Sun Chemical Earns Design® for Recyclability Recognition for SunCure® EcoPlast Direct Print Ink Technology

26 June 2026: Sun Chemical has announced that its SunCure® EcoPlast direct print ink technology attained APR Design® for Recyclability Recognition from the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), marking a significant milestone for inks designed for direct printing on rigid polypropylene (PP) packaging articles.

The APR confirmed that SunCure® EcoPlast “meets or exceeds the voluntary requirements for APR Design® for Recyclability Recognition” following evaluation against industry-recognized criteria for plastics recycling compatibility. The technology was tested on PP articles at realistic decoration conditions for direct-printed applications. An independent APR Review Committee concluded that the submission data were “correctly obtained and were completely presented to show the product submitted meets or exceeds the strictest guidance criteria of the Critical Guidance Recognition pathway.”

“Recognition under APR’s most stringent Critical Guidance criteria demonstrates that exceptional application performance and compatibility with downstream recycling processes can be accomplished in parallel,” said Nikola Juhasz, Global Technical Director, Sustainability at Sun Chemical. “The innovative EcoPlast technology integrates these requirements at the design stage, enabling the transition toward simplified, mono-material packaging systems in rigid PP.”

SunCure® EcoPlast is a press-ready UV dry offset ink system developed specifically for direct printing on plastic substrates. The technology combines high adhesion and abrasion resistance, fast cure performance, and low-migration characteristics, with formulations designed to be removed cleanly (washed, de-inked) as filterable particles during post-consumer mechanical recycling processes.

The early development of the EcoPlast technology was requested by the global technology, marketing and sourcing company tms, which needed a direct print decoration solution compatible with recycling for beverage cups for one of its global foodservice clients.

“Congratulations to our partner Sun Chemical on the SunCure® EcoPlast APR Recyclability Recognition! We approached them with a challenge to develop an ink which performs to our use and decoration standards while being removable during the washing stage of a recycling process, and they delivered,” said Neil Darin, Senior Director of Supply Chain Strategy for tms.

“We are especially grateful to tms for their outstanding partnership throughout our development process,” said Bob O’Boyle, Senior Key Account Manager at Sun Chemical. “Their team went above and beyond-coordinating critical test work, supplying the samples and materials needed to complete the evaluation, and providing valuable regulatory guidance along the way. Their knowledge and support were instrumental in helping bring this recognition to life, and they have been true champions of innovation and recyclability from start to finish.”

Sun Chemical views this achievement as a meaningful step in advancing circularity for plastic packaging and as part of its broader commitment to developing solutions that enable recyclability across a range of materials, applications and end-use environments.

https://www.sunchemical.com/