“Game changer”: Origin Materials partners with machinery producer for PET cap and closure system

(All image credits: Origin Materials).

06 May 2024 --- Origin Materials and PackSys Global, a packaging machine producer for plastic closure slitting machines, are partnering to produce the “world’s first” PET cap and closure manufacturing system.

Origin’s high-throughput production system will make the PET caps and closures at commercial scale. The solution is said to be a step forward in packaging.

“We anticipate our solution to be transformative for packaging by designing for recycling circularity and improving packaging performance, with a wide range of closure types made possible,” a spokesperson at Origin Materials tells Packaging Insights.

Container circularity
The materials company says it addresses a US$65 billion market. Its solution reportedly improves recyclability, enables lightweighting and can extend product shelf life.

“‘Monomaterial makes ‘100% recycled PET’ possible from cap to bottle, and improves recyclability because it is all one material, without the need for recyclers to separate caps from bottles,” explains the spokesperson.

Origin says it will make the world’s first PET caps and closures at commercial scale.“Origin’s patent-pending, cost-competitive design and manufacturing innovation aids in producing monomaterial products. These are composed of only a single type of material, are typically easier to recycle than products made from multiple materials, and are highly sought-after for consumer packaged goods to improve recycling.”

Ueli Kobel, director of PackSys Global’s slitting division, adds: “PET closures can be a game changer for closure recycling. Most beverage closures are made from high density PE (HDPE) today, and while closure recycling rates are increasing, especially in Europe, where closure tethering will be mandatory starting July 2024, beverage containers remain a two-material solution.”

Overcoming sustainability challenges
Kobel explains that HDPE suffers from degradation when reused multiple times. “Changing a closure to the same grade of PET as in the container avoids the need to separate the two materials and also solves the degradation topic at the same time.”

Origin’s co-founder and co-CEO, John Bissell, identifies sustainability as the greatest challenge for plastic container circularity.

“We identified a global sustainability challenge and an opportunity to solve it. An all-PET bottle and cap and closure system is an obvious, necessary next step in beverage packaging and recycling.”

“With our process, we can make caps from 100% recycled PET or 100% bio-based PET, unlocking important sustainability and potential performance benefits for our customers,” says Bissell.

By Natalie Schwertheim

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