Greiner produces 100% r-PS yogurt cups in circularity swoop

10 Sep 2020 --- Greiner Packaging has carried out initial trials demonstrating that it is capable of producing yogurt cups from 100 percent recycled material. The company says this is the “most eco-friendly and sustainable solution imaginable.” 

In a bid to drive the circular economy forward, the Swiss company’s K3 yogurt cup is made from an environmentally friendly cardboard-plastic combination that can be printed with an attractive design. 

This particular cup is now the focus of a project carried out by Greiner Packaging, which reflects the company’s commitment to underscore the recyclability of polystyrene (PS). 

The goal is to manufacture food packaging from recycled PS, the company highlights. This project marks the first time that 100 percent mechanically recycled PS has been combined with 100 percent recycled cardboard. 

Click to EnlargeIn the testing phase: twin packs of yogurt with 100 percent mechanically recycled PS.The complete solution was tested on the typical Swiss yoghurt twin packs – and the results “are promising,” according to Greiner Packaging.

“The goal of obtaining food contact approval for 100 percent mechanically recycled PS and its process can only be achieved with the involvement of many companies across the entire value chain. Our activities in this field are currently focusing on our initial tests with a customer in Switzerland,” explains Tobias Strasser, managing director at Greiner Packaging.

Recycled PS used for first time
The high levels of purity reached by PS in tests demonstrate its high suitability for mechanical recycling. In fact, according to the company, mechanically recycled PS boasts 99.9 percent purity and thus has the potential to achieve food-grade status. 

While the PS recycled plastic used in these tests has yet to be approved for food contact applications, the initial trials offer proof that Greiner Packaging is already capable of producing yogurt cups with 100 percent mechanically recycled PS. certification of the material is already underway. 

This pilot project was facilitated by Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS), the value chain initiative to realize the circular economy for styrenic polymers. As part of its commitment to sustainability, Greiner Packaging initiated joint activities with SCS to develop food contact applications using recycled PS.

Targeting closed loop for PS
As a member of SCS, Greiner Packaging promotes sustainable measures for r-PS. Currently, these efforts are focused on the benefits of using mechanically recycled PS: a low carbon footprint thanks to sustainable materials and the creation of closed material loops. In other words, the recycled material does not need to be mixed with virgin material – so a sustainable overall concept can be realized without difficulty. 

Previously the company introduced reusable lids for yogurt pots. Schärdinger, Tirol Milch and Stainzer brands have been using the new snap-on lid since April. 

Manufactured using the injection molding process, the lid is dishwasher-safe and has a 95 ml diameter that fits most standard yogurt cups on the market. Since it can be reused, the lid helps save plastic while also sealing the cup and helping to extend the shelf life of the product inside.

Filipino plastic collections facilities
In addition, Greiner Packaging recently announced it is collaborating with Plastic Bank to open plastic collections facilities in the Philippines, as part of its efforts to boost plastics’ environmental sustainability profile. 

Click to EnlargePreviously the company introduced reusable lids for yogurt pots.The move seeks to create a circular economy for plastics, reduce waste and boost the local economies, as Plastic Bank’s collectors receive a bonus for the plastic they collect, providing an increased income they can count on. Greiner Packaging notes that it is “committed to supporting the activation” of five collection points in Manila.

In product examples, Henkel introduced a 50 percent post-consumer recycled polyethylene (r-PE) bottle for its Pro Nature toilet cleaner range. Greiner Packaging is one of Henkel’s suppliers for the extrusion blow molded packaging, which also has convenience and ease of handling built into its design and a decorative sleeve. 

The two project partners have signed the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment launched by the UK-based Ellen MacArthur Foundation to replace fossil-based virgin plastics with the use of recycled plastics in packaging.

Previously, speaking to PackagingInsights, Konrad Wasserbauer, director circular economy for Greiner Packaging, said that the company is offering increasingly circular solutions to its customers. These include more sustainable cardboard-plastic tear-off combinations, recycled PET (rPET) bottles, agro-based plastics and bioplastics.

Greiner Packaging took the opportunity to present an upgraded version of its K3 cups, a cardboard-plastic combination with individually recyclable components, at FachPack 2019. To make it even easier for consumers to separate the cardboard and plastic, Greiner Packaging teamed up with cardboard packaging and labeling firm Offsetdruckerei Schwarzach to develop a patent-pending tear-off system, which makes recycling more intuitive.

Edited by Kristiana Lalou

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