Weekly Roundup: ÅR Packaging to launch fiber-based cutlery, Clariant develops “oxygen scavenger” masterbatches

25 Oct 2019 --- In packaging industry news this week, ÅR Packaging partnered with BionaticClariant to launch a range of fiber-based cutlery and Clariant developed a new brand of masterbatches titled CEST ProTect. Also, Ardagh unveiled a white aluminum shell to its existing range of colorful can closures and Chadwicks created aluminum lidding material to seal to glass.

In brief: Launches 
With the 2021 EU wide ban on throwaway plastics set to be enforced, ÅR Packaging teamed up with Bionatic, a food service packaging distributor, to launch a range of fiber-based cutlery with “strong environmental benefits.” The companies plan to offer a series of spoons, knives and forks in full commercial scale by the end of 2020.

White aluminum shells produced by Ardagh.Clariant created a new brand of patent protected “oxygen scavenger” additive masterbatches titled CESA ProTect. The primary target market for the new additive masterbatch is monolayer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging, although it may also be beneficial for other polyester-based materials. The active ingredients in CESA ProTect masterbatches are “oxygen scavengers,” which absorb O2 molecules as they enter so they cannot reach the protected product.

Chadwick's adluminum lids to seal glass jars.Ardagh introduced a white shell to its existing range of infinitely recyclable colored beverage closures. Customers will be able to match any tab from Ardagh’s existing color range with the white shell in combinations that achieve either a sleek and sophisticated complement, or an eye-catching contrast. The white shell had previously formed an important element of the design for AND UNION’s unfiltered lager can, which won a silver medal at 2017’s Cans of the Year awards. The shell matches all the size specifications of the other shell options and can run at standard speeds on the filling line. It is available to all customers from October 2019.

Pre-cut lid and shrink sleeve manufacturer Chadwicks of Bury (part of the Clondalkin Group), developed an aluminum lidding material to seal to glass. Developed in-house by Chadwicks, the decorative lids have been produced for a new premium yogurt range from Alston Dairy. “Working in partnership with our sister company Royal Vaassen in the Netherlands, we developed a material that provides an optimum sealing solution for glass, and teamed up with Seal-it-Systems to create the desired ‘crimping’ effect,” says Ken Dunlop, Sales Manager at Chadwicks.

The closure immediately seals as soon as you let go of the tap, which reduces liquid spillage.Worldwide Dispensers, part of DS Smith Plastics, designed a new plastic bottle dispensing closure. The single-handed self-service closure hermetically re-seals itself once the user stops pressing the button, eliminating the risk of spillage and water wastage because of leaving the tap slightly opened. It is designed to be placed horizontally in storage so consumers can enjoy their beverages without having to lift heavy containers. The closure is made with 48 percent less plastic and is suitable for large PET juice, oil and water bottles.

In brief: Business
In Winsford, UK, Coveris has undertaken a major investment program in new generation extrusion and pre-stretch assets to upgrade its offer in stretch film production for industrial and agricultural applications. The expansion of capacity includes multi-layer extruders as well as new generation pre-stretch assets. This move supports Coveris’ positions both in agritechnical silage films and pre-stretch markets. The company already supplies its agricultural films on a global scale from its Kufstein, Austria facility. The new center in the UK is able to support British production capability significantly.

Coveris invests in stretch films technology.Just a year after the company established its Caps & Closures industry segment organization, SABIC has opened its new Technology and Innovation Center dedicated to the caps and closures segment in Geleen, the Netherlands. The center includes facilities that allow SABIC to simulate the real-life performance of finished products. The dedicated research laboratory has equipment for testing material characteristics such as mechanical properties, dimensional stability and environmental stress cracking resistance (ESCR). “This new Caps & Closures Technology and Innovation Center will provide an environment where we can engage with our customers, strengthen our collaboration and ultimately deliver better solutions for the benefit of our consumers,” Sergi Monros, SABIC Vice President of Performance Polymers & Industry Solutions, Petrochemicals said at the opening ceremony.

Over half of the beverage cartons used in the Netherlands are incinerated or disposed of in general waste channels, with the remainder being exported to other countries for recycling. Smurfit Kappa has joined with companies HVC and Bluemats to unveil an ambitious plan for the first full beverage carton recycling plant in the Netherlands. Currently, beverage cartons consist of paper, plastic and aluminum, a major infrastructural challenge when it comes to recyclability. The planned facility will have the capability to quickly split and sort the components of the drinks cartons so the materials can be used to create new products. Single-use coffee cups, which also have multi-layered materials, are also included in the scope of the plan.

By Anni Schleicher