GREENPRINT – Generating Renewable Eco-friendly Enhancements for Novel Printing Technologies

Company and project background

Can you give us a brief overview of your business and the specific project you implemented?

ISUSCHEM is an Italian innovative company active in green chemistry and the development of bio-based chemical solutions. Its activities focus on designing and producing sustainable molecules and formulations capable of replacing fossil-based raw materials in industrial applications. Within Up2Circ, ISUSCHEM implemented the RenewInk 5000 project, aimed at developing and validating bio-based solvents derived from waste oils for use in printing inks and varnishes. The project is fully aligned with the company’s mission to combine high technical performance with circular use of resources and reduced environmental impact.

What motivated you to make your business more circular?

The project was driven by the opportunity to turn a waste stream into a valuable chemical feedstock while reducing dependence on fossil-based solvents. The printing sector needs raw materials that meet demanding technical, safety and regulatory requirements, so circular alternatives must demonstrate not only environmental benefits but also reliable industrial performance. Up2Circ provided the framework to move from the circular concept towards practical validation and market-oriented implementation.

Implementation process

What were the objectives of your project?

The main objective was to validate bio-based solvents obtained from waste oils as technically viable and more sustainable alternatives for ink and varnish formulations. Specific goals included selecting suitable molecules, assessing their physicochemical and application performance, developing final ink and varnish formulations, evaluating regulatory compliance and quantifying environmental performance through Life Cycle Assessment. The project also aimed to create the technical evidence required for subsequent industrial scale-up and market uptake.

What activities did you carry out as part of your project?

The project followed a stepwise validation pathway. ISUSCHEM developed and selected bio-based solvent candidates from waste-oil-derived feedstocks, characterised their relevant properties and tested their compatibility with printing formulations. Promising candidates were incorporated into ink and varnish prototypes and assessed against performance requirements. The work also included optimisation of the final formulations, regulatory and compliance assessment, and an LCA comparison with conventional alternatives. Technical interaction with project partners and relevant value-chain actors supported the validation process and helped align the solutions with downstream requirements.

What feedback did you receive from stakeholders (customers, suppliers etc.)?

Stakeholder feedback confirmed that environmental performance alone is not sufficient for industrial adoption: circular raw materials must provide consistent quality, formulation compatibility, regulatory compliance and performance comparable with established fossil-based products. This feedback reinforced our focus on measurable technical acceptance criteria and application testing. The project approach was therefore progressively refined around the needs of downstream users and the requirements for realistic market implementation.

Impact & Outcomes

What are the main results and outcomes of the project for your company?

The project generated validated knowledge on the use of waste-oil-derived bio-based solvents in printing applications and enabled ISUSCHEM to advance from molecule development towards application-ready ink and varnish formulations. Key outputs include performance validation, final formulation development and regulatory compliance assessment. The project has also strengthened ISUSCHEM’s positioning as a provider of circular and bio-based chemical solutions and created a stronger technical basis for industrial partnerships, scale-up and future commercialisation.

Did you detect a positive impact of circular transition for your company and for the environment?

Yes. The environmental assessment showed a positive overall profile for the circular solution. The Life Cycle Assessment indicated improvements in 16 out of 18 impact categories compared with the reference solution. In addition, the project promotes the valorisation of waste oils, reduces reliance on virgin fossil resources and supports a more circular chemical supply chain. These results are consistent with the project’s contribution to responsible production, climate action and industrial innovation.

Have you already implemented any changes?

ISUSCHEM has already integrated the circular-design approach into the development workflow for these products: waste-derived feedstocks are considered from the beginning, candidate molecules are screened against technical performance requirements, and environmental and regulatory criteria are assessed alongside formulation performance. The project has also established a structured validation pathway that can be reused for future bio-based solvents and related applications.

Lessons learned

What key lessons did you learn regarding circular innovation?

One of the main lessons is that circular innovation must be designed around the requirements of the final application. A sustainable feedstock is only the starting point: performance, reproducibility, safety, regulatory compliance and environmental impact must be evaluated together. Another important lesson is the value of involving the downstream value chain early, because clear acceptance criteria help focus development resources on the most promising solutions and shorten the path towards industrial adoption.

Did you encounter any challenges?

The main challenges were technical and market-related. Bio-based solvents must meet demanding physicochemical and formulation requirements while maintaining the expected performance of inks and varnishes. Variability and availability of circular feedstocks, optimisation of formulations, regulatory requirements and the transition from laboratory validation to industrial scale are additional barriers. We addressed these challenges through iterative testing, formulation optimisation, performance validation and LCA-based assessment. Scale-up and market introduction remain the next important steps.

If you could do your project again, what would you do differently?

We would define the downstream acceptance criteria and industrial validation protocol even earlier, involving end users and formulation partners from the initial development phase. This would make molecule selection more efficient and allow technical, regulatory and sustainability requirements to be assessed in parallel. We would also start scale-up and supply-chain discussions earlier to accelerate the transition from successful validation to commercial deployment.

Future plans & recommendations

What are your next steps towards circular transition?

The next step is to scale up the most promising bio-based solvents and validate them under increasingly representative industrial conditions. ISUSCHEM intends to strengthen collaboration with ink and varnish manufacturers, printers, raw-material suppliers, technology partners and industrial users. We also see opportunities to replicate the same circular chemistry approach in other applications where fossil-based solvents or esters can be replaced by high-performance bio-based alternatives.

Is there any advice you would give to other SMEs looking to implement a circular project?

Start from a clearly identified material flow or waste stream and connect it to a real market need. Define technical acceptance criteria before investing heavily in development, and evaluate performance, environmental impact, regulatory compliance, feedstock availability and economics together. A common mistake is to treat circularity as a stand-alone environmental feature; for successful market adoption, the circular solution must also be reliable, scalable and competitive for the customer.

How can policymakers or financial institutions better support businesses in adopting circular practices?

SMEs need support that bridges the gap between R&D and industrial deployment. Grants for pilot and demonstration activities are particularly valuable, together with access to testing infrastructure, LCA and regulatory expertise, and mechanisms that facilitate collaboration with larger industrial users. Financial instruments should also recognise the higher initial risk of circular technologies and support scale-up investments. Clear and stable regulatory frameworks and market incentives for verified circular and bio-based solutions would further accelerate adoption.

Do you have any additional comments or reflections about your participation in the Up2Circ project?

Participation in Up2Circ has helped ISUSCHEM translate circular-economy principles into a structured industrial innovation pathway. The project demonstrated the importance of combining circular feedstocks, green chemistry, application performance and environmental assessment within the same development process. RenewInk 5000 represents not only a product-development project, but also a replicable approach for transforming waste-derived resources into high-value chemical solutions with concrete industrial potential.