Packaging Innovations 2022: Camvac to launch circular economy-boosting films for food

16 May 2022 --- Camvac is launching two products at Packaging Innovations in Birmingham, UK, next week: ExtraPET PCR, a high-barrier lidding film with over 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content, and Camplus Extra MDO PE, a high-barrier metallized MDO PE in single web form and laminate structure.

The company says ExtraPET PCR has been purposely developed to meet the growing consumer demand for more environmentally sustainable lidding film solutions. The new film development sets out to reduce plastic going to landfill. 

It also utilizes the circular economy, reducing the use of fossil feedstocks and carbon footprint while supporting recycling streams. 

ExtraPET PCR 
Fresh food packaging with ExtraPET PCR can be applied to processed meats, fresh meat, poultry, vegetable packaging and bakery products.

The film still provides an all-PET structure and maintains Camvac’s high gas barrier performance, both OTR and WVTR, as required for MAP and CAP packaging applications.

ExtraPet enables products currently packed in multi-polymer tray/lidding combinations to switch to a 100% PET film/tray solution already extensively used in the MAP/CAP markets.

ExtraPET PCR’s key product benefits:

• Monomaterial (widely recyclable)
• Chlorine-free barrier coating
• Excellent seal integrity
• Minimum 30% PCR Content
• Peel and weld seal options
• Market leading anti-fog properties
• Excellent light transmission/low haze values. Excellent clarity and product visibility
• High-barrier laminate for extended product shelf life
• Print receptive top coating

Fresh food packaging with ExtraPET PCR can be applied to processed meats, fresh meat, poultry, vegetable packaging and bakery products.Challenging virgin PET films
Available in either peel or weld seal laminate structures, the monomaterial lidding film has been designed to offer excellent sealing properties and exceptional barrier performance. It also guarantees the film appearance is not hampered by using food contact approved PCR grade base webs. 

Camvac says it can offer an environmentally sustainable film that challenges virgin PET films, due to very similar characteristics and visual appearance – no yellow hints are visible in the barrier lidding film.

Total recyclability 
The high-barrier polyester laminate film’s versatility contributes to the film being used for a wide range of processed meats, fresh meats, poultry, pastas, vegetable, and bakery packaging solutions, where presentation and fresh appearance are critical.

As a direct result of the ExtraPET range being all-polyester structures, the potential of total recyclability, where post-consumer collection infrastructure exists, is possible.

The recyclable lidding film has the capability to seal and peel from various tray structures including most PET trays. A PET tray and ExtraPET film lid combination meets the ever-growing requirement of a complete monomaterial packaging solution that is truly recyclable.

Extra MDO PE
Camvac has also expanded its environmentally sustainable packaging material films by successfully developing a high-barrier metallized machine-direction oriented PE film in single web and laminate form.

This development facilitates the opportunity for recycling within the circular economy. These laminate film structures may predominantly feature in the snack food marketplace, including crisp packaging and similar end-uses.

The Extra MDO PE laminate film structures may predominantly feature in the snack food marketplace.MDO PE benefits
The Camplus Extra technology produces an MDO PE film that has dramatically improved metal adhesion, offering higher inter-ply bond strength and enhanced barrier.

The single-web metallized MDO PE also offers the converter a high-barrier, OTR and MVTR, PE film that can be laminated to another PE substrate to create a monomaterial film for conversion into a recyclable flexible packaging pack. 

Key benefits of MDO PE include:

• Reduced film thickness 
• Reduced packaging costs 
• Possibility of 100% monomaterial structures that can be recycled 
• Lamination grade of high-barrier metallized PE film material 
• High pressure resistance 
• Exceptional barrier performance both MVTR & OTR 
• Available in 20 um and 25 um single-web structures 
• Camplus Extra process to surpass the necessary barrier requirement the market demands

Environmental sustainability
Primarily aimed at the food and converter markets, Camvac’s latest film development increases the company’s environmentally sustainable barrier layer packaging film solutions within its Camvert product range.

Machine-direction orientation (MDO) film has a growing presence in food and consumer packaging. In recent months, the confectionery and snacks marketplace has been requesting the industry for a metallized MDO PE based film, the company shares.

This request includes the requirement to provide a barrier coating suitable for conversion and lamination to similar product family materials, creating a monofilm laminate solution for conversion into the end-product packaging.

Camvac’s Camplus Extra barrier technology has delivered a solution with its latest commercial development being available in 20 and 25 micron gauges in single web form and a MDO PE/PE laminate structure.

MDO technology 
Processing film material via MDO enhances the properties of the film and offers the opportunity for costs to be reduced. 

MDO films are “incredibly stable” when compared to “standard PE,” which facilitates the potential to reduce the gauge, which in turn uses less material, resulting in a reduction in product packaging, transport costs and carbon footprint.

Taking the raw MDO PE film, Camvac says it has used its “unique” patented technology, adding a barrier to the film via their Camplus Extra process.

Edited

By Natalie Schwertheim