Continuing with its commitment to developing ink systems that help brand owners and printers meet their sustainability goals, INX International Ink Co. has introduced INXhrc RC. A high-performance ink system with clean, renewable and sustainable ingredients, the UV and LED curable inks are Nestle compliant and designed for printing on non-porous, rigid plastic and most decorative plastic and foam-based packaging.

INXhrc RC represents the next chapter of the highly successful INXhrc^™ natural-based inks that were launched in 2017. Well received in the marketplace, INXhrc inks address environmental issues that are of special importance to consumers and INX. Earlier this year, INX reached an agreement with packaging manufacturer HAVI to use INXhrc as one of the constituent materials for food paper packaging. International fast-food brand leader McDonald’s is one of HAVI’s largest customers.

“INXhrc RC is an important step in our plan to develop renewable technologies for brand owners and printers, with minimal impact on the environment and reduced regulatory risks,” said Renee Schouten, Director of Marketing for INX International.

“We indicated previously our goal to reduce CO₂ emissions by 50%, compared to 2013 levels, by 2025 and we are making progress. By 2020, INXhrc water, solvent and conventional offset inks have replaced nearly 5 million pounds of petro-based chemicals, waxes and additives, and almost 13 million pounds of carbon emissions. INXhrc RC continues that trend, decreasing the emissions impact with a CO₂ footprint that is 20-30% less than standard aqueous inks. And another benefit for brand owners and printers is no sacrificing of machine, processing and end-of-use product performance.”

Schouten added that INXhrc RC inks contain high levels of bio-renewable content and are formulated without VOC solvents.

“Our R&D department did their due diligence in formulating these inks,” she noted. “They were submitted to a third-party laboratory, in accordance with ASTM D6866-20 Method B criteria, to determine the bio-renewable content for each color. The results revealed a 17-30% increase in the content compared to standard petroleum-based UV inks. And to satisfy inquiries we have received, the natural components are not derived from food crops. They are non-allergenic and do not include nanomaterials, fluorochemicals, fanal pigments, heavy metals or PTFE.” 

Test results for INXhrc RC have been impressive. Printers experienced high strength, excellent gloss and true consistency with vibrant colors on all types of dry offset rigid packaging presses, including Kase, PolyType and VanDam. Besides superior adhesion and abrasion resistance, the single-pigment bases make it easy for accurate and simplified PMS color matching. Thirteen blending bases, plus Opaque White and Dense Black, are available to be printed on non-porous substrates such as polyester, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, styrofoam and polylactic acid (PLA).