Genesis: Amcor packs a recycling punch with new in-store recyclable laminate
13 Feb 2019 --- Amcor has hit another sustainability milestone with the US launch of Genesis – a new high-performance laminate that offers in-store recyclability. The all-polyethylene (PE) laminate looks and feels like traditional oriented polypropylene (oPP)/PE and oriented polyester (oPET)/PE laminates and can be used to package a variety of consumer goods. Genesis is “complementary” to AmLite, Amcor’s polyolefin-based film that can be used for ambient and retort high-barrier applications, which launched in September 2018.
Genesis reportedly overcomes challenges with production, ease-of-use, durability and aesthetics that have been associated with other packages intended for in-store recycling.
“We’re proud to have produced an in-store recyclable packaging product for the US. Traditional in-store recyclable packages are made using standard PE technologies – a combination of HDPE, LLDPE, etc. – versus non-recyclable oPET/PE and OPP/PE laminates,” Brian Ingraham, Amcor Research and Development Director for the Americas, tells PackagingInsights.
“The drawbacks include higher haze and lower gloss common to HDPE films, as well as reduced stiffness of the final product. Genesis addresses these challenges while maintaining the all-PE content required to qualify for the US in-store recycling stream.”
“Genesis provides brand owners a product that looks and feels like the packaging materials on shelves today, so the consumer sees a familiar package with the additional feature of being recyclable when they are finished with the product,” Ingraham explains.
Targeting a wide range of segments, including fresh produce, frozen food, dried fruits, nuts, confectionery, chilled goods and pet food, Genesis is adaptable to a variety of packaging types and is appropriate for certain medical, home and personal care markets.
“Consumer goods need to be packaged with high-quality materials that perform most effectively, with the lowest possible impact on the environment,” adds Tom Cochran, Amcor Flexibles Americas President.
The Genesis product is pre-approved by How2Recycle for in-store recycling with other PE film products across North America.
“Genesis maintains the look-and-feel, and shelf-life delivered with conventional laminates,” notes Laurent Vincent, Amcor Product Development Manager. “We are delivering on those requirements while also reducing carbon footprint by 35 percent against commonly used packaging.”
“Complimentary” with AmLite
The introduction of Genesis follows the company’s announcement in September 2018 that it had created a polyolefin-based, flexible film for use in a range of ambient medium- and high-barrier, and retort high-barrier applications.
“Genesis is complementary to AmLite,” Ingraham tells PackagingInsights. “AmLite is recognized as a platform barrier product for a wide variety of flexible packaging applications, such as retort and ambient. Significantly, it is recycling ready in the polyolefin recycle stream.”
“Genesis is also a platform technology that enables recycling of flexible packaging as part of the in-store, drop-off polyethylene recycle stream. Genesis includes both barrier and non-barrier versions to cover a range of ambient applications,” he says.
Amcor expects the Genesis product will be popular among brand owners and retailers.
“Like our customers, we want to see all packaging recycled or reused, and consumers can recycle Genesis in stores,” says James Davidson, North American Commercial Excellence and Marketing Director.
In addition to designing all its packaging to be recyclable or reusable, Amcor has committed to significantly increasing its use of recycled materials and working with consumer-goods companies, government agencies, NGOs and others to drive greater worldwide recycling.
“Amcor is committed to a circular plastics economy for primary packaging materials. While no single technology can achieve this because of the varying requirements of products packaged, Amcor continues to develop and commercialize technologies that are making a circular economy for plastics a reality,” Ingraham concludes.
Amcor-Bemis transaction receives EC approval
In further news, Amcor and Bemis have announced an important step toward closing their all-stock transaction, with approval received from the European Commission on 11 February 2019.
A condition of this approval is an agreement to divest three Bemis plants in the UK and Ireland. Combined, these plants generate approximately US$170 million in annual revenue from the sale of flexible packaging for certain healthcare products. This approval preserves Amcor’s European healthcare packaging business, which is “substantially larger and participates in attractive, high-value end markets.”
Amcor CEO Ron Delia and Bemis CEO Bill Austen described the merger as an “offensive” strategy to combine and expand the global footprint, particularly in the flexible and rigid plastics packaging markets within the Americas.
By Joshua Poole
