SABIC, Taghleef Industries, Karydakis and Kotronis Packaging join forces on monomaterial in-mold labeling

12 Sep 2023 --- SABIC is partnering with Taghleef Industries, Karydakis IML and Kotronis Packaging to produce in-mold labeling (IML) made of mono-PP for thin-wall container packaging. The IML technology creates a decoration within the injection mold so the label becomes a part of the packaging.

The packaging can be recycled in existing rigid PP recycling streams. The label material for the IML containers is a biaxially oriented polyethylene (BOPP) film produced by Taghleef, using a SABIC-certified renewable resin.

The final BOPP label film is supplied to Karydakis, a leading specialist in optimized printing techniques, ink formulations and conversion technologies.

Speaking to Packaging Insights, a SABIC spokesperson says the collaboration is primarily focused on dairy and other food applications.

“The demand for in-mold labeled packaging is constantly growing across various different consumer market segments, as it provides major opportunities for cost-effective and highly sustainable solutions,” they say.

The SABIC IML for dairy and food applications.“Together with the responsibly sourced and certified renewable polymers from our Trucircle portfolio, this flexible decoration technology has enormous potential in fully recyclable monomaterial packaging with no compromise on-shelf visibility and consumer appeal in the retail space.”

Watermarking against waste
A digital watermark has also been added to the IML to improve recyclability.

“By adding a digital watermark with material information that is invisible to the human eye but machine-readable, the printing of IML films can greatly improve the sortability of packaging products for smart, automated mechanical recycling in line with the European HolyGrail 2.0 initiative,” says the spokesperson.

PP materials from the Trucircle portfolio for the present IML solution are manufactured with bio-based raw material feedstock derived from second-generation sources, such as tall oil from forestry, used cooking oil and residues from vegetable oil processing, which the company says are not competing with the human food or animal feed production chain.

“As drop-in alternatives to virgin materials with the same properties, they eliminate the need for extensive and time-consuming qualification processes typically associated with the adoption of new materials, minimizing disruptions and enabling a smooth transition to more sustainable solutions with reduced carbon footprint.”

LCAs have confirmed that each kg of SABIC’s certified renewable PP resins reduces CO2 emissions by up to 4 kg as compared to fuel-based virgin polymers.

The Trucircle portfolio is currently being displayed at Taghleef’s Booth 4C35 at Labelexpo Europe 2023 in Brussels (September 11-14), demonstrating the partners’ firm commitment to comprehensive value chain IML solutions for the thin-wall packaging market.

SABIC also supports customers with the expertise gained in developments at the Thin-Wall Packaging Application Center jointly operated together with NETSTAL in Switzerland. The spokesperson adds that the Center is fully equipped for evaluating advanced process technologies, including IML.

By Louis Gore-Langton

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