The resulting ink has been used in flexographic printing on fiber-based packaging and offers a renewable, natural alternative to synthetic pigments traditionally used in packaging printing.
The project has progressed from laboratory research to industrial proof-of-concept, with Cabassi Oy successfully printing the ink on the Paptic® material, which is a durable, recyclable at scale, fibre-based solution designed to replace plastic.
“This is a true circular economy solution. We’ve taken what was once waste and upcycled it into value, replacing synthetic colorants with a fully bio-based pigment made from coffee,” says Pasi Ainasoja, CEO of Natural Indigo Finland.
“This is a significant green innovation in the global packaging print sector, which is worth hundreds of billions of euros annually,” said Dr. Kai Lankinen, who teaches and researches sustainable packaging at TAMK. “We are now forming an international consortium of ten companies and higher education institutions to raise €9.5 million in funding. Our goal is to scale this 100% biobased colorant globally, replacing synthetic pigments with solutions derived entirely from industrial waste and natural sources.”