INX to Focus on the Future of Packaging with Sustainability and Circularity Commitments at Interpack 2026
18 April 2026: As the global packaging industry accelerates toward circular design and regulatory accountability, INX and SAKATA INX will use Interpack 2026 (Stand 18A/C11) to demonstrate how inks and coatings function as critical enablers within fully integrated packaging systems. The event is being held May 7-13 at the Messe Düsseldorf exhibition center in Düsseldorf, Germany.
As a global organization, INX is approaching Interpack as a strategic working session with the industry. The company is sending senior leadership alongside its most experienced technical and commercial experts from around the world, representing the full depth of its global organization.
Together, this team will engage brand owners, converters, OEMs, and material partners in high-level discussions focused on solving real-world sustainability challenges across the print and packaging value chain.
“We recognize this is a critical moment for our industry,” said Bryce Kristo, President and CEO of INX. “Many companies talk about circularity. Our role is to demonstrate how it actually works through coordinated material design, validated performance, and strategic partnerships that deliver results at scale.”
“At Interpack 2026, we are pleased to present a comprehensive portfolio of environmentally conscious products and advanced solutions that leverage our latest technologies to support the realization of a sustainable society,” said Yoshiaki Ueno, President and CEO of SAKATA INX Corp. “Through these efforts, we remain committed to delivering environmentally responsible, high performance, and high quality products and solutions while strengthening our partnerships with customers worldwide.”
Moving Beyond Products to Packaging Systems
At Interpack, both companies will emphasize a fundamental shift in how inks and coatings are viewed – not as standalone components but as system-level technologies that influence recyclability, manufacturability, and long-term material recovery.
Operating as one global organization, INX and SAKATA INX work together across the value chain to help customers translate circular packaging goals into practical, production-ready outcomes. This includes joint development, application testing, and validation under real manufacturing conditions.
“A circular economy doesn’t happen in isolation,” Kristo added. “It requires coordination across materials, processes, and regional partners. That’s where we are focused, helping customers implement solutions that perform today and remain viable as requirements evolve.”
Proof Through Collaboration
The combined capabilities of both INX and SAKATA INX are demonstrated through active collaborations that deliver measurable outcomes:
– A joint development project led by SAKATA INX with a global pulp and paper leader resulted in a PFAS-free multifunctional coating that delivers both barrier and heat-seal performance in a single layer, enabling a fully paper-based, recyclable packaging structure aligned with emerging global regulations.
– Through participation in a multi-company chemical recycling initiative, SAKATA INX is helping advance the infrastructure needed to scale circularity, securing feedstock, supporting processing innovation, and committing to the use of recycled materials.
– In another ongoing collaboration, SAKATA INX is working with a global foodservice brand to redesign paper-based packaging using fluorine-free, water-based coatings that reduce plastic while maintaining the performance required for high-volume production.
“These are not concepts. They are real programs delivering real results,” Kristo said. “That’s the difference between talking about circularity and enabling it.”
Enabling Compliance Without Compromise
With Europe’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations (PPWR) accelerating change across the industry, Interpack will serve as a key forum for addressing the practical realities of compliance.
INX and SAKATA INX are designed to support recyclability, material transparency and regulatory readiness, while maintaining the production reliability converters and brand owners depend on.
• Nitrocellulose-free ink systems, including Innova Plus™ NCF, supporting recyclable flexible packaging structures and evolving regulatory requirements.
• Washable inks and advanced coatings, such as Genesis washable inks and Ecostage GB-XA, barrier coatings, enabling mono-material design and compatibility with established recycling streams.
• Natural-based and botanical ink technologies, including INXhrc™ and EcoPlata, are designed to reduce reliance on fossil-derived inputs while maintaining press performance.
• Low-migration digital ink systems, supporting regulated packaging applications with a focus on safety, compliance and production reliability.
https://www.inx.co.jp
