Weekly Roundup: Clariant joins EU Circular Plastics Alliance, Sainsbury’s and Aldi remove plastic straws

02 Apr 2021 --- In packaging news this week, chemical giant Clariant joined the EU Circular Plastics Alliance, supporting the Alliance’s target to boost the EU recycled plastics market to 10 million tons by 2025. Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s and Aldi supermarkets both replaced plastic straws on their own-brand products. Also, Flexcon launched a range of primary labels designed to remove efficiently during the PET recycling process.

In brief: Recycling ramp-ups
Clariant – an innovative specialty chemical company – joined the EU Circular Plastics Alliance. The Alliance aims to enhance plastics recycling in line with the objectives of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan and the Green Deal program. Clariant’s engagement is part of its active support for the transition toward a more circular plastics economy. Clariant is committed to the Alliance’s goal to boost the EU market for recycled plastics to 10 million tons by 2025. The company focuses on addressing the obstacles hampering a higher circularity of products within the plastics value chain, in line with the waste hierarchy principles. Its strategy is based on a smart combination of design for reduction, recycling and reuse options, and mechanical or chemical recycling solutions.

Flexcon – an innovator in adhesive coating and laminating – launched Flexcon optiflex ecofocus, a line of eco-friendly packaging products for primary labeling applications enabling the PET container recyclability. Designed for food and beverage, health and beauty, and household chemical containers, the product’s feature Flexcon’s new V-52RE adhesive, designed to remove cleanly during the PET recycling process. The 1.2 mil Tracrite release liner contains up to 60 percent post-industrial recycled content, minimizing carbon footprint.TricorBraun Flex partnered with How2Recycle.

Every Can Counts announced its first drinks brand partnership in Ireland with carbon-neutral, Irish start-up, The Naked Collective. Every Can Counts unites drink can manufacturers and the recycling industry in raising recycling awareness. The Naked Collective will provide funding to the Every Can Counts program, with both brands working together to spread the message that beverage cans are endlessly recyclable. Founded in 2019 and based in County Kildare, The Naked Collective specializes in vegan, low-sugar vitamin drinks designed to both health and eco-conscious shoppers’ needs.

TricorBraun Flex partnered with standardized recycling labeling system How2Recycle, enabling the former to offer additional recyclable packaging options for customers. TricorBraun Flex joins How2Recycle with PolyRecycle, a pre-approved, flexible polyethylene film packaging material. The How2Recycle label includes clear and concise information on how consumers should prepare their packaging for disposal, including its recyclability and any delineation between different packaging components.

The Recycling Partnership announced a second round of grant funding through its Polypropylene Recycling Coalition, distributing nearly US$1 million in catalytic grants to advance polypropylene recycling in the US. Launched in July 2020, the Polypropylene Recycling Coalition is a cross-industry collaboration supported by steering committee members Keurig Dr Pepper, Braskem, NextGen Consortium, and the Walmart Foundation, along with other members of the polypropylene value chain. Polypropylene, sometimes referred to as No. 5 plastic, is used in an array of food and non-food packaging and is in strong demand as a recycled material.

In brief: Plastic-free straws
Sainsbury’s UK supermarket announced it is removing plastic straws from its own-brand lunchbox juice cartons, totaling 18.5 million plastic straws and 6.6 tons of single-use plastic annually and a 68.9 percent on-pack plastic reduction. The newly packaged products landed in select stores last week and will be available in all stores and online by mid-April.Aldi removed plastic straws from its own-label drinks cartons.

Aldi supermarket also removed plastic straws from all own-label drinks cartons, replacing them with fully recyclable and FSC-certified cardboard straws. The move will reportedly remove 70 million plastic straws from circulation – equating to more than 100 tons of non-recyclable plastic each year. Aldi is “on track” to make all its product packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by the end of 2025.

In brief: New plastic solutions
Celebration Packaging unveiled customized and reusable microwavable hinged-lid food containers for kitchen food preparation applications. The reusable containers are made from high-clarity, recyclable virgin polypropylene. “Trials have been successfully concluded with two major high street foodservice businesses,” said Nick Burton, packaging managing director at Celebration Packaging. Both the rectangular and round containers have 200 ml capacity, and a 400 ml (deep) round container will soon be available. Custom shapes and sizes are also available, and the containers can be embossed with branding, subject to tooling charges.

Mondi produced recyclable packaging for Bell Germany’s “Abraham” range of thinly sliced gourmet ham, ensuring conformity with existing recycling guidelines. The new solution replaces a multi-material non-recyclable plastic solution, using 37 percent less material than standard modified atmosphere packaging. This switch will also reduce plastic waste for Bell Germany by 35 tons per year through a more lightweight solution. The Mondi WalletPack operates as a folder, which the consumer opens to unpack the product. It features a re-close function on the backside to prevent food spoilage and is verified by the German institute cyclos-HTP as 93 percent recyclable.Celebration Packaging’s reusable microwavable hinged-lid food containers.

Sidel secured a new customer in leading Chinese beverage player Nongfu Spring. Nongfu Spring’s latest beverage portfolio additions required a hyper-flexible and safe aseptic solution able to process high- and low-acid, still and carbonated products in PET while enabling impactful bottle designs. With four decades of supporting sensitive beverage producers worldwide, Sidel recently engineered and installed a complete aseptic packaging line, integrating the Versatile Aseptic Combi Predis. The line helped Nongfu Spring launch a breakthrough in the domestic market: sparkling Ready-to-Drink products, aseptically bottled in PET.

In brief: Compostable action
Waitrose UK supermarket announced it is replacing coffee capsules with a home-compostable alternative, saving millions of capsules from landfill. The previous capsules were made from mixed materials (polypropylene with an aluminum lid), difficult to separate for recycling. Waitrose will now sell coffee capsules made from bio-sourced materials, including sunflower seed bark and sugars derived from corn, which are fully compostable. The lid is made from cellulose and can also be home-composted. The box is fully recyclable.

Compostic launched its home-compostable cling wrap in the US, available on compostic.co and Amazon. The company’s innovative materials offer high-quality elasticity and strength, matching the performance and functionality of traditional plastic. “Our compostable cling wrap is as clingy as it is guilt-free and our resealable bags are stronger than traditional plastic,” said Jon Reed, Compostic founder and CEO.Nongfu Spring’s PET bottle.

In brief: Bio-based solutions
PulPac combined its Dry Molded Fiber process with Seyi’s proprietary servo pressing technologies in a new partnership, creating food-grade packaging to replace single-use plastic. PulPac’s Dry Molded Fiber is a patented manufacturing technology for the circular economy, using renewable pulp and cellulose resources to produce low-cost, high-performance, fiber-based packaging and single-use products. Dry Molded Fiber reportedly reduces carbon footprint by 80-90 percent compared to plastic alternatives at the same or lower cost.

Sirane signed a licensing agreement with Koepala, allowing the latter to take its innovative single-portion packaging solution to a wider market. “Sirane – with its market know-how, sustainable material expertise and open innovation – is a great match for scalable packaging solutions. Our cost-effective, plastic-free, and logistic-efficient package will bring unique value for brand owners of various product categories,” said Janne Asikainen, Koepala CEO. The partnership aims to go to market at the end of 2021 and is currently working with a food brand to replace its plastic salad packaging. The Koepala design creates pop-up bowls, drinks cartons and more – supplied flat – for the food-to-go, takeaway and retail sectors.

In brief: Facility upgrade
Smurfit Kappa announced a further investment of over €25 million (US$29 million) at its Pruszkow “mega-plant” in central Poland. This investment forms part of the accelerated capital investment program following the company’s €660 (US$775 million) equity capital raise in November 2020. Construction is due to commence in July and finalize during 2022. The expansion will double the facility output, making it Smurfit Kappa’s largest facility in Poland and its largest in Europe. The customer portfolio includes leading FMCG brands in the food and beverage sectors and serves both international and local customers.

By Joshua Poole

Sirane and Koepala signed a licensing agreement, allowing the latter to extend its innovative single-portion packaging to a wider market.