Reported live from interpack by Kennedy’s Confection, Frank Debusmann of REA Elektronik GmbH examined how intelligent coding and marking technologies are becoming increasingly central to PPWR implementation, with direct printing, traceability and recycling-compatible labelling systems emerging as critical enablers of circular packaging design.
At interpack’s SPOTLIGHT Forum, Frank Debusmann, sales director national at REA Elektronik GmbH, presented a technically focused assessment of the role labelling and coding technologies will play under the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), arguing that identification systems are set to become a decisive factor in packaging recyclability, material recovery and regulatory conformity.
Presenting under the title ‘Smart labeling, clean recycling: labeling as a contribution to PPWR implementation’, Debusmann examined how packaging identification is developing from a secondary production function into a strategic component of circular economy infrastructure.
“If packaging is to be not only protective but also recyclable and compliant with the law in the future, product labelling will come into the spotlight,” he told delegates.
The presentation centred on a growing challenge facing converters and brand owners as the industry accelerates its transition toward mono-material structures and recycling-compatible packaging formats. While mono-material systems are increasingly favoured under PPWR objectives, Debusmann noted that conventional labels, adhesives and multilayer decoration systems can create significant complications during sorting and reprocessing.
“The main problem for all labels, especially in food packaging, is recycling,” he explained. “A label on the substrate is not always easy to recycle afterwards.”
Rather than presenting labelling as a compliance obstacle, however, REA Elektronik positioned coding and direct marking technologies as a route toward simplifying packaging structures while improving traceability and regulatory transparency.
A substantial portion of the session focused on direct printing technologies for corrugated board and fibre-based packaging substrates. According to Debusmann, direct marking systems offer several advantages under emerging PPWR requirements, including reduced material complexity, lower consumable usage, improved recyclability and greater production flexibility.
“That means replacing labels through direct printing,” he said, describing the shift as both a sustainability measure and a production efficiency opportunity.
Read the full report of this keynote in the upcoming May edition of Kennedy’s Confection. Subscribe here.
