Empack 2019: Shelf-life limitations on biodegradable pouches remain, but innovation is moving fast

05 Apr 2019 ---The incoming regulatory changes that directly impact the packaging industry are abundant, and the industry needs to innovate – fast. The 2019 edition of Empack was held in Den Bosch, the Netherlands, and PackagingInsights was reporting on innovations from the show-floor. Offerings with sustainability as a central driver were clear in the flexible packaging market, ranging from bio-based to mono-material options. However, transitioning to materials with a more sustainable positioning can present challenges, such as a more limited shelf-life.

By 2025, EU regulations state that 55 percent of all packaging must be recycled. Also, although it will differ by member state, as a rule of thumb, plastic products must contain 25 percent recycled content by 2025 and 30 percent by 2030. These regulations fall within the Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD), which was approved in the European Parliament last month. It places pressure on the entire plastics value chain, from chemical producers to packaging manufacturers and FMCG companies.  

Speaking to companies at the show, it became clear that questions around sustainability were at the forefront of customer requests. This, of course, is not surprising considering the heavy regulatory burdens facing the industry.

In the form of answers, bio-based, mono-material and recycled content options were thriving. However, concerns over the “bigger picture” of waste management remain – especially regarding end-of-life options and collection.

Bio-based boom?
Bio-based materials are generally revered for their sustainability. Fossil based materials, such as common plastics, use non-renewable sources – therefore, the source for most used polymers will eventually be depleted. The dumping of such fossil based materials contributes significantly to rising Co2 emissions.Bastin-Pack exhibited a range different packages, some of which utilize bio-based films.

Bio-based materials have come under heat due to the widespread confusion with regard to their disposal. Commonly, the terms biodegradable and compostable are used interchangeably. The uncertainty surrounding biodegradability, in turn, leads to confusion around compostable materials, which require appropriate end-of-life treatment and are not acceptable as land or marine litter.  

The interest in bio-based films has increased monumentally and the market reflects this, Aurélie Van de Vyver, Sales Coordinator Flexible Packaging at Bastin-Pack, tells PackagingInsights.

At the show, Bastin-Pack exhibited three different packages which all utilize bio-based films. An important component of its range, notes Van de Vyer, is the certification – which certifying the company as a producer of biobased packaging. Additionally, there is the Ok Compost certification, which indicates that its films can be collected and industrially composted.

Such certifications are important for a market that can be quite confusing, says Van de Vyer. This is also true for consumers. “Logos are a purchasing point for consumers. They can be confused and not know the difference between Ok Compost and home-compostable, for example,” she adds.

When it comes to “the mess” that is collection and recycling across Europe, Van de Vyer explains that such logos can also help instruct consumers on how to dispose of their packaging correctly.

However, consumers appear to continue to be attracted to home-compostable options, yet do not understand the reduced shelf-life that comes with such options, she adds.Biobased certification on pack.

Indeed, Inge Lauwers of DeeDee Pouch Professionals similarly noted that bio-based pouches are not a viable option for all companies. “We offer bio-based pouches which are very good for the environment but they start degrading after nine months, so it’s not an option for many of our customers due to the product they provide,” Louwers tells PackagingInsights.

However, innovation in the flexible packaging market is moving swiftly, and within a year bio-based film technology may be able to provide options with longer shelf-life, she says.

Bioplastics continue to achieve steady global growth, particularly in Asia. One in three consumers is willing to pay more for food and beverage products packaged using compostable or biodegradable packaging, according to a global 2018 Innova Lifestyle Survey from Innova Market Insights. 

For customers who cannot switch to bio-based material options, Louwers suggests that mono-material pouches are also a strong option as they are 100 percent recyclable. In this way, they are “Recyclable by design,” which Innova Market Insights identified as its number one trend in packaging for 2019. 

“Some customers are ready to go to a mono-material pouch made from PP or PE. This way your pouches can really be recycled into something new. For all the customers that use pouches with different types of plastics, we encourage them to go to mono-material and it’s not much more expensive. But there are still limitations, as they cannot be used for liquids or a very long shelf-life over 12 months,” Lauwers explains.

Touted as a “game changer in film packaging,” British RPC bpi protec’s new X-EnviroPouch grabbed the attention at the show. The pouch touts a 100 percent recyclable PE barrier film that delivers both an oxygen and water vapor barrier. RPC bpi protec’s sustainable range.

The company’s customers are increasingly asking for sustainable options for their flexible packaging, but are not sure how to do so without compromising on shelf-life, performance and cost,” Jullie Eller, RPC bpi protec’s Sales Director, tells PackagingInsights.

“We are really going for the recyclable angle here. We are aware that consumers are also interested in degradable solutions, but, unfortunately, many of these solutions do not offer optimum shelf-life,” Eller says.

It was also exhibiting its new X-EnviroShrink, which ticks the incoming EU recycled content target. It contains 30 percent post-consumer recyclate (PCR) as well as being 100 percent recyclable itself, making it entirely in line with the latest government proposals for plastic packaging.

However, the company is innovating around a bio-based option, Eller reveals to PackagingInsights.

“We are looking into a solution of an additive that would make polyolefin degradable, but only in anaerobic solutions. This means it would not degrade in the outside environment and only when in landfill. We hope to see it on the market in a year,” she explains.

Is innovation moving fast enough?
Innovation is moving quickly now, and solutions are being investigated for every route, from deep-draw, to flow-pack and top-seal applications, Arnold Postma, Sales Management, Wipak Benelux, tells PackagingInsights.

However, a thought echoed by a number of experts at the show was the fact preserving shelf-life to avoid unneeded food waste should remain a top driver in the industry. This, however, can often be lost on consumers who can be swayed by anti-plastic sentiment.

Lauwers also notes that there is further confusion stemming from which material is the most sustainable – again, on the consumer side. She uses the example of a paper pouch. Consumers may see such a pouch as a sustainable option, due to the natural aesthetics of the product, but in reality, the paper has been fused with plastic which means it is entirely non-recyclable. In these cases, plastic will remain the most recyclable option.

As the packaging industry grapples with the reality of increasingly stringent regulations, recyclability and bio-based options are likely to continue growing.

By Laxmi Haigh