DSM Engineering Materials arms DiFold with bio-based copolyester for origami-inspired reusable bottle

02 Mar 2023 --- DSM Engineering Materials is partnering with reusable packaging start-up DiFold and equipping it with bio-based, thermoplastic copolyester to manufacture its flagship Origami foldable water bottle.

Inspired by the Japanese art of paper folding, the patented and award-winning design of DiFold’s Origami Bottle allows it to fold down to less than 10% of its original volume – greatly improving user convenience and reducing the carbon footprint of shipping.

The Origami Bottle provides a durable, reusable and recyclable alternative to single-use water bottles – helping to avoid plastic packaging waste.

Innova Market Insights recently flagged “Reusable revival” as a top packaging trend for 2023. Although reusable packaging has been slow to take off in the wider F&B space amid scalability challenges, consumer belief in the long-term sustainability of such models remains strong.

According to the global market researcher, reusability is seen as an important packaging-related purchasing influence by 43% of global consumers – the most widely highlighted aspect and on par with hygiene (42%) and shelf life (42%).

Arnitel Eco’s “perfect balance”
Arnitel Eco is a bio-based thermoplastic copolyester partially derived from renewable rapeseed oil. The material significantly reduces the material’s cradle-to-gate CO2 emissions – delivering a carbon footprint reduction of up to 50% compared to traditional copolyesters.

This measurement is based on a life cycle assessment, which includes every stage of the material’s production, from the growing of the feedstock crops to the finished product that leaves the factory.

DiFold’s Origami Bottle folds down to less than 10% of its original volume.The partners agree that these qualities make Arnitel Eco an ideal fit for DiFold’s Origami Bottle. According to the start-up’s cofounders Radina Popova and Petar Zaharinov, circularity and durability were the key factors to consider when choosing a material for their unique product. 

“We wanted a bio-based material that could be recycled, as well as having the specific mechanical properties required by the folding design. We are happy to say that Arnitel Eco offers the perfect balance of elasticity, plasticity, and circularity,” they say.

The material also reportedly delivers high performance with a very low environmental impact. It is BPA-free and can withstand temperatures of between -30-degrees celsius and +100-degrees celsius. Further, it does not absorb the smells or tastes of liquids, giving it a long usable life.

Recycle-ready material
Moreover, DSM Engineering Materials indicates that Arnitel Eco can also be recycled without any loss of quality in the recovered material, which it sees as essential in helping DiFold to meet its goal of creating a closed-loop recycling system for its products.

In addition to supplying the Arnitel Eco material, DSM Engineering Materials has offered DiFold sustainability advice, technical recommendations and regulatory compliance services.

Pim Janssen, marketing manager for Food Contact, Water Contact and Appliance markets at DSM Engineering Materials, comments: “We are pleased that our services and materials could help DiFold in its mission to minimize the impact of packaging on the environment – a topic which is also close to our hearts.

“By helping to defossilize the value chain, Arnitel Eco contributes to creating a circular economy for materials.”

In May 2022 Royal DSM, revealed that it had agreed to sell its Engineering Materials business to Advent International and Lanxess for an Enterprise Value of €3.85 billion (US$4.09 billion). The transaction is expected to complete in the coming months.

By Joshua Poole