Borealis and Vibac develop BOPP film V-Fresh for F&B shelf life extension

13 Oct 2022 --- Borealis and the Vibac Group are announcing the development of a new and more environmentally sustainable BOPP-based film for food applications. The film aims to extend shelf life, facilitate recycling and lower carbon emissions. 

Vibac’s “V-Fresh” BOPP film is produced with a grade from the Bornewables portfolio of circular polyolefins derived entirely from waste and residue streams. Since the product is designed for recycling, the packaging can be sorted into PP waste streams for mechanical recycling, supporting the increase of recycling quotas for flexible packaging formats. 

“The combination of our BOPP film expertise with the polyolefins and recycling know-how provided by Borealis enables us to satisfy consumer demand for more climate-friendly packaging,” says Alberto De Paoli, Vibac’s general director. 

“At the same time, we can still deliver the safety, freshness, and top-notch organoleptic qualities shoppers have come to expect.” 

The packaging can be sorted into PP waste streams for mechanical recycling. Shelf life extension 
PP is widely used in the flexible packaging industry due to its cost and resource efficiency, says Borealis, one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and sustainable polyolefin solutions. 

When used for food-safe packaging formats such as bags and pouches, for fresh products and cut vegetables, the protective properties of PP help extend the shelf life by retaining freshness and minimizing unnecessary food waste. Film converters are also looking to improve the environmental sustainability profile of their packaging film solutions. 

To lower CO2 emissions and help address the issue of climate change, converters can now rely on the grades in the Bornewables portfolio of circular polyolefins. Derived solely from waste and residue streams, Bornewables grades are drop-in solutions that offer the same performance properties as virgin PP, yet with a substantially lower carbon footprint. 

Borealis’ Bornewables
Converters can use the Bornewables on existing equipment without having to invest in new machinery. The newly developed, monomaterial BOPP film can be easily integrated into PP mechanical recycling streams, thus upping recycling quotas for flexible packaging formats. 

The V-Fresh film packaging will be on display at the Borealis K 2022 trade show stand in October in Düsseldorf, Germany. 

“Together with Vibac, we developed another packaging solution that exemplifies our EverMinds ambition, which is advancing plastics circularity through innovation and value chain collaboration,” says Peter Voortmans, Borealis global commercial director consumer products. 

“Offering high quality and cost-efficient alternatives to fossil-based feedstocks is what we mean by re-inventing essentials for more [environmentally] sustainable living.” 

In another development, Borealis, in partnership with Paccor and Froneri Finland, developed “the first” PP ice cream packaging manufactured with certified renewable feedstock. Inspired by Finnish nature, the tubs come as part of the Everminds initiative to accelerate the conversion to plastic circularity and reduce carbon impact. 

Last year, Borealis secured exclusive supply of Renasci Oostende Recycling’s chemically recycled material from its high-tech recycling center in Belgium. 

Edited by Natalie Schwertheim

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