Südpack acquires LPF Flexible Packaging for laminate expertise, partners Recenso on chemical recycling
08 Feb 2021 --- Südpack is acquiring Netherlands-based LPF Flexible Packaging from the Clondalkin Group for an undisclosed fee.
LPF is a manufacturer of high-barrier films for sensitive products, which Südpack says will constitute a key part of its future growth strategy.
The plastic laminates specalist serves the packaging markets for food, pharmaceutical and technical products, and its customers include globally leading brands, the company says.
The manufacturer’s key tasks include the development and production of printed and unprinted duplex and triplex packaging laminates, which provide high product protection and prolonged shelf life for demanding applications.
Speaking to PackagingInsights, Südpack’s CEO Eric Bouts, explains how the acquisition will play into the changing political arena.
“The EU plastics tax will have the same impact on the plastic laminates industry as on other plastic packaging materials. Therefore, we see a move towards mono-materials, which offer high recyclability as well as trends towards further downgauging the materials at the same performance level.”
The EU plastics tax, implemented this year, enforces a €0.80 (US$1)/kg levy on non-recycled plastic packaging waste, paid by Member States into the EU budget.
Utilizing LPF expertise
In addition to extensive product and industry experience, Bouts says his company chose to acquire LPF for its extensive R&D and business development resources.
Moreover, he points to LPF’s “high-quality base of machinery and infrastructure and its well-invested and highly skilled technical department.”
“We value LPF’s high-level of development and market competence and plan to establish the site in Grootegast, Netherlands as a Competence Center for High Performance Laminates over the long term within the Südpack Group.”
Chemical recycling allows wasted materials to become valuable resources.“In doing so, we want to further expand Südpack’s expertise and performance portfolio in the development and production of high-performance laminates for various applications in order to serve attractive emerging markets and tap into new markets.”
LPF’s customer services team will continue after the acquisition, gradually advancing the company’s activities in new markets.
Meanwhile, Südpack’s high-performance laminates production continues without alterations at its sites in Ochsenhausen and Bioggio, Switzerland.
Südpack collaborates on chemical recycling
In other Südpack news, this month saw the launch of a collaboration between Südpack and chemical recycling company Recenso, aiming to “close reusable material loops” in the plastics supply chain.
Chemical recycling makes it possible to take multilayer, mixed and contaminated film composites that could not be mechanically recycled and extract new, high-quality base chemicals.
The recovered plastics are made suitable for producing high-performance films, used to package demanding products with high quality and hygiene standards such as the food industry.
Südpack is describing this move as a “milestone” for the packaging industry, demonstrating that reusable materials generated during the production of films are not waste, but can be a valuable resource instead.
By Louis Gore-Langton
