UV+EB Cured Products Rated as “Easier to Recycle”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Gary Cohen, 240-497-1243, gary@radtech.org

RadTech commends the AF&PA on the release of a new resource for paper-based packaging designers

March 8, 2021:Chevy Chase, MD – Ultraviolet and electron beam (UV+EB) cured inks have been found to cause few problems in the recycling process, according to a recent study by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA). The AF&PA Design Guidance for Recyclability, rated UV+EB inks as not adversely impacting the recyclability of corrugated packaging, bleached paperboard cartons, recycled/unbleached boxboard coated/uncoated, carrier stock cartons unbleached Kraft paperboard, Kraft paper bags, multiwall shipping sacks and molded fiber containers.

“With increased interest among consumer products companies to provide more recyclable packaging for their customers, AF&PA recognized the opportunity to bring clarity to how packaging gets recycled in paper mills and how various non-fiber elements affect the recyclability of paper-based packaging,” says Brian Hawkinson, Executive Director, American Forest & Paper Association. “The objective of the Design Guidance for Paper-based Packaging is to present research-based findings on the effect on recyclability of various non-fiber elements frequently found on paper-based packaging. We believe this guidance will prove useful to members of the paper-based packaging manufacturing supply chain — consumer products companies that desire more recyclable packaging, designers that specify it, and the manufacturers and converters who make it — helping them better achieve their goals.”

To learn more about the RadTech Sustainability Committee, please contact us at uveb@radtech.org.

Download the Design Guidance

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) serves to advance a sustainable U.S. pulp, paper, packaging, tissue and wood products manufacturing industry through fact-based public policy and marketplace advocacy. AF&PA member companies make products essential for everyday life and recyclable resources and are committed to continuous improvement through the industry’s sustainability initiative – Better Practices, Better Planet 2020. The forest products industry accounts for approximately four percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP, manufactures nearly $300 billion in products annually and employs approximately 950,000 men and women. The industry meets a payroll of approximately $55 billion annually and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 45 states. Visit AF&PA online at afandpa.org or follow us on Twitter @ForestandPaper.

RadTech—The Association for UV+EB Technologies is the nonprofit trade association dedicated to the safe, environmentally proactive use of UV+EB cured materials in applications including packaging/graphic arts, 3D printing/additive manufacturing, electronics, wood and building products, plastics and metals. RadTech supports the UV+EB industry through the development of educational resources, industry conferences and trade shows, EHS and sustainability guidance, market research, student and start-up innovation programs, and industry networking opportunities.

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