SOUTH NORMANTON, UK – 16th July, 2026 – In March 2026 Sun Chemical secured RecyClass certification for its solvent-based nitrocellulose (NC) alternative solutions for flexible packaging. The company is the first to offer a complete recycling compatible system combining NC-alternative inks and certified lamination adhesives, and is among the first suppliers to achieve RecyClass certification for solvent-based NC-alternative inks.The certification strengthens Sun Chemical’s position as an innovator of solutions across flexographic and gravure printing, ensuring packaging producers are able to increase their and their customers’ recyclability credentials.
In recent years, improving recyclability and circularity has become a priority within the industry. In Europe, industry initiatives such as CEFLEX, alongside regulations like the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), are setting new expectations for packaging suppliers. RecyClass plays a key role with its scientifically backed design-for-recycling guidelines, protocols for recyclability testing, and certification schemes that promote circularity in plastic packaging. Its approvals are increasingly seen as a key benchmark for validating packaging technologies against stringent European recycling requirements.
Recently, nitrocellulose-based inks have come under increased scrutiny since NC content can negatively impact the recyclability and value of recycled plastics. To address these challenges, Sun Chemical developed NC-alternative technologies for flexographic and gravure printing, with its SunUno™ SoliCycle™ polyurethane (PU)-based ink range, designed specifically for flexible packaging applications. The system complies with regulatory requirements, without compromising on the performance required for high-quality flexible packaging.
The SunUno™ SoliCycle ink range is a versatile solution, designed for both surface printing and lamination printing. It is available as ready-made inks as well as through modular systems with concentrates and technology varnishes, giving converters flexibility to adapt formulations to their production requirements.
Sun Chemical recommends PU as an NC alternative due to its stability, high-quality performance and compatibility with recyclability. The company benefits from an in-company PU supply chain through its parent company DIC, which is one of the top 10 PU resin producers in the world, and through Sapici, which it acquired in 2022, thereby ensuring high availability. This allows Sun Chemical to combine internally produced PU resins with its own pigments, benefiting customers with a stable printing system with consistent viscosity, together with improved recycling compatibility in comparison to traditional NC-based inks.
Alongside these inks, Sun Chemical offers RecyClass-certified lamination adhesives within its SunLam® portfolio. These adhesives are suitable for the PE flexibles recycling streams, including full compatibility with colored PE. The ULM adhesives range delivers performance levels ranging from medium to high performance, depending on the structure used. By combining NC-alternative inks with RecyClass-certified SunLam adhesives, Sun Chemical offers converters a complete single-supplier solution designed to support recyclable flexible packaging structures.
Romain Cleret, Product Director, Flexible Packaging, Sun Chemical EMEA, comments: “We are proud to be among the first in Europe to achieve RecyClass certification for versatile solvent-based NC alternative inks and to provide a range of certified solutions for printers of flexible packaging. This system enables our customers to move forward with greater confidence as the industry transitions toward more recyclable packaging systems. We remain focused on continuing this momentum in developing solutions for our customers as the market continues to evolve.”
To learn more about Sun Chemical’s solutions, visit: https://www.sunchemical.com/nitrocellulose-alternatives/
