Packaging ink industry leaders report that the market will grow slightly through 2022, with sustainability high on customers' list of requirements.

The packaging printing industry is a huge market, estimated to be worth approximately $200 billion in the United States alone. Corrugated printing is considered the largest segment, while flexible packaging and folding carton markets follow. Inks play a vital role in the development of the various substrate markets and vary according to the substrate.

Corrugated printing usually uses water-based inks, while solvent-based inks are the main ink type used in flexible packaging, and there are also sheet-fed and flexo inks used in folding cartons. UV and digital printing are also gaining share, while metallic decorative inks dominate beverage can printing.

Even under the difficult circumstances of the epidemic situation and the raw material market in previous years, the packaging market continued to grow. Almost all packaging ink manufacturers report that the sector continues to perform well.

Siegwerk CEO Dr. Nicolas Wiedmann reports that demand for packaging and packaging inks has stabilized further throughout 2022, with some softer months towards the end of the year.

"Nonetheless, the volatile economic environment of the past two years has undoubtedly put enormous pressure on all market participants," added Dr. Wiedmann, "the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising raw material and utility costs, and ultimately the war in Ukraine , making 2022 a year full of uncertainty and challenges, which has dealt a considerable blow to the industry."

The Siegwerk CEO pointed out that the ability to react quickly and adapt to changing circumstances has never been more important to the company.

"Despite the various economic challenges we faced throughout the year, we were able to manage to mitigate the negative impact as much as possible and ensure continued service to our customers," said Dr. Wiedmann. Important progress remains on the ongoing development agenda and the further expansion of the company's global footprint. We have further strengthened our position in the European packaging market through the successful acquisition and integration of La Sorgente, a key Italian flexo ink supplier."

Sun Chemical marketing manager Jim Felsberg said 2022 is a year of transition. “At the beginning of the year, the packaging ink market grapples with a variety of challenges that have continued from 2021, from rising raw material costs to supply chain disruptions and increased freight costs, limited industry supply, and difficulties finding carriers to transport products. As 2022 comes to an end, Challenges surrounding supply chain issues have somewhat eased, and we expect to see continued supply chain stabilization as we enter 2023. Despite flat or even negative growth in the packaging ink market due to shortages of printing materials such as films and solvents, 2022 Market demand has a certain degree of elasticity.”

Dr. Lutz Frischmann, global product director for flexible packaging at hubergroup, reports that the flexible packaging industry has recorded a small increase over the past year. "However, the market remains under significant pressure due to sharp price increases and continued supply constraints of raw materials, and we expect the market to continue to grow in the coming years."

Dr. Frischmann pointed out that sales in the water-based printing inks and varnish segments also continued to grow slightly. “We believe this stems from the growth of the corrugated and paper packaging markets. In flexible packaging, water-based products still play a secondary role due to issues related to energy and water treatment. As in previous years, we also see global UV flexible strong growth in the Indian market.”

Carsten Zölzer, president of hubergroup's offset printing division and president of central and western Europe, pointed out that hubergroup is still observing a slight increase in traditional offset printing, which is driven by the general trend of folding carton packaging. "UV sheetfed offset also continues to grow in the packaging market, while the commercial printing market is saturated in Europe."

Doug Aldred, chief commercial officer at Flint Group, noted that ongoing global inflation is affecting markets across the board, adding that the industry is resilient and doing well. “The entire packaging industry is gaining visibility among global consumers who are increasingly concerned about sustainability and recycling. Packaging applications are moving between substrates due to sustainability and functional performance characteristics. In response, packaging Companies in the value chain are focused on emphasizing the value of packaging and offering sustainable solutions that address consumer concerns."

1. Growth in the field of packaging

Packaging has many growth areas, from folding cartons to flexible packaging and digital printing. Dr. Frischmann pointed out that the field of paper packaging is gaining a higher and higher market share. “We are seeing a trend from film packaging to paper packaging, as the latter is gaining more traction in the market for its good recyclability, and in aluminum foil packaging, we can see a growing preference for single-material packaging that is easier to recycle. more interested."

Aldred noted that sustainability concerns among consumers, brand owners and package printers are impacting substrate formats for all packaging applications. “Overall, there is a drive for more innovative options for consumer ease of use, or focus on reducing energy consumption (transportation) or facilitating recycling. Fiber-based materials are replacing some flexible films while being lighter Materials such as light flexible films, bags, etc. are replacing glass and plastic bottles, and there is growing interest in single materials for flexible packaging. Additionally, the need for inks and coatings to support food-safe packaging remains a focus.”

Doneck expects paper packaging to gain traction in the future, said Arndt Breitbach, managing director of Doneck Euroflex. "It is important that the packaging industry finds answers to the need to create a circular economy for plastic materials, and we are at the beginning of this development."

According to Felsberg, the main growth in 2022 will focus on sustainable packaging, from compostable packaging using third-party certified inks to recyclable packaging and the removal of packaging layers. "Growing with a focus on one or more segments of sustainable packaging, Sun Chemical has developed a variety of sustainable packaging solutions using a synergistic technology approach of inks, coatings and adhesives that uniquely enable packaging to remain shelf-appealing and meet Industry Sustainable Development Goals.”

“Packaging plays an integral role in our daily lives and demand continues to grow – especially due to the increase in online trade,” says Dr. Wiedmann. “Whether it’s folding carton or flexible packaging, the trend is clear – the need for Sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging solutions."

According to Dr Wiedmann, both types of packaging have great potential for growth as long as they are designed to be recyclable and circular in a sustainable sense. "Here, innovative and environmentally friendly inks and coatings can improve the performance and recyclability of packaging, and support the development of new circular packaging solutions by bridging technology gaps and promoting the use of renewable packaging materials, which is what we are constantly promoting. The reason for the development of environmentally friendly inks and coatings. Today, we already offer a wide range of circular solutions that enable the design of sustainable packaging concepts, such as folding cartons and flexible packaging in the sense of a circular economy.”

2. Emphasis on sustainability

Leading ink manufacturers all report that sustainability has become a focus for them and their customers.

Dr. Nikola Juhasz, Global Technical Director of Sun Chemical Sustainable Development, pointed out that Sun Chemical's approach to sustainable development is a full-value chain and life-cycle-oriented approach, and the company collaborates up and down in its various supply chains to provide solutions.

"For example, how our products impact the waste management community, and ultimately the finished product must be collected, sorted and disposed of after its useful application life is increasingly important to achieving a circular vision, and we are an active participant in several global cross-industry organizations , such as the Association of Plastic Recyclers, these organizations focus on the future of packaging from a design-for-sustainability perspective. Members work together to understand and define unique requirements to manage more sustainable and desirable circular end-of-life strategies, whether through reuse, recycling Or through effective recycling."

Renee Schouten, vice president of marketing at INX International Ink Group, said: “Providing innovative, safe and sustainable solutions that enhance the customer experience is our top priority. We want consumers, brand owners and customers to be confident in their product choices. That’s why we develop products with the lowest environmental impact without sacrificing machine, process and end product performance.”

Schouten noted that INX's product development efforts focus on material health and safety, product functionality with environmental impact, and consumer safety, taking into account recyclable products. “For example, look at our Genesis washable inks for flexo and gravure printing, these high-performance inks are designed to make recycling of plastic films easier and allow the recycling of recycled materials. Genesis washable inks are available from The cPET film is deinked and can float with the web OPP label during the recycling process."

Zölzer observes that hubergroup takes a holistic view on sustainability. “This starts with setting high environmental standards in the production of raw materials, which is possible because most of the raw materials come from our own chemicals division, for example, we have our own water treatment plant at our largest production facility in India, which enables At least 96% of the water is recycled. In addition, we rely on energy-efficient processes and renewable energy through photovoltaic systems in our production facilities."

"When developing our printing inks and varnishes, we pay special attention to the selection of sustainable raw materials and the recyclability of the final product. To investigate and improve the environmental impact of our products, we partnered with the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovations Institute, because the The approach is comprehensive and rigorous. We supply printing inks with full Cradle to Cradle certification for water and solvent based flexo and gravure printing as well as offset printing. This means that all these inks are designed for the circular economy and are also Produced in a sustainable manner.”

According to Dr Frischmann, hubergroup aims to achieve a circular economy, so recyclability was a key topic when developing its liquid inks. “We are doing a lot of research on how to have a positive impact on recyclability, for example, we investigated the impact of inks on recycling in the PrintCYC program. We found that the binder of solvent-based inks has a significant impact on recyclability.”

“While NC (nitrocellulose)-based inks cause respiratory irritating outgassing and unpleasant odors, as well as color changes in recyclates during recycling, PU (polyurethane)-based inks show a high degree of comparability with mechanical recycling. In addition, we are focusing on the development of sustainable barrier coatings, for example, our water-repellent coating improves the moisture stability of paper, thereby facilitating the transition from plastic to paper packaging. Our oxygen barrier coating Provides single-film packaging for oxygen-sensitive foods.”

Dr. Wiedmann noted that Siegwerk sees sustainability as a key driver in everything it does, adding that Siegwerk has ambitions to transform itself into a company with a net positive impact on the environment and society. "In order to do this in a targeted and effective manner, we launched HorizonNOW, our sustainability plan with clear objectives, dedicated resources and management structure, and clear accountabilities - I as CEO The same is true. Our approach to sustainability is holistic, from the development of environmentally friendly production processes and safe and sustainable products, to an inclusive workplace and local support for the communities in which we operate."

“Our overall sustainability agenda aims to minimize the environmental impact of our business activities while having a positive impact on the communities we serve,” added Dr. Wiedmann. Coating solutions, but also constantly rethinking our own processes and business according to a circular approach. Therefore, we set specific targets to reduce waste, reduce energy consumption, increase resource efficiency and improve our products, as a circular economy background facilitator of packaging design—to name a few.”

Dr. Wiedmann pointed out that Siegwerk is committed to economically and ecologically sustainable development and is determined to do its part, from the ambitious operation and supply chain carbon reduction, also affecting the product carbon footprint, to ensuring that Siegwerk only from Supply chain procurement is free from environmental misconduct, human and labor rights violations, and corruption. We firmly believe that the circular economy can protect the environment through recycling, reusing and reducing packaging, it is about improving the performance and recyclability of packaging, and building a cleaner future for the next generation. That is why we are making every effort to further expand our product range with new innovative and sustainable solutions specifically designed to enable circular packaging. "

"In other words, the end-use strategy for packaging is already a key part of our sustainability strategy. In addition to deinking primers, printing inks and coatings, we today also offer a number of technical services along the value chain that support optimized and consistent deinking Ink process. We can also provide optimized deinking chemicals on the basis of system development to ensure fast deinking. Overall, we are committed to providing innovative inks and coatings, as well as strategic and operational guidance in the sense of circular economy , to help our customers complete the last mile to achieve their sustainability goals – and this includes not only printers, converters and packaging manufacturers, but also brand owners themselves,” says Wiedmann.

Becker, managing director of sales at Doneck Euroflex, said the company's focus on sustainability began many years ago. "Since 2018, the entire manufacturing process at Doneck's headquarters in Luxembourg has been climate-neutral, as confirmed by Climate Partners' certified carbon footprint. Doneck customers can calculate the carbon footprint of their products. By promoting clean wind energy in Brazil, Climate neutral offsets in 2022."

"Almost all ink ranges from Doneck Network's Clean planet ink range are based on raw materials that meet at least the Cradle to Cradle Bronze status, and by material health, the C2C principle means environmentally safe, healthy and recyclable materials (technical recycling). Furthermore, There are also many raw materials that Doneck Network can achieve silver or gold status with proper recipes.”

Becker pointed out that Doneck has successfully developed a range of compostable inks according to EN standard 13431 to meet the compostability requirements of paper, pulp or film packaging. "Since 2008, our 150 water-based and solvent-based products

All products can be composted. This is confirmed by the OK Compost Industrial and OK Compost Home certificates from TÜV Austria. Doneck is very proud to have achieved Silver Medal status in the EcoVadis Sustainability Ranking in the first attempt. "

“In our experience, there is a growing demand for sustainable packaging,” says Rita Knippel, Marketing and Communications Manager at Doneck Euroflex. consumers continue to demand high-quality products in recyclable, compostable or biodegradable packaging. For these reasons, our customers in Europe are increasingly demanding alternative and resource-saving products. With our compostable and recyclable printing inks, we are supporting our customers as they move towards a greener future."

3. Food packaging and regulations

When we talk about food packaging, we quickly come to regulations. When it comes to on-pack ingredients, governments are adding new regulations, and brand owners are sometimes adding their own requirements.

Dr Wiedmann said the trend observed over the past few years was an increasing number of new regulations and existing regulations becoming more stringent. “Add to this the fact that many international brand owners have their own packaging standards which often go beyond legal requirements and the most challenging task we face as ink manufacturers is dealing with all these non-uniform obligations.”

Rebecca Lipscomb, Director of Global Regulatory Affairs at INX, said: "The regulatory environment is constantly changing, and changes bring challenges and opportunities. As a global company, INX takes pride in working hard to meet the regulatory needs of our clients."

According to Aldred, there are many regulatory activities going on around the world that will affect packaging. “In Europe, under the Green Deal, the packaging industry will have extensive regulations, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD) will stipulate that certain levels of recycled plastics must be used in packaging materials, and Swiss authorities are currently revising the Swiss Consumer Goods Regulations, which include This also includes revisions to ink regulations. Global initiatives are in place to regulate or ban hazardous substances. For example, the phase-out of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).”

Dr Juhasz said that in an increasingly circular economy, when packaging materials may be recycled multiple times and any substances of concern may accumulate, controlling the levels of these materials is important from a product stewardship and regulatory perspective. “We believe that an important topic in the food packaging industry is regulatory issues, and of course the new ban on perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at the national level. Ensuring that all of our products are free of these materials has always been a priority. Fortunately, Sun Chemical Suitable substitutes have already been found in many of our raw materials. In addition, from a global perspective, we are watching the introduction of EU packaging and packaging waste regulations, which will determine the food packaging that is allowed to be placed on the market, as well as all types of Package."

"Packaging regulatory standards, especially food packaging, are increasingly affecting us," says Dr. Frischmann. "At hubergroup, we are of course observing these changes closely and reflecting them in our products. But in addition, We are also continuously working to develop safe, sustainable and future-proof products."