RICHMOND, VA, November, 2025 – Zeller+Gmelin North America, manufacturer and innovator of printing inks and coatings, is pleased to announce the expansion of their successful EarthPrint ink product line, with the new UV/LED 79 Series. EarthPrint 79 Series is dual-cure, low migration, and designed for dry offset printing on rigid plastics such as cups, lids, buckets and other preformed containers.

EarthPrint ink solutions have proven successful in maintaining color brilliance and adhesion, while enhanced wash-off capabilities help brands and printers meet recyclability goals for sustainable plastics. That success continues with this new addition to their eco-friendly product line. The 79 Series is designed as a press-ready ink for printing vivid color shades. Capable of printing at high press speeds and rapid curing, it offers excellent adhesion, high gloss and transparency, and many other benefits. It is suitable for injected, extruded, thermoformed, and blow-molded preformed containers made from common plastic substrates.

“EarthPrint has been a highly successful product line for Zeller+Gmelin North America, leading the way in sustainable solutions for plastics,” said Tim Smith, Z+G Rigid Plastics Business Manager. “We are excited to expand our eco-friendly portfolio with the new 79 Series and continue advancing our ink wash-off capabilities. With our well-established 71 through 78 product lines already trusted by customers, we anticipate the 79 Series will see similar success.”

Zeller+Gmelin R&D Technicians developed and tested EarthPrint in strict compliance with Association of Plastic Recycling (APR) standards to ensure maximum recyclability. By using these eco-conscious inks, printers help advance packaging sustainability with cleaner, brighter plastics that require less raw materials and reduce plastic production.

Converters are invited to contact a Zeller+Gmelin Account Manager to discuss their print processes prior to ordering the new ink solution. Sales contacts and informational brochures are available on the company website at www.zeller-gmelin.us. To discuss Zeller+ Gmelin’s printing ink and coating solutions, please contact 804-275-8486 or submit a message online at www.zeller-gmelin.us/contact.  

Download the brochure, here.

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Zeller+Gmelin, manufacturer of high-quality inks and coatings, developed our EarthPrint inks product line as a resolution to plastic recyclability in rigid plastics and more. In this blog, we delve into the plastics recycling process, how ink can impact sustainability, and how printers, brands, and consumers can work together for increased circularity.

The Stain in Sustainable Plastics

Many of the plastic products we use every day can be recycled to create new items. So why isn’t all plastic material recycled? It is because there’s a stain in the sustainable plastics process that Zeller+Gmelin is determined to fix.

The Recycling Process

First, let’s understand the plastic recycling process. Collected from households and businesses, recycled plastics are taken to waste facilities to be sorted. The plastics are separated based on their type and resin identification code, typically found on the bottom of plastic containers. These codes determine how each plastic is processed and what it can be recycled into. To learn more about resin identification codes and how to recycle each type of plastic, view our printable infographic!

After sorting, the plastics are cleaned to remove all contaminates such as inks, adhesives, food, residue, and/or other debris. This step is crucial to ensure the quality and re-usability of recycled plastics. After washing, the cleaned plastics are shredded into smaller pieces or flakes for a more straightforward melting process. After melting, the plastics are forced through a die to create uniform pellets for sale and use in new plastic products.

The Recycling Problem

The most common plastics recycled are polyethylene terephthalate (PET), commonly seen as clear water bottles, and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), like milk cartons and shampoo bottles. Clear and white plastics are the most preferred when creating products from recycled materials since they can easily be altered to a variety of colors. However, this versatility comes with more risks.

With recycled plastics, if the ink is left on the recycled material after the washing process, it will mix with the added raw materials and leave behind a dull or off-white product. This is a common occurrence and often leads to more raw materials being added for clarity or vibrancy, or worse, brands foregoing sustainable plastics altogether. Ensuring inks completely wash off is vital to a more sustainable plastics process.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with EarthPrint

At Zeller+Gmelin, we formulated EarthPrint printing inks for high recyclability, while maintaining advanced adhesion and pigment strength. This allows the ink to remain water and scratch resistant, yet fully wash off in a caustic soda wash without impacting the color of the recycled materials. Like most rigid plastics, such as HDPE, PP, etc., recyclability relies on being contaminate-free and “clean”. With EarthPrint inks, plastics are left more transparent, whiter, and brighter once washed, so they can be easily recycled into new products that require less raw materials.

EarthPrint is focused on the three principles of a circular economy: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

REDUCE. EarthPrint inks reduce the amount of virgin plastics used to achieve a brilliant white or clear color in new products. It can also reduce ink consumption for thicker flood coats attempting to cover the off-color of the plastic.

REUSE. With EarthPrint, the result is clearer, whiter sustainable plastics, allowing more recycled materials to be reused in the plastic recycling process.

RECYCLE. By reducing raw materials and reusing more recycled plastics, more packaging can use recycled materials and more plastics can be recycled. Printers can take advantage of EarthPrint inks to offer a sustainable solution in their plastic printed product offerings.

View The Understanding EarthPrint Dry Offset Inks (INFOGRAPHIC)

As the packaging industry continues to innovate eco-friendly solutions, recyclability should be considered every step of the way. From label design to colored plastics to printing inks, all packaging decisions make an impact on the recycling processes and throughout the product’s life cycle. Choose EarthPrint as your eco-friendly ink solution to close the loop on sustainable plastics. Contact a Zeller+Gmelin Ink Specialist to discuss if EarthPrint is the right solution for your print applications.

The post Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: The Journey To Sustainable Plastics Through Ink Innovation first appeared on Zeller + Gmelin.

De-Ink Rigid Plastics with EarthPrint Eco-Friendly Inks

Years ago, ink manufacturers were tasked with the challenge of formulating robust inks for rigid plastics that adhere incredibly and never wash off. Now, ink producers are being challenged with the exact opposite… READ MORE

Read EarthPrint Blog

The post Understanding Plastic Recycling Symbols (INFOGRAPHIC) first appeared on Zeller + Gmelin.

Infografía en español

De-Ink Rigid Plastics with EarthPrint Eco-Friendly Inks

Years ago, ink manufacturers were tasked with the challenge of formulating robust inks for rigid plastics that adhere incredibly and never wash off. Now, ink producers are being challenged with the exact opposite… READ MORE

Read EarthPrint Blog

The post Understanding EarthPrint Dry Offset Inks (INFOGRAPHIC) first appeared on Zeller + Gmelin.

As a global leader in printing inks and coatings, Zeller+Gmelin developed EarthPrint as a sustainable ink innovation for today’s eco-conscious printers. In this blog, we’ll discuss the ink and de-ink properties of EarthPrint dry offset inks and the impact they can make in sustainable rigid plastics printing and production.

Ink It Up

EarthPrint eco-friendly dry offset inks were formulated by Z+G for the utmost recyclability, while providing the same high quality color and adhesion properties Z+G inks are known for.

EarthPrint inks embody the enhanced chemical, water and scratch resistance properties of Zeller+Gmelin’s 71 series dry offset inks. Though capable of fully de-inking in a caustic soda wash, EarthPrint conversely adheres to rigid plastics with great strength and pigmentation. Boasting low odor and low misting properties, these dry offset inks remain stable at high press speeds with free radical chemistry and excellent curing capabilities.

So yes, EarthPrint inks are formulated to wash off, but don’t let the de-inking properties fool you. EarthPrint, like all Zeller+Gmelin inks, are developed for ultimate press performance, pigmentation, adhesion, curing and print quality. Now that we printed our cylinder with the utmost quality, let’s take a look at how to de-ink it down for ultimate recyclability.

De-Ink It Down

As raw material shortages and supply chain volatility continue, accessing virgin plastic material is becoming an expensive feat for many dry offset printers.

Though many rigid plastics are recyclable, the percentage of material eligible for recycling depends on how “clean” you can wash the printed plastic.

With EarthPrint, the ink formula gives way in the caustic soda wash, removing more pigment and leaving behind brighter, whiter recycled plastics. With higher amounts of ink wash off, the washed materials can be recycled into cleaner containers and tubes that require less virgin material.

Eco-Friendly All Around

Reduce. Re-use. Recycle. Thanks to EarthPrint inks, printers can reduce the amount of virgin materials used in recycled plastics, re-use more recycled materials in new products and recycle a higher amount of plastics than ever before.

Printers can contribute to sustainability throughout the full product lifecycle, by creating finished goods that can be recycled with brilliance, while requiring less raw materials.

Rest assured, our R&D Technicians strictly followed all Association of Plastic Recycling (APR) standards and protocols throughout the development and testing of EarthPrint to ensure ultimate container recyclability.

If you’re looking for new ways to increase your sustainability efforts in rigid plastics printing, EarthPrint is the solution for a sustainable future. Available in all PANTONE shades, EarthPrint can effectively replace your full dry offset ink inventory. Contact a Zeller+Gmelin Account Manager to discuss your print processes to see if EarthPrint dry offset inks are the best eco-friendly ink for your applications.

Understanding EarthPrint Inks Infographic

Browse through this educational infographic on EarthPrint inks to discover the features and benefits of the newest ink innovation from Zeller+Gmelin.

View EarthPrint Infographic

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