INXhrc Natural-Based Inks: A Sustainable Choice for Clean Foodservice Packaging

INX International Ink Co. (Booth 10555) has developed a solution for brand owners and food packaging providers wanting to find safe and sustainable alternatives with natural-based inks. INXhrc offers benefits that are better for the environment, and reduce the regulatory risk for brand owners and printers, but also improve production efficiencies for printers and converters.

The desire for food and beverage companies to find sustainable packaging options continues to increase. Environment and health conscious consumers and investors are paying closer attention to which brands and companies are making positive changes. And there is good reason.

According to a Horizon Media study, a high percentage of millennial and GenZ consumers expect companies to make public commitments to good corporate citizenship. The Nielsen Global Corporate Sustainability Report says two-thirds of consumers will pay more for products from brands that are committed to environmentally friendly practices.

With the United States generating 230 metric tons of trash every year, and the glare from the media directing the spotlight on alternatives to disposable packaging, natural-based inks such as INXhrc are a viable option. The water, solvent, and conventional offset inks have had a far-reaching impact on the food packaging marketplace since being introduced earlier this year.

By utilizing clean, bio-renewable, and sustainable ingredients, INXhrc has already replaced three million pounds of petro-based chemicals, waxes, and additives. It also translates to a reduction of 5.6 million pounds of CO2 emissions, since the CO2 footprint is 20% to 30% less than standard aqueous inks. INXhrc also uses fewer overall chemicals compared to traditional inks, and does not contain any allergens, nanomaterials, flurochemicals, fanal pigments, heavy metals, latex, or PTFE.

“Our commitment to providing safe and sustainable product solutions can help printers and brand owners achieve sustainability goals, and consumers feel confident in their product choices,” says John Hrdlick, president and CEO, INX International Ink Co. “We are aware of the impact we can have on consumer safety, brand marketability, and the environment throughout a product’s lifecycle. INXhrc inks offer a solution for CO2 savings, and allows brands to achieve their sustainability goals.”

Numerous pressrooms around the world have embraced this new technology for several reasons. When combined with high-strength color concentrates, INXhrc provides the strongest finished inks available, with excellent resolubility and transfer properties. Printers have experienced increased ink mileage and better production efficiency, which is leading to reduced resource consumption and waste generation.

According to HAVI Global, a privately-owned innovator in packaging for food service brands, 70% of consumers view clean packaging as equally or more important than clean food. The survey determined that consumers tend to associate clean packaging with “free from chemicals.” HAVI also found that product stewardship is critical to brands pursuing clean food and clean packaging; it enables a full understanding of the chemistries being used, backed by scientific data.

Working together with INX, the right formula for more sustainable packaging was developed and perfected for cleaner packaging. Acknowledging the lower CO2 footprint than conventional inks, as well as the reduced regulatory risk for brand owners and printers, HAVI and INX are committed to improving the sustainability of food service packaging, and helping providers anticipate and stay ahead of consumer concerns about health and safety.