Finnish corrugated packaging manufacturer Adara Pakkaus has successfully tested a printing ink developed from waste coffee streams in industrial corrugated board production. The ink, developed by Siegwerk using renewable raw materials, forms part of a Finnish research project launched in early 2025 to investigate the potential of converting coffee waste into printing colourants.
Adara has been involved in the project from the outset, contributing expertise in ink application and production performance. The latest industrial trial, carried out in November 2026, demonstrated that the coffee-based ink could achieve the required print quality under production conditions.
“The most demanding part of the project was to achieve sufficient intensity and contrast for the coffee-based dye,” said Satu Autio, Colour Specialist, Adara Pakkaus. “It was amazing to see in November 2026 that the colour we developed also worked flawlessly in Adara’s production on an industrial scale.”
The development project involves Marvaco, Meira, Natural Indigo Finland, Siegwerk and Tampere University of Applied Sciences.
According to Adara, the successful trial demonstrates the potential for using industrial side streams as alternative raw materials in corrugated packaging printing.
