APR confirmed that SunCure EcoPlast “meets or exceeds the voluntary requirements for APR Design for Recyclability Recognition” following evaluation against industry-recognized criteria for plastics recycling compatibility.
Sun Chemical has announced that its SunCure EcoPlast direct print ink technology attained APR Design for Recyclability Recognition from the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), marking a milestone for inks designed for direct printing on rigid polypropylene (PP) packaging articles.
The APR confirmed that SunCure EcoPlast “meets or exceeds the voluntary requirements for APR Design for Recyclability Recognition” following evaluation against industry-recognized criteria for plastics recycling compatibility. The technology was tested on PP articles at realistic decoration conditions for direct-printed applications. An independent APR Review Committee concluded that the submission data were “correctly obtained and were completely presented to show the product submitted meets or exceeds the strictest guidance criteria of the Critical Guidance Recognition pathway.”
This recognition represents an important advancement in enabling recyclability for rigid PP packaging, including applications such as direct-printed foodservice cups, where inks are integral to the package and must be considered within the overall design-for-recycling framework.
“Recognition under APR’s most stringent Critical Guidance criteria demonstrates that exceptional application performance and compatibility with downstream recycling processes can be accomplished in parallel,” says Nikola Juhasz, Global Technical Director, Sustainability at Sun Chemical. “The innovative EcoPlast technology integrates these requirements at the design stage, enabling the transition toward simplified, mono-material packaging systems in rigid PP.”
SunCure EcoPlast is a press-ready UV dry offset ink system developed specifically for direct printing on plastic substrates. The technology combines high adhesion and abrasion resistance, fast cure performance, and low-migration characteristics, with formulations designed to be removed cleanly (washed, de-inked) as filterable particles during post-consumer mechanical recycling processes. By decorating directly on the package, the technology simplifies packaging structures and unlocks an additional recycling-compliant design option alongside existing labels and sleeves.
The early development of the EcoPlast technology was requested by the global technology, marketing and sourcing company tms, which needed a direct print decoration solution…
Source: Label and Narrow Web
