Ensuring Reliable Traceability Coding in a Changing World of Plastic Packaging
Why Traceability on Plastic Coding Matters
As global pressure mounts to reduce plastic waste and transition to more sustainable packaging, manufacturers are being asked to do more with less. Consumers demand recyclable, lightweight, and eco-friendly plastic packaging — yet businesses must still ensure clear, durable, and compliant traceability codes on every pack.
Recent studies, such as The Big Plastic Count, highlight the challenge: billions of single-use plastics including snack wrappers and produce packaging — remain unrecycled each year. These material shifts, combined with tightening regulations, make reliable coding and marking solutions essential to maintaining supply chain integrity, product safety, and consumer trust.
How Plastic Packaging is Evolving — and What It Means for Coding
Over the past decade, plastic packaging has undergone a transformation. Some of the key trends include:
- Shift to lighter films and mono-materials for recyclability.
- Increased use of laminates and flexible films, often harder to code.
- Regulatory requirements demanding higher traceability and legibility.
- Elimination of certain additives that once improved ink adhesion.
While these changes support sustainability goals, they introduce new challenges for coding equipment, inks, and substrates.
With the current worldwide focus on sustainability and reducing plastic waste, many manufacturers are moving towards flexible laminated films of PE (such as LDPE (Low Density PE) and HDPE (High Density PE), PP, and OPP (oriented polypropylene) to reduce the amount of plastic used. These films are typically used as flow wrap films and pouches for dry and fresh foods and household products.
Mono-plastic packaging, made from a single type of plastic, such as polyethylene, is also growing due to its recyclability.
The Challenge: Ink Adhesion and Traceability Coding on Plastics
Not all plastics are created equal when it comes to printing. The science of surface energy plays a key role:
- PET (polyethylene terephthalate): relatively high surface energy due to oxidised groups (C=O, –OH). Inks wet and adhere more easily, making it simpler to mark.
- PE (polyethylene) & PP (polypropylene): dominated by hydrophobic hydrocarbon chains. Their low surface energy makes it harder for inks to bond.
The result? On materials like PE and PP, codes may smudge, scratch off, or fade during handling. This is particularly problematic on laminated films or flexible mono-layer plastics, where ink adhesion is often poor.
Without the right inks and printers, manufacturers risk:
- Illegible batch codes or expiry dates
- Compliance issues with traceability requirements
- Customer complaints and recalls
- Wasted product due to unreadable codes
How to Ensure Reliable Traceability Coding on Plastics
To overcome these challenges, manufacturers should consider several best practices:
1. Choose inks designed for low-surface-energy plastics
Specialist inks are formulated to bond with PE, PP, and laminated substrates. Look for:
- Fast-drying, abrasion-resistant properties
- Strong adhesion on non-porous surfaces
- Durability under humidity, heat, and transport conditions
2. Conduct real-world trials on your packaging
Coding results can vary by plastic grade, treatment, and environmental conditions. Always test inks and printers directly on your packaging lines before rollout.
3. Ensure regulatory compliance
Modern inks must meet strict standards, such as:
- PFAS-free and CMR-free formulations
- Alignment with EuPIA exclusion policies
- Compliance with regional food safety and packaging regulations
4. Select printers proven for plastic substrates
Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) printers remain the most versatile option for high-speed plastic packaging lines. Features to prioritise:
- Consistent drop placement for sharp, legible codes
- Automated cleaning systems to minimise downtime
- Flexibility to switch between different plastics and packaging formats
5. Partner with an experienced supplier
Expert support ensures you get tailored recommendations, ongoing maintenance, and access to the latest ink innovations.
Key Checklist for Choosing a Coding Solution
When evaluating traceability coding solutions for plastic packaging, consider the following checklist:
- Adhesion on your specific substrates (PE, PP, PET, laminates, films)
- Dry time and resistance to smudging or abrasion
- Compliance with regulatory and sustainability standards
- Trial validation in real production environments
- Printer uptime, ease of maintenance, and cleaning intervals
- Availability of inks and support in your local market
- Durability of codes across logistics, storage, and consumer use
The Future of Traceability Coding on Plastics
As sustainability regulations tighten, we can expect further innovations in packaging — from bio-based plastics to advanced mono-layer films. Coding solutions must evolve in parallel, offering:
- More environmentally responsible inks
- Improved adhesion technologies
- Smart integration with traceability systems (IoT, blockchain, supply chain analytics)
Manufacturers that invest now in future-proof coding systems will be best positioned to meet tomorrow’s challenges. Contact Linx today to arrange sample trials on your plastic packaging and discover the coding solution best suited to your production line.
Data references:
Home | The Big Plastic Count
eaa6997d-survey-results-global-plastics-treaty.pdf (greenpeace.org)
b9f6a209-survey-results-global-plastics-treaty-executive-summary.pdf (greenpeace.org)
The UK’s Largest Plastic Waste Survey Reveals 1.7 Billion Pieces of Plastic Packaging Still Being Thrown Away by Households Weekly | Greenpeace UK
New EU rules to reduce, reuse and recycle packaging | News | European Parliament (europa.eu)
EU packaging waste generation with record increase – Eurostat (europa.eu)
The UK’s Leading Plastic Trade Association (bpf.co.uk)
What You Need to Know About the Plastics Treaty – Earth Day