The printing ink manufacturer Zeller+Gmelin GmbH & Co. KG is known as a specialist for radiation-curing inks and coatings, a market segment that has grown continuously in recent years. The success of UV-curing ink systems can be explained by their advantageous properties. Positive feedback from users confirms this. At the same time, critical voices accuse UV inks of limited deinkability. This aspect has increasingly come into focus in the course of the sustainability debate.
Zeller+Gmelin pays particular attention to the complete recyclability of products printed with inks or varnishes from Eislingen. The company has therefore had the deinkability of its recently developed Uvalux® U40 and Uvalux® U41 ink series tested by the independent international
Research Association for Deinking Technology (INGEDE).
Good deinkability is an essential prerequisite for the recycling of paper-based products. The samples that Zeller+Gmelin submitted to INGEDE for testing were prints produced using the UV offset printing process on both uncoated and coated paper. The submitted print samples were evaluated according to INGEDE method 11. The results impressively refute the general prejudice that UV inks are difficult to deink. All samples were classified as "easily deinkable". This means that they all meet the requirements of the highest category. In addition to the two ink series Uvalux® U40 and Uvalux® U41, the inks of the Uvalux® LED U540 series, which is designed for the commercial sector, also received confirmation of good deinkability in a separate INGEDE test.
Scored 100 out of 100 points twice
The test print of the Uvalux® U40 series achieved a total of 97 out of 100 possible points on coated paper according to INGEDE method 11 and the sample with the uncoated paper quality even achieved the absolute highest score of 100 points. The ink series is specially designed for printing on paper and cardboard materials. It is mainly used for the production of non-food packaging, non-food labels and all types of forms and commercial printing.
The Uvalux® U41 series also achieved the best rating when printing on coated paper. On uncoated paper, the INGEDE certificate also attests to the good deinkability of this ink series. The low-migration UV offset inks are intended for use in the food sector. They are suitable for printing on paper and a wide range of films. Consequently, they can be found in applications such as folding cartons as well as adhesive labels, in-mold labels or shrink sleeves.
In the current and future development of its printing inks, Zeller+Gmelin pursues the stringent goal of realizing environmentally friendly solutions without compromising on the required properties. By optimizing the ecological footprint of its ink systems, the Eislingen-based company is supporting the recycling of commercial and packaging prints that use UV-curing inks and coatings in their production. In this way, Zeller+Gmelin is making an active contribution to achieving the target defined by the EU of increasing the recycling rate for paper and cardboard packaging from 60% to 85% by 2030. Good deinkability is a particularly effective lever for ensuring the complete recyclability of products printed with UV or LED UV inks.