Weekly Roundup: Dow develops its most circular plastic resin, Nestlé to roll out paper straws in Asia

04 Oct 2019 --- In industry news this week, materials science company Dow announced the development of a new resin made with 70 percent recycled plastic, called Dow Agility CE. The solution is the first post-consumer recycled (PCR) product offering of Dow's plastics circularity portfolio to incorporate a high percentage of post-consumer plastic waste. Also, Nestlé is set to introduce paper straws for its packaged drinks in Indonesia and Malaysia, replacing plastic straws, while Coca-Cola Western Europe and Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) announced new sustainability action plan goals, including accelerating the target from 50 percent to 100 percent recycled or renewable material in its plastic bottles.

In brief: Sustainability action
Dow announced the development of the Dow Agility CE resin made with 70 percent recycled plastic. The new resin consists of a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) into which recycled plastic shrink film is incorporated without sacrificing material quality and functionality in the final application. “What is exciting about Dow Agility CE is that previously mechanically recycled content has often diminished or degraded in quality,” notes Carsten Larsen, Commercial Recycling Director for Dow’s Packaging and Specialty Plastics business. “Here we have a consistent and high-quality product, taking back used shrink film directly from a retailer and using our material science to recreate a resin which can be used directly back into the same quality shrink film.”Vegware's eco-embossed Gallery Collection hot cups.

Nestlé is swapping plastic straws for paper straws its packaged drinks in Indonesia and Malaysia. The move represents another step forward in Nestlé's ambition to make 100 percent of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. In Indonesia, the Nescafé ready-to-drink varieties Lively Yuzu and Cool Coconut will feature paper straws from the fourth quarter of this year. Starting in December, Nestlé Malaysia will pilot paper straws for its Milo UHT 125ml drink packs. These changes alone will avoid the use of an estimated total of 70 million plastic straws across the two countries in a year. Following these pilot initiatives, paper straws will be used for other ready-to-drink products in the region.

Coca-Cola Western Europe and CCEP are raising the bar of This is Forward, their sustainability action plan for Western Europe, which pledged that by 2025 Coca-Cola will: collect a can or bottle for every one that it sells; ensure that all of its packaging is 100 percent recyclable and ensure that at least 50 percent of the content of its plastic bottles comes from recycled content. Further goals designed to accelerate their delivery of a sustainable packaging roadmap for Western Europe include:

• Working to remove all unnecessary or hard-to-recycle plastic from its portfolio, through lightweighting and the removal of all secondary packaging made from plastic;
• Working towards 100 percent recycled or renewable materials in all of its plastic bottles, avoiding the use of over 200,000 tons of virgin plastic every year;
• Support for well-designed deposit return schemes across Western Europe, where a successful proven alternative does not already exist;
• And provide transparent disclosure of its packaging footprint on an annual basis by packaging type, as well as reporting on performance against stated commitments and goals.

DOMO, a polyamides solutions provider, Covestro, a supplier of high-tech polymer materials and Circularise, an innovative transparency start-up, have announced a new collaborative project for circularity in the plastics industry through the use of blockchain technology. The newly formed Circularise PLASTICS project group aims to set up an open standard for sustainability and transparency within this field. At K 2019 in Düsseldorf, October 16-23, DOMO (hall 5, booth A43) and Covestro (hall 6, booth A75) will discuss the project with customers and look for new partners to join them on this pathway towards full circularity. The partners believe that achieving traceability and transparency in the plastics supply chain enabled by blockchain will make it more authentic and transparent. There are three main objectives:

• Choose Circular: Make it easier for suppliers, processors, manufacturers, molders and brand owners to choose traceable, sustainable and circular materials.
• Produce Circular: Create incentives for suppliers and manufacturers to produce traceable, sustainable and circular materials and products.
• Make Circular: Provide critical information for reversed logistics and take-back of products, materials and components.
  
  

The Swedish Cider Company's high-definition can design by Ardagh.In brief: Product launches
Compostables manufacturer Vegware has introduced new limited edition eco-embossed hot cups known as the Gallery Collection. The Gallery Collection of artistically designed hot cups is a collaboration between Vegware and Edinburgh-based Coburg House Studios. The compostable cups are made from two layers of sustainable board lined with PLA, a renewable material made from plants. The embossed outer layer reduces the need for a clutch, helping artwork stay visible on-the-go. The nine designs, three for each size, are printed with water-based inks, making them commercially compostable with food waste where accepted.

Premium beverage producer The Swedish Cider Company is introducing a high-definition can design by Ardagh to mark the expansion of its älska fruit cider range. The 33cl cans boast photo-realistic visuals and the designs employ Ardagh’s Premium Print 2.0 technology to achieve a sharp, clean aesthetic, neatly referencing the freshness of the fruits that flavor the all-natural drinks.

Novolex Blaze hot food containers.Waddington North America (WNA), a Novolex brand, introduced Blaze hot food containers that provide recyclability, ventilation, family stacking and anti-fog lids. The containers come in a variety of popular sizes and styles, with convenient hinged or two-piece options designed for carryout or delivery. The easy tear-away hinge allows for a less-cluttered dining experience and the two-piece option offers a common lid that fits the various base sizes. All of the packaging can be recycled where facilities exist.

Portuguese food and beverage company Sumol+Compal has launched its premium brand Compal in Tetra Pak’s new Tetra Stelo Aseptic 1000 Edge with Bio-based WingCap 30. The uniquely-designed package will allow Sumol+Compal to bring to market a range of popular juices distinguished by an easy-grip carton, one-step opening and with a smoothly-rounded, slim shape.

Bebo is producing a range of white and opaque recyclable PP trays for the Quorn range, including some of its bestselling products such as chilled Quorn Mince and Pieces. The trays are playing “a key role” in supporting Quorn Foods’ widely-publicized move to eliminate more than 297 tons of black plastic packaging from its supply chain. In addition to the change in material, Bebo has also worked on the further lightweighting of the trays.

MG America, the US subsidiary of MG2 of Bologna, Italy and a supplier of processing and packaging equipment, debuted a newly patented powder dosing unit at Healthcare Packaging Expo 2019 in Las Vegas. The company’s EXTRUDOR is an innovative design requiring only one dosing disk per capsule size regardless of the dosage. The new system promises increased flexibility and reduced size parts.Bebo's white and opaque recyclable PP trays for Quorn.

In brief: Business news
Huhtamaki has entered into an agreement to acquire the majority of Everest Flexibles (Pty) Limited (“Everest”), a privately-owned flexible packaging manufacturer in South Africa. With the acquisition, Huhtamaki will expand its flexible packaging manufacturing footprint into South Africa, thereby further strengthening its emerging market position. The product range and customer portfolio of Everest are complementary to those of Huhtamaki.

Huhtamaki has also agreed to acquire the assets and operations of Mohan Mutha Polytech Private Limited (MMPPL), a privately-owned flexible packaging manufacturer located in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, India. The acquisition allows Huhtamaki to speed up its growth in India by improving its capability to serve customers in South India.

By Joshua Poole