Sustainability Throughout the Entire Product Life Cycle
The requirements for plastic products are undergoing fundamental changes. In addition to functionality, cost-effectiveness, and design, recyclability, resource efficiency, and regulatory requirements are becoming increasingly important. With our expertise in masterbatches, additives, and compounds, Finke Colors supports its customers in developing sustainable and future-proof plastic solutions.
We do not view sustainability in isolation, but rather consider it throughout the entire product life cycle—from material selection and processing to recycling.
The use of post-consumer recycled materials (PCR) is increasingly evolving from a optional sustainability measure into a strategic success factor for plastics processors and brand manufacturers.
We support our customers in successfully integrating PCR materials into new products and addressing the associated challenges early on. This is because recycled materials often differ significantly from virgin materials. Variations in color, material composition, odor, processability, or surface quality can significantly impact product development and mass production.
Our goal is to make these variations manageable without compromising on functionality, design, or processability.
The European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is fundamentally changing the requirements for plastic packaging. Issues such as recyclability, design for recycling, recycled content, material transparency, and circularity will become an even greater focus for packaging developers, converters, and brand owners in the future.
Material combinations, color systems, effects, and functional additives can determine how well packaging can be identified, sorted, and recycled.
That is why we support our customers in the early stages of their projects to develop plastic solutions designed for recycling.
Our areas of expertise include, among others:
- NIR-detectable masterbatch solutions to support automated sorting processes
- Solutions for single-material concepts
- Development of custom masterbatches for packaging with a high recycled content
As requirements for food, cosmetics, and packaging applications continue to rise, the assessment of non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) is becoming increasingly important.
Finke Colors operates its own NIAS laboratory and has many years of experience in testing masterbatches, additives, and other raw materials.
Unlike external testing laboratories, which often rely on automated analyses and standard databases, our team combines modern analytical methods with an in-depth understanding of formulation chemistry. This allows us not only to identify potential NIAS but also, in many cases, to trace them specifically to individual raw materials, byproducts, or process steps.
In addition, we consider not only masterbatch production but also downstream processing steps and their impact on migration behavior. This holistic approach helps our customers address regulatory requirements early on and make material decisions based on sound analytical data.
The plastics industry faces the challenge of balancing sustainability, product safety, design, and cost-effectiveness. Finke Colors develops solutions that help customers translate these requirements into marketable products. The focus is on recyclability, the circular economy, and future regulatory requirements.
Our sustainable products include:
- Transparent Lasermarking
- NIR-detectable Black Masterbatches
- Recyclate-Based Masterbatches
We consider coloring, additives, material selection, and sortability with the goal of developing products that meet today’s and tomorrow’s requirements.
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