When glass bottles can be collected and reused – this already happens in the UK with milk bottles – far fewer bottles need to be manufactured.
Once the Linx Black bottling ink 1068 has been used for printing batch and date codes, the bottles are returned after use. The ink is then removed in the bottle-washing process, enabling new codes to be printed onto them ahead of reuse.
Linx’s recent consumer research found that 89% of those questioned were concerned about the impact of soft drink packaging on the environment and that 91% would welcome a plan to enable the reuse of glass drinks bottles.
The quality of Linx Black bottling ink 1068 is shown by its ability to print clearly onto glass in cold-fill bottling and in humid environments. The ink has also been designed to cope with the challenges of providing clear, legible codes for bottled drinks – for example, by resisting removal when subjected to pasteurization, immersed in ice water, stored in a warehouse for long periods, or refrigerated. This reduces the likelihood of drinks companies facing product recalls.
“Consumers are looking for solutions that minimize the impact of drinks packaging on the environment,” said John Tierney, marketing director at Linx. “The opportunity exists for brands to introduce effective solutions for the reuse of bottles – and by ensuring the latest coding inks can be removed as part of the process, we are helping to enable the creation of these schemes.”
As well as launching the new ink, Linx has upgraded its 8900 series of Continuous Ink Jet printers with new software. These enhancements mean the Linx 8900 series is now capable of producing faster print speeds – by as much as 33% for one-line, 7 drop-high print, now up to 440 meters per minute – to enable higher production output in high-speed bottling applications.