Berry Global publishes white paper to provide businesses with stretch film sustainability insights

09 Sep 2024 --- Berry Global has released a new white paper offering insights on balancing the sustainability profile of industrial stretch films while delivering the required levels of performance and reliability across applications. 

The packaging supplier underscores that businesses across all sectors are seeing increasing demand for more sustainable transit packaging. However, it is equally essential to acknowledge that stretch film’s primary function remains to provide load stability and protect against dust, dirt and moisture.

The Berry white paper, “Selecting High-Performance, Sustainable Stretch Films — Key Considerations,” discusses some of the key factors that need to be addressed in the decision-making process and outlines other ways in which the design and production of stretch film can support a business’s sustainability goals. 

“True sustainability in any form of packaging requires a comprehensive holistic and product-focused approach,” says Gabriele Ditsch, sales director of Berry Global’s European Flexibles Division.

“A so-called sustainable stretch film that fails to protect or transport the product effectively can end up causing greater environmental damage, not to mention serious cost implications, through spilt, lost and wasted product,” she stresses.

“In addition to our white paper, which has been created to invite companies to approach the subject of sustainability with an open mind, we also offer our customers a comprehensive Stretch Film Analysis as part of our initial sales process to assist them in making the right decision for their specific application.”

Bontite Stretch Wrap contains 30% recycled content through the company’s Sustane recycled polymers and delivers up to 220% stretch.Recycled stretch wrap and lightweighting

Berry Global developed a range of its Bontite Stretch Wrap, which contains 30% recycled content through the company’s Sustane recycled polymers and delivers up to 220% stretch.

“Sustane recycled polymers are backed by EUCertPlast certification, offering customers reassurance of the quality and authenticity of recycled content claims,” notes the company.

Opting for stretch films with recycled content can sometimes lead to increased thickness to meet performance standards, ultimately resulting in more film usage. Berry highlights lightweight stretch films require less raw materials and energy to produce, thereby reducing GHG emissions and plastic waste.

Berry Global’s 11.4 µm ultra high-performance Stratos Stretch Film provides a 44.6% reduction in plastic used annually when compared to a traditional 23 µm cast stretch film, while still achieving the required levels of stability, strength and protection. This results in 28.57% fewer truckloads being shipped per year and can provide significant cost savings, claims the supplier.

Berry Global has also developed other technologies like Entour Recyclable Lamination Films, which improve the recyclability profile of traditional multilayer laminated films through compatibilization. This enables converters and brand owners to transition to more widely recycled structures.

Meanwhile, Berry Global’s Omni Xtra+ cling film offers a low gauge, PE-based alternative to traditional, hard-to-recycle PVC cling films for the packaging of fresh foods, combining the unique mechanical properties of PVC film while being fully recyclable where curbside and front-of-store PE recycling streams exist.

By Benjamin Ferrer