Making packaging easy to recycle and decreasing the environmental impact of production are topics with high priority to almost every printer, packaging company, and brand owner. Our recently launched HYDRO-X GA Water Barrier Varnish addresses both of these needs. Thanks to a revised formulation of the binding agents, the water-based varnish provides very good protection against water and, thereby, replaces a polyethylene (PE) film lamination as water barrier. As a result, packaging designers can now choose mono-material paper instead of laminate structures.
Environmentally friendly and cost-effective
But what are the advantages of using mono-material paper? First of all, the recyclability of packaging can be improved significantly, because there already is a well-established recycling system for pure paper packaging. On top, our HYDRO-X GA Water Barrier Varnish shows: sustainability does not have to be expensive. As manufacturers can save on plastic films, they have lower material costs. Also, a full-cost analysis reveals that the finished product results in lower costs compared to the usage of a PE film lamination. An important factor hereby is that using a water barrier varnish reduces processing times as the lamination or extrusion varnish with PE is no longer necessary. Thus, one work step is eliminated. The only prerequisite for using pure paper packaging is that printers have an available inking unit to apply the varnish.
Broad application possibilities
As our HYDRO-X GA Water Barrier Varnish offers a highly water-repellent surface, it is suitable for a wide range of applications using coated or uncoated paper. Dr Christian Schirrmacher, Global Project Manager Water Based Inks at hubergroup Print Solutions, explains: “Our varnish increases the shelf life of a product and is, therefore, ideal for use in the packaging industry – especially for packaging moisture-sensitive foods such as sugar, flour, and dry animal food. Thanks to the optimal product protection, it helps to prevent unnecessary food waste. Moreover, it is suitable for applications in the non-food sector, for example, cement packaging and secondary packaging for copy paper.”