Unilever pilots circular bouillon packaging by Greiner Packaging and SABIC
11 Dec 2020 --- Unilever is employing Greiner Packaging and SABIC to develop tubs and lids made from recycled polypropylene (r-PP) for its Knorr brand bouillon powder.
Greiner Packaging selected PP from SABIC’s TruCircle portfolio to realize the pilot project taking place in France, striving for one million Knorr powder packages.
The selected polymer grade ‒ SABIC PP Flowpact FPC45 impact copolymer ‒ is a phthalate-free product and compliant with various European food contact regulations.
PP from chemical recycling is generally attractive for Greiner Packaging, Bettina Carow, submit group category manager for plastics, tells PackagingInsights.
“SABIC’s TruCircle is currently the only r-PP material that fulfills the requirements for food safety.”
Visually the same, materially different
The appearance, functionality and safety of the new Knorr bouillon powder packaging remain identical to the previous fossil-based version.
Similarly, the quality and user experience are designed to remain the same. Consumers can still simply remove the cardboard sleeve from the plastic container once it is empty before disposing and recycling of the two components.
Awaiting consumer feedback regarding design and performance, Unilever aims to expand the tubs and lids across its portfolio by 2025.
The new Knorr bouillon container uses SABIC’s PP Flowpact FPC45 from its TruCircle portfolio.The TruCircle cycle
SABIC’s certified circular polymers are produced through the feedstock recycling of used and mixed plastic that could otherwise be destined for incineration or landfill.
Difficult-to-recycle, used plastic is broken down and taken back to the molecular level by heating it at a high temperature in an oxygen-free environment, producing pyrolysis oil.
The pyrolysis oil then enters SABIC’s production chain just like fossil-based feedstock to deliver new materials with strict quality requirements, such as the European food contact safety standards for food packaging.
“As a chemically recycled material, the quality of [SABIC’s r-PP polymer] is the same as virgin material. Therefore, we were faced with no challenges in the production process,” Carow explains.
SABIC’s TruCircle portfolio has recently been employed in producing meat casings, vegetable film bags and pet food packaging.
In the testing phase: twin packs of yogurt with 100 percent mechanically recycled PS.Beyond circular PP
Carow shares that Greiner Packaging is currently working on other pilot projects from chemically recycled food-grade r-PP and other recycled materials with food approvals.
Outstanding projects involve renewable raw materials and products from mechanical recycling, preferably for non-food applications.
“We are pushing forward with this development,” adds Jens Krause, sales director at the Swiss Greiner Packaging site in Diepoldsau.
“Not only are we focusing on certified r-PP – we are also working on our first projects and tests with mechanically recycled polystyrene (r-PS).”
Recently, Greiner Packaging initiated trials producing yogurt cups from 100 percent r-PS. The company also joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste in a bid to invest in a circular economy and plastic waste recovery.
An appeal to the consumer
The “please recycle” labels on the side of the tubs encourage consumers and chefs to recycle the packaging post-use.
Unilever’s pre-launch consumer tests indicated that the labels were clear and visible, therefore deemed effective. However, the company is also considering further consumer feedback to make any necessary improvements.
Innova Market Insights’ top packaging trend “The Language of Environmental Sustainability” spotlights how FMCG brands are increasingly acknowledging the environmental attributes of packaging as a key selling proposition of consumer packaged goods.
By Anni Schleicher
