Siegwerk partners with Borouge on 100% monomaterial packaging solutions

18 Apr 2024 --- Siegwerk has partnered with petrochemical company Borouge to co-develop 100% monomaterial packaging solutions. The companies say they aim to build a “pipeline of solutions” that will enable global converters to produce advanced monomaterial pack designs.

“The majority of flexible packaging still consists of mixed materials and because of this multi-material structure, it is challenging to recycle it in the conventional recycling streams,” says Dr. Stephane Bertaux, head of Brand Owner Collaboration and Circular Economy for Southeast Asia at Siegwerk Thailand. 

“Here, the switch to monomaterial packaging is an essential lever to ease packaging recycling and thus enhance its circularity.”

Moving to monomaterial structures faces several central challenges, such as ensuring reliable sealability thermal stability and achieving specific levels of barrier performance depending.

“Enabling monomaterial structures using Borouge’s performance PE products with the combination of innovative ink and coating technologies can achieve the desired packaging outcomes,” adds Anton Wolfsberger, vice president of Global Marketing, Packaging and Circular Economy at Borouge.

“With this new way of industry collaboration, we contribute to addressing global challenges to increase sustainability and circularity. Upcycling is becoming possible through mechanical recycling, resulting in high-quality recyclates to further boost circularity and lower carbon footprint versus currently used multi-material packaging, which is mostly incinerated.” 

Borealis Borstar technology
One of the first co-development projects will be a barrier stand-up pouch using Borealis Borstar technology-based enhanced HDPE FB5600 from Borouge and Siegwerk’s oxygen barrier coating Cirkit OxyBar BC1582 and its primer solution Cirkit Clearprime for de-inking the laminates. 

“By incorporating our special de-inking and delamination primer into this innovative monomaterial structure with superior performance and mechanical properties, all used inks and coatings can be removed from the printed film during the recycling process, resulting in high-quality recycled PE that is suitable for re-use in new packaging materials,” says Bertaux.

Siegwerk and Borouge are collaborating with selected global converters to make solutions available for high-barrier monomaterial packaging combining oxygen and moisture vapor transmission rate barrier coatings.

While Borouge already offers a wide range of virgin polyolefins such as PE and PP specifically developed in regard to their recyclability, Siegwerk offers a variety of ink and coating solutions that can improve the recyclability of plastic packaging without compromising on performance.

By joining forces, the two companies say they are underlining the importance of collaboration along the packaging supply chain. 

Edited by Louis Gore-Langton