10 Nov 2023 — This week in industry news, Mondi partnered with Skånemejerier for PP-based monomaterial cheese packaging, and Sidel designed a PET bottle for liquid dairy. Meanwhile, Eco-Products added two sets of lids to its fiber-based packaging range. 

In brief: Business and partnerships
Mondi collaborated with Skånemejerier to create a monomaterial, PP-based packaging for, among others, ICA’s Hushållsost cheese. The new packaging comprises a monomaterial base web and lidding film, all of which Mondi produces and prints before being converted for 1 kg and 2 kg blocks of cheese by Skånemejerier. It will be sold in the Swedish supermarket ICA, and now comes in packaging designed for recycling. Mondi’s monomaterial solution provides high barriers against oxygen and water vapors, keeping the product fresh on the supermarket shelf. It offers high puncture resistance, protecting the cheese and printability, so the brand and recycling messages can be communicated well on-pack.

Blue Ocean Closures launched an offer to adopt its innovative technology for replacing plastics across a wide range of product categories. As part of their participation at The Greener Manufacturing Show & Plastic Waste Free World exhibition in Cologne, Germany, November 8-9, the start-up is introducing its fiber technology. This material, developed in conjunction with Glatfelter Corporation, is optimized using Quality Tools machinery and retains compatibility with a range of other forming concepts, enhancing or complementing future dry-forming approaches. 

Eco-Products implements lids with a “click” sound to confirm sealing. Greiner Packaging processed material from yellow bags into beverage trays for Rauch Fruchtsäfte. In the future, Rauch brand beverages will also be presented in supermarkets in trays made of 70% PCR recycled PET (rPET) material. In addition to bottles made from 100% r-PET, Rauch now also uses trays made from 70% rPET. Tray-to-tray recycling reduces dependence on the PET bottle flow, and the waste from yellow bags is used as the basis for recycled trays. The trays are produced by the Greiner Packaging business unit Greiner Assistec, which specializes in producing customer-specific plastic parts.

Aquapak Polymers announced a unique ‘Prosperity Partnership’ with the University of Birmingham, UK, to help tackle the plastic waste crisis, which Aquapack calls one of society’s most significant challenges. The three-year project, which brings together world leaders in their fields, is being funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Aquapak, Siemens and the University of Birmingham, with a value of £1.7 million (US$2 million). At present, most end-of-life plastics are either landfilled, dumped or incinerated. Aquapak believes there are two main alternatives to these environmentally damaging end-of-life options: Replacing conventional plastics with alternative, biodegradable polymers or increasing the recyclability of plastics. This Prosperity Partnership aims to bring both possibilities closer to widespread adoption.

Brazilian petrochemical companies Braskem and Indorama Ventures IOD-Oxiteno announced a partnership to supply bio-attributed ethylene from renewable sources. Bio-attributed ethylene, certified by ISCC, will be used by Oxiteno to create new environmentally sustainable solutions. This raw material is the first bio-attributed chemical product produced by Braskem from the certified mass balance approach. The concept co-processes traditional carbon sources with recycled or renewable components to develop chemical solutions with a sustainability attribute, maintaining properties and quality compared to conventional solutions. Furthermore, it contributes to reducing the use of fossil raw materials and greenhouse gas emissions.

In brief: Launches and releases
Sidel designed a new PET bottle to offer an increased competitive advantage for liquid dairy manufacturers. This mini-size has been designed for products such as drinking and probiotic yogurts with capacities between 65 mL to 150 mL and is suited for ambient and cold chain processes. The bottle would also suit applications within the juice, nectar, soft drinks, isotonic and tea sectors. With Sidel’s new ultra-light bottle, manufacturers can benefit from PET’s environmental sustainability credentials. The material is also the only food-grade bottle-to-bottle recycled plastic. By switching to PET, manufacturers can achieve a 40% cost reduction from polystyrene to PET and a 20% reduction from high-density PE.Sidel creates smaller bottles for dairy beverages.

Eco-Products added two new sets of lids — one for paper hot cups and the other for molded fiber ovals, rectangles and bowls — to its industry-leading array of fiber-based items designed to help operators everywhere, but especially those in markets where local ordinances prevent the use of foodservice plastic. Launched as part of the award-winning Vanguard line, the new lids are made with renewable molded fiber, are BPI-certified compostable and are manufactured with no-added PFAS. The rectangular covers feature patent-pending “snap-on” corners that provide audible confirmation that the lid has been secured in place, while the oval and bowl lids include tabs that fold under the rim to lock the lid on.  

Keystone Folding Box, a designer and manufacturer of paperboard packaging solutions, introduced new version of its Key-Pak child-resistant blister card suitable for cold-form foil blisters. As with the original Key-Pak, the solution achieves its category’s highest child-resistance rating while remaining easy to open for seniors and consumers with dexterity challenges. The pack is ideal for clinical trials, physicians’ samples and retail prescription pharmaceutical products. Keystone Folding Box says Key-Pak is the most widely used child-resistant medication packaging solution.

Global detox and nutritional supplement brand Touchstone Essentials, a plastic-neutral certified organization, switched from plastic canisters to bio-PPE pouches for its organic superfood powder supplement line. The introduction of lightweight bags lessens Touchstone Essentials’ carbon footprint and reduces the amount of plastic in the environment. The brand used glass bottles for detox supplements and compostable packaging materials, switching from plastic to paper-based packing tape.

Retronix provides the reclamation and refurbishment of electronic components.In brief: AcquisitionsAll4Labels Global Packaging Group consolidated its presence in Latin America by welcoming Maxcor Indústria de Etiquetas, a labeling company for Brazil’s chemicals and oil market, which is well-known for process specification language production. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval. Terms and conditions of the transaction were not disclosed.

Jabil, a design, manufacturing and supply chain solutions provider, acquired Retronix, a provider in the reclamation and refurbishment of electronic components. The deal adds exclusive technologies to Jabil’s portfolio while maintaining security, quality and certification standards. These services enable the safe extraction of embedded valuable features from printed circuit boards and other electronics to minimize waste, create new value channels, and mitigate future component obsolescence. The deal adds to Jabil’s current circular economy services, including reverse supply chain management, medical device reprocessing, recycled packaging and emission reductions. It strengthens Jabil’s mission to offer sustainable options to its customers who increase the use of electronics in “smart” products like electronic vehicles, home appliances, medical devices and packaged goods.

Specialized Packaging Group (SPG), a vertically integrated provider of protective packaging products, announced the acquisition of Monroe, US-based Complete Packaging, a Spell Family Office portfolio company. Complete provides custom-designed packaging solutions for various end markets, including automotive, heavy truck, energy, aerospace, defense, heavy equipment and general industrial. The acquisition will enhance SPG’s existing capability set by expanding its engineered packaging offerings and geographic reach while adding approximately 90 employees to its 1,600-person workforce. Complete’s leadership and total workforce will continue to operate in their current locations in Detroit and Monroe, US.

By Sabine Waldeck 

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