FachPack 2022: Constantia to unveil new flexible packs amid rising eco-sustainability expectations

27 Jul 2022 --- Constantia Flexibles is set to launch environmentally sustainable product lines at FachPack 2022 in Nuremberg, Germany, this September. 

PackagingInsights speaks with Achim Grefenstein, senior VP of R&D, Joerg Adrian, VP of technical organization and innovation pharma, and Thomas Schulz, VP marketing and communication, about the company’s new products and the packaging trends they expect to see at the trade show.

Rising material prices and bottlenecks and increasing environmental sustainability expectations have resulted in significant challenges for producers and packaging manufacturers, they say.

Intensive R&D is therefore more important than ever, and the company continues to invest in this area. 

New micro-embossing tech
Together with the Dutch film manufacturer Plasthill, Constantia Flexibles has developed CompresSeal technology based on a novel micro-embossing technology.

Perpetua Alta Sachet (Image Credit: Constantia Flexibles).“The CompresSeal film has higher seal integrity than standard PE films and weighs up to 30% less. The technology consists of a novel and special micro-embossing technology. Its innovative embossing pattern reduces the grammage of polyolefinic sealant films while still having the same thickness as standard packaging. Thus, also the carbon footprint of a given packaging specification can be reduced,” explains Grefenstein.

“Furthermore, the technology reduces the issues associated with migrating slip agents usually used in the PE and PP film industry.”

Monomaterial pharma solution
Meanwhile, Constantia Flexibles’ Pharma Division also researched, developed and introduced a “brand-new” innovation this year. The PP-based, recyclable monomaterial solution Perpetua Alta features high chemical resistance to pharmaceutical products. 

Its “unique” selling point is the combination of environmental sustainability and resistance, while it also boasts a lower weight and higher efficiency. Compared to conventional laminates, it combines these properties with optimum protection against oxygen, water vapor and light.

“The newest addition to our product portfolio combines Design for Recycling guidelines with high chemical resistance against aggressive liquid or gel formulations,” asserts Adrian.

“The mono-polymer solution replaces the multi-material packaging for chemically aggressive products such as pharmaceutical liquid and gel compositions. Technical challenges were related to qualified raw materials and the appropriate manufacturing technologies.”

When asked whether the solution can be applied to other products, Adrian says: “It was our goal to achieve a high-performance ready-to-be-recycled solution. Although designed for highly aggressive pharma products, Perpetua Alta may also find applications in other market segments requiring high chemical resistance, for example, in food or technical applications.”

Thomas Schulz, VP marketing and communication.FachPack trends
Schulz says the company is looking forward to the presentations and discussions surrounding topics that are currently affecting the packaging industry at FachPack.

“This ranges from [environmentally] sustainable solutions to the challenge of raw materials and European regulations, like the Green Deal,” he says.

“A lot is going on and many things are in a state of upheaval and change. This is what makes the industry so exciting,” he concludes. 

In addition to the presented product innovations, Constantia Flexibles will be presenting its long-established product lines at FachPack, including its Ecolutions packaging line. 

Consisting of the recyclable product families EcoLam (mono-PE laminate), EcoVer (mono-PP laminate), EcoPaper (paper solutions), and EcoPeelCover (aluminum-based closure solution), the product line reduces environmental impact while maintaining packaging performance.

By Natalie Schwertheim