BOBST and project partners launch ‘Generation 2.0’ samples of high barrier flexible packaging solutions designed for recyclability
The BOBST and its co-workers have announced a key milestone in their pioneering work to replace non-recyclable serious difficulty, multi-material packaging structures with mono-material options designed for recycling.
The launch of a new period of BOBST ‘hero samples’ represents a meaningful achievement in the mission to deliver state-of-the-art solutions using a new generation of polymers.
Later several many samples of mono-material standup pouches (MDO PE, BOPE, BOPP, and CPP) were launched at K 2019; the partners concerned have continued their considerable investment and intense investigation to progress the samples even further, to guarantee all industry necessities are met in terms of processability, difficulty, safety, and optical character.
“Finding sustainable options to non-recyclable plastics is one of the most significant difficulties of our terms,” declared Nick Copeland, R&D Director at BOBST. “It is a unique challenge for flexible packaging such as that used for food packaging, where the high barrier protection toward oxygen and water that prevents deterioration is currently provided by multi-layer, multi-material packaging, which cannot be recycled. This subsequent formation of high barrier mono-material structures produces us one step closer to staying able to provide completely recyclable solvents to redeem non-recyclable packaging.”
“Brückner is satisfied that the future will proceed to belong to plastics if they are used and reused sustainably,” replied Helmut Huber, COO Sales & Project Management, Brückner Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG. “As portion of a circular economy, the undeniable advantages of plastic can be combined well with the sustainability goals of modern society. Regarding the conversations about recycling targets for plastic packaging, we see mono-material packaging formations definitely on the rise.”
BOBST’s ‘Generation 2.0’ samples include:
- New ultra-high and high barrier total polypropylene laminated bags, printed in gravure and recyclable, with the choice of an AluBond metalized barrier or transparent AlOx (aluminum oxide) barrier layer and solvent-free barrier adhesive and topcoat.
- The first-ever UV flexo combined with digital inkjet printing for AluBond metallization, complete polypropylene laminated bags with barrier displays using a solventless adhesive again for a mono-material pouch created for recycling.
- UV low migration flexo printing, giving barrier with AluBond metallization, on total low-density polyethylene covered pouches.
- CI flexo water-based printing on whole MDO-PE laminated pouches with AluBond metallization, giving ultra-high barrier using a high wall solventless adhesive.
Each project partner has played an essential role in achieving this significant milestone to develop and industrialize a range of new mono-material solutions.
- Dow is a leading global supplier of original polyethylene (PE) resins and describes the primary level in the Generation 2.0 samples’ creation chain.
- Brückner Maschinenbau is the market head for biaxial (BO) film growing lines. With Brückner’s R&D competence, the outstanding performance of the BO films regarding barrier values and processability could be achieved.
- Hosokawa Alpine is a leading supplier in blown film extrusion and a specialist in MDO (Machine Direction Orientation) technology, a crucial element in manufacturing high-performance single-material compounds created of polyethylene.
- Elba produces and manufactures automatic high-speed bag and pouch-making machines. The company turns the finished reels into pouches.
- Sun Chemical is a global head in inks, coatings, pigments, and advanced materials and gives the sustainable oxygen barrier solventless adhesives utilized in the program.
- Michelman produces and manufactures specialized sustainable chemistries used in digital printing and foodservice packaging, and they fulfilled the water-based barrier topcoat used in part of the project.
- Indopoly manufactured a wide range of Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) films for the flexible packaging production and supplied a BOPP film with a different skin layer for one of the pouches.
- UFlex is India’s most comprehensive flexible packaging and determined film (BOPET & BOPP) company and supplied the BOPP film used in some experiments.
“Recyclability brings a significant layer of complexity to designing effective and efficient packaging. We strongly consider that collaboration with the whole value chain is not only the most active but the single way to help expedite the market running towards ambitious sustainability targets,” declared Jaroslaw Jelinek, Global Marketing Manager for oriented PE technologies at Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics. “We live pleased to be a member of this knowledgeable and innovative project team and bring presentations to the market the following generation.
“Sun Chemical is assigned to contributing to a more circular economy and is dedicated to promoting the adaptable packaging business to becoming more sustainable,” explained Nicolas Bétin, Director of Product Strategy EMEA, Packaging Inks and Materials and Global Sustainability Business Leader. “Compressed collaboration within the different players in the value chain, sharing information and competence, can lead to tangible outcomes which can efficiently be implemented in the market. This is specifically the case of this co-operation”.
“This is a partnership of like-minded companies, who are all determined to develop sustainable alternatives to non-recyclable flexible packaging,” commented Nick Copeland. “The BOBST Competence Centers are used to test the viability of the materials in terms of their barrier, printing, and lamination, to ensure they can cope throughout the production process. We are excited to contribute to this important milestone.”
Bobst Italia SpA, S. Giorgio Monferrato, Italy
