FIA UK Plate Recycling Project 

Flexographic print is ideal for packaging and labelling applications, including flexible packaging, self-adhesive labels, and corrugated boxes. It is a fast, cost-effective, and versatile printing method that is ideal for high-volume jobs and can print on a wide variety of materials like paper, plastic film, foil, and cardboard. To produce this kind of print, printing plates are used in high volumes. These are flat or cylindrical sheets of material used to transfer images or text onto a surface during the printing process. They act like a stencil or giant stamp, holding a specific design that allows for the high-volume, high-quality printing of items like magazines, packaging, and labels. Plates are made of materials like aluminium, plastic, or photopolymer, and this diversity presents a challenge when they reach disposal stage. Hence, FIA UK, through the participation in the Collaborative Group for the Future of Packaging, identified finding an end-of-life solution for printing plates as a significant future project for the environmental sustainability of the sector.

 It is estimated that the UK flexo print industry uses around 450,000m2 [1] of flexo plate material each year across all print and packaging formats (labels, wide web film, board and corrugated). There are two types of printing plates – Standard (for labels, film, paper and board) and Corrugated Shim (for corrugated paper). The latter type consists of more complex elements for the printing press, which means it is even more difficult to process at the end of life. 

A partner organisation of FIA UK, MacDermid (now XSYS), being already interested in finding a solution for this problem, embarked on this project, identifying two potential workstreams: 

1. Recycling of finished flexo plates to generate a new raw material 
2. Use of finished flexo plates for the generation of energy via a gasification process

The first option looked at grinding the used printing plates, generating a new, raw material in line with the circular economy concept (CE). This raw material could be then used for production of other durable goods. The trials that took place in both the US and Germany showcased some positive early results. Ground polymer was created and potential uses identified, such as application on lightweight roofing sheets, fibre boards and packing foams. Processing companies were approached to understand technology demands and processing efficiencies. This stream has to date been most successful, with future steps requiring identification of new markets for potential goods utilising the post-processing printing plates material. Due to the complex nature of the corrugated shim, this item could not be processed through this route.