Established on 1 April 2024, the new Circular Economy (CE) Coatings business unit will concentrate specifically on developing coatings for recyclable packaging products that will help them be used for a wide variety of applications.

Nicolas Wiedmann, Siegwerk CEO, said: “Especially in light of the sustainability trend, functional print coatings offer a high potential for the future of packaging. 

“By providing specific functional properties that are crucial for the performance and durability of packaging, they play a key role in realising packaging solutions for a circular economy.”

Gilles le Moigne, head of the CE Coatings division, added: “Functional coatings can for example help to reduce packaging complexity or equip renewable materials like paper with functional properties so that they can be used for a wider range of packaging applications.

“That is why we are increasingly focusing on the development of innovative coating technologies that prioritise recyclability, allowing packaging to seamlessly re-enter the circular economy.” 

CE Coatings will also function as a source of expertise on recyclable and sustainable products for Siegwerk’s other divisions.

Le Moigne joined Siegwerk at the start of April from specialty chemicals firm Archroma, where he was head of global marketing for packaging and coatings.

“I am very much looking forward to this new challenge,” he said.

“Siegwerk is already well positioned in the field of coatings, and I am grateful to be able to contribute my experiences and take its circular coatings business to the next level.

“To continue paving the way for an increasing circularity of packaging, we will expand our cooperation radius to the entire packaging ecosystem going forward. After all, packaging sustainability is a complex topic, making cross-industry collaboration inevitable for progress.”