A collaboration in Finland has led to an advancement in sustainable packaging. A natural biocolorant derived from roasted coffee production side streams has been successfully used in flexographic printing on fiber-based packaging.
Natural Indigo Finland, in partnership with Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK), has developed a water-based ink using biocolorant extracted from coffee waste supplied by Finnish coffee roastery and spice producer Meira Oy.
The project has progressed from laboratory research to industrial proof-of-concept, with Cabassi Oy successfully printing the ink on the Paptic material, which is a durable, recyclable at scale, fibre-based solution designed to replace plastic.
“This is a true circular economy solution. We’ve taken what was once waste and upcycled it into value, replacing synthetic colorants with a fully bio-based pigment made from coffee,” said Pasi Ainasoja, CEO of Natural Indigo Finland.
This proof-of-concept is the result of 12 months of collaborative research and development, responding to the rising demand for eco-friendly alternatives in packaging and print. As regulations tighten and the shift away from fossil-based resources accelerates, this innovation provides a scalable, low-impact color solution suitable for a wide range of applications.
https://boardconvertingnews.com/collaboration-turns-coffee-waste-into-flexo-ink/
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