Südpack exec: Downgauging, recyclability and renewable materials hold key to film-based sustainability

12 Nov 2019 --- Using less material, improving recyclability and employing renewable raw materials are the priorities in film packaging specialist Südpack’s sustainability strategy. The German supplier showcased its latest sustainable solutions at FachPack 2019, including films from the high-performance Multipeel series, which use significantly less material while delivering optimal protection for sensitive products. The xpect series was also on display, a solution that uses renewable raw materials and likewise prioritizes product protection. PackagingInsights speaks to Carolin Grimbacher, Managing Partner and Head of Research and Development for Südpack, about the progress in the company’s three-pronged strategy to reduce, recycle and replace plastic packaging, its innovations in renewable raw materials and its participation in the ChemCycling project.

“FachPack 2019 provided many great examples of how the packaging industry is improving and advancing the sustainability of its products. This is particularly true for plastic packaging and our market segment of film-based solutions,” Grimbacher notes.

“At Südpack we are targeting three main areas to improve the environmental impact of our products: downgauging, improving recyclability and increasing our use of renewable raw materials. All three are cornerstones of our Roadmap for sustainable packaging, which we launched at this year’s FachPack.”

Especially in the reduction of material consumption, Südpack’s film experts have made substantial advances. Thanks to “downgauging,” film solutions are getting increasingly thin and lightweight. Established products from the Veraplex World, for example, are being continually refined with material reduction without compromising their performance. The MAP top film Veraplex Plus offers an especially stable lidding film, even for large packaging by using 29 percent less material.

Product safety remains top priority
The xPET solution from the Multipeel product family offers similar efficiency. The resealable solution offers outstanding sealing qualities, making it ideal for foodstuffs like cold cuts, cheese and bread spreads – with up to ten percent lower material consumption.

In turn, the Peel xPET offers an especially broad application range with minimal film thickness. This packaging concept delivers 12 percent lower material consumption, together with reliable sealing on films made of mono-PET or crystalline PET, and on packaging with antiblock or silicone coating.The MAP top film Veraplex Plus offers an especially stable lidding film, even for large packaging, and uses significantly less material.

“Food loss is a key environmental issue of our time. Consequently, product safety remains our top priority and main challenge alike when we reduce the consumption of materials. Also, we need to make sure that all functional properties, like the reclosing system, remain effective,” Grimbacher continues.

“Südpack meets these challenges by testing its products in its R&D center and trial facility, multiXtrusion. We also run tests on different packaging machines in our application technology center, simulating their performance on machines used in our customers’ production lines. As a result, we can speed up the process of launching innovative and sustainable solutions to the market,” she adds.

Decreasing independence on petroleum
To conserve resources, Südpack not only uses downgauging but also materials that can easily be recycled or which incorporate renewable raw materials. Consequently, many of its currently available foil concepts are available in the xPEP product group, which is based on polyolefins and offers increased recyclability.

For example, manufacturers can opt for the Safe Peel Clear xPEP. It delivers the same proven sealing performance as its sister products, but when used in combination with PP packaging, it is up to 96 percent recyclable. xPEP solutions for Multifol, flow wrap and Multipeel products are also available. In this variant, Multipeel xPEP concepts offer a 90 percent recyclability rating on the Ecoterm scale.

All products of the xpect line – here the Flow Wrap xpect – are made of bio-based PE but are providing the same functionality as films made of conventional PE.“The recyclability of our plastic solutions is one essential aspect. At the same time we want to improve our independence from petroleum to further reduce our films’ CO2 footprint,” says Grimbacher.

“Mainly, we do this by using material that is particularly good for mechanical recycling. For instance, we use polyolefins for our xPEP line because they are easier to recycle but still ensure high product safety.”

In the product lines Planova and xpect, Südpack is therefore focusing on renewable resources: cornstarch-based PLA for the Planova series and bio-based polyethylene (PE), derived from sugarcane for the xpect line.

The range of applications for bio-based PE and PLA at Südpack continues to grow: products from the xpect line are available as MAP packs, top and bottom films, and as flow packs, providing the same functionality as those made of conventional PE. This is a major advantage for further processing: manufacturers who choose xpect line films can continue to use their current packaging machines and design their products using rotogravure, flexo or digital printing.

“Raw materials based on renewable resources are a great opportunity to become more independent from oil, which is a resource in decline,” Grimbacher tells PackagingInsights.

“However, there are also some challenges associated with bio-based plastic. For instance, it is not more recyclable than oil-based plastic. Therefore, it is important to develop promising new recycling approaches like chemical recycling, since it has the potential to close the recycling circle for flexible packaging,” she explains.

ChemCycling: Increasing recycling levels
The chemical recycling pilot project – ChemCycling – involving Südpack, Zott, BASF and Borealis has resulted in the development of a prototype Zott Gourmet Dairy flexible pack made from 100 percent recycled plastic, the collaboration announced in July. In this collaboration, BASF supplies chemically recycled polyamide, while Borealis provides sustainably produced polyethylene. Südpack has used these materials to produce a multilayer film prototype for Zott Gourmet Dairy. The multilayer film prototype for Zott Gourmet Dairy, produced using 100 percent chemically recycled plastic.

The known benefits of chemical recycling include the ability to recycle mixed plastic waste that would have otherwise been destined for landfill or incineration. Unlike mechanical recycling, the process of chemical recycling removes all contaminants, including inks and colorants, returning post-consumer plastic to a quality indistinguishable from virgin material, suitable for direct food contact.

“With our prototype as proof of concept, it is now important to guarantee the high quality of secondary raw materials. Therefore, we need to further develop and adapt available technologies for the conversion of plastic waste into pyrolysis oil or synthesis gas,” Grimbacher says. 

“Beyond our efforts, regulatory framework conditions play an important role. Chemical recycling and the mass balance procedure must be legally recognized to enable us to establish the technology in the waste industry on a large scale.” 

If ChemCycling succeeds in achieving market readiness, the project can be an innovative complement to existing processes of recycling and recovery and therefore a crucial step towards solving the plastic waste problem.

The Ecocraft Skin was first brought to market by Swiss meat and sausage specialist Rapelli for its Ticino-style “grill snail” sausages.“If established recycling processes are combined with new ones such as chemical recycling, the experts believe that by 2030 a 50 percent reuse and recycling rate for plastics can be reached worldwide. Today it is only 16 percent. The share of chemical recycling could rise from currently 1 percent to around 17 percent, which makes up for the recycling of around 74 million metric tons of plastic waste,” Grimbacher highlights.

Nature’s appeal: Paper-based solutions
Südpack’s new film packaging solutions with paper components were another highlight at FachPack 2019. The products Veraplex Craft, Ecocraft Skin and Ecocraft Shape form the new Südpack Craft Line, which is characterized by its nature-inspired look and feel and good printability. All solutions combine a thin layer of plastic with paper with undiminished performance.

The Ecocraft Shape is particularly flexible. It is made of 80 percent paper and a thin layer of PE on the side that comes in contact with the product. This approach saves plastic, while also making it possible to flexibly adapt the packaging to the product. The Ecocraft Shape can be deep drawn up to 15 millimeters and offers packaging with an appealing look and feel, especially for cheese, sausage and meat products.

In turn, after product consumption, the Ecocraft Skin allows the cardboard and film to be easily separated: clear and simple recycling tips provided on the packaging, and easy-to-separate materials make properly sorting waste quick and easy.

By Joshua Poole