with recyclers and industry groups to ensure compatibility with circular packaging models. By integrating sustainability into our entire supply chain, we ensure that our raw materials, formulations, and end products contribute to a greener future.”

Juhasz pointed out that sustainability cannot be achieved by any single entity or organization in isolation; it requires cooperation across the entire value chain.
“Upstream suppliers are a critical piece of that chain,” Juhasz said. “Raw materials represent the majority of Sun Chemical’s overall environmental footprint, but the nature of necessary raw materials is changing due to downstream circularity questions.

“For example, while the ink industry has long relied on nitrocellulose as a key binder and dispersing resin, this material does not perform well in plastic recycling operations,” Juhasz added. “This is driving conversations about viable alternatives with new and existing suppliers.”

Recycling and Composting

End-of-life strategies for products, whether it is reuse, recycling or composting, is also a topic among customers.

“Sun Chemical’s pigments, inks, coatings and adhesives can have a significant impact on recycling or composting, despite being a small percentage of the product,” Juhasz said. “Sun Chemical supplies a wide range of products that enable recyclability or compostability, including barrier coatings for monomaterial packaging, nitrocellulose-free and washable inks that allow recovery of higher quality paper and plastics, IR reflective and transparent black pigments and inks that facilitate plastic sortation in recycling centers, and compostable coatings and adhesives, which, together with compost-compliant inks, are essential for compostable packaging.”

“Both recyclability and composting are key considerations in the development of products, and clearly dependent upon the final application,” Edwards said. “For inks used on compostable substrates, we need to ensure we are following the guidelines for the composting process in terms of the amount of material on the substrate and any impact it has on the composting process.

“Recycling often relates to the final product and substrate type,” Edwards noted. “Inks have been developed which can be washed off the substrates and removed during the recycling process.”

“This is a key strategy in becoming a Circular Packaging Solutions company,” Marm noted. “As such, we invest in innovations, especially for coatings that enable the recyclability or compostability for all kinds of packaging - paper or plastic. Additionally, we look at increasing bio-renewable content of inks and coatings. We have an entire product range under the name CIRKIT, that enable recyclability and circularity.”

“Developing sustainable inks and coatings is a top priority, with all innovations aligning to our environmental objectives,” Aldred said. “This includes designing products that are compostable or compatible with various recycling streams to support a circular economy. Flint Group offers a range of sustainable solutions for packaging and labels across narrow web, flexible packaging, and paper & board segments.”

“Recyclability is a critical component of our sustainability strategy, aligning with our asv2050/2030 objectives,” Ohba said. “Many brand owners are shifting to mono-material flexible packaging to improve recyclability, and we are actively developing ink and coating solutions that support this transition. Our latest innovations include de-inkable inks and coatings that improve recyclability in both paper and plastic packaging streams and barrier coatings for paper-based packaging that enhance durability while maintaining recyclability.”

Sustainable Production Processes

Production is another critical aspect of sustainability. Edwards pointed out that efficiency and sustainability go hand-in-hand in most cases.

“At INX, we are looking at different aspects of production to address these goals,” added Edwards. “As an example, in the digital division, we are in the process of developing a new manufacturing area in Dunkirk, NY. The clean sheet nature of this area is allowing us to make many improvements in manufacturing efficiencies. This includes better manufacturing flow, the optimization of capacity for different batch sizes, reductions in waste produced during manufacture and clean up, and improvements in the filtration process. All of this adds up to a lower usage of resources per liter of ink that is manufactured.”

“If you want to address sustainability holistically, you have to look at your products,” Marm said. “And of course, also on how the products are produced. We place a special focus on environmental protection, reducing our impact on the environment. We have clear carbon reduction targets that encompass our own operations but also include our upstream value chain.”

“Flint Group is deeply committed to sustainability across all aspects of our business, including production and operations. We continuously strive to minimize our environmental impact while maintaining efficiency and compliance,” said Aldred.

“Sun Chemical has clear sustainability targets for its operations that are aligned with the sustainability goals of its parent company, DIC Corporation: Scope 1 and 2 emissions reductions should be achieved by 2030 (50% reduction) and 2050 (net carbon zero), respectively,” Juhasz said.

“We are actively enhancing our manufacturing processes to minimize environmental impact,” Ohba said. “Some of our key initiatives include transitioning to energy-efficient production lines to reduce carbon emissions, minimizing solvent use by investing in water-based and UV LED ink technology, and implementing waste reduction programs to lower the environmental impact of production. We are also investing in Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) to measure and optimize the carbon footprint of our products.”

Renewable Energy, Reducing Emissions and Decarbonization

Another aspect of sustainability is reducing emissions and waste. One opportunity is utilizing renewable energy.

“In the past four years, more than 40 carbon reduction projects have been completed,” Marm said. “To reduce energy consumption, projects have been implemented globally covering production process optimization, substitution of existing machinery or equipment with energy efficient variants, optimizing heating and cooling techniques and upgrading ventilation systems. We produce renewable electricity on or close to site, mainly invested by solar. In 2023, Siegwerk sourced 100% renewable electricity through unbundled energy attributes certificates for all sites in the reporting scope globally.”

“There are numerous projects across the business to reduce emissions and carbon and waste streams,” Edwards said. “The implementation of solar fields to create renewable energy is underway at various facilities.”

“In October 2024, Sun Chemical released its 14th annual sustainability report,” Juhasz said. “The report demonstrates Sun Chemical’s progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its use of electricity, steam, and fossil fuels during manufacturing operations, as well as its commitment to fostering cross-industry partnerships using the EcoVadis scoring platform to ensure its partners are aligned with Sun Chemical’s sustainable goals. In addition to developing more innovative, sustainable products and working toward emissions reductions, part of Sun Chemical’s commitment to increased sustainability includes investing selectively in green energy in different regions around the world.”

Aldred noted that Flint Group is committed to proactively reduce emissions associated with natural gas and electricity consumption across all sites worldwide.
“The scenarios and decarbonization trajectories will align with Flint Group’s corporate decarbonization/net-zero targets and milestones, including a 46.2% emissions reduction by 2030, based on a 2019 baseline (validated by SBTi); net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050; and 100% renewable electricity consumption by 2030,” Aldred said.

“At the artience group, we recognize that sustainability is not just a trend – it is the future of packaging and printing,” Ohba concluded. “We are fully committed to driving sustainability through advanced ink and coating solutions that enable recyclability, helping customers transition to circular packaging models by offering technical support and sustainable alternatives, and reducing our environmental footprint through responsible manufacturing and carbon reduction initiatives.

“As part of our commitment to asv2050/2030, we have implemented a range of initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint and improve resource efficiency,” Ohba added. “Key actions include increasing the use of renewable energy across our global manufacturing sites, reducing carbon emissions through energy-efficient production processes and supply chain optimizations, and developing carbon footprint tracking tools for our ink products, enabling customers to measure and reduce their environmental impact. These efforts support our long-term goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.”