Weekly Roundup: Borealis and Eneco sign power purchase agreement for renewable energy supply, Mondi supports Angulas Aguinaga with recyclable paper-based packaging

09 Dec 2022 --- This week in industry news, Borealis and Eneco signed a second ten-year power purchase agreement to supply renewable electricity and Mondi supported Angulas Aguinaga in switching to recyclable paper-based packaging for its Krissia brand chilled surimi sticks. Also, Amcor announced a five-year deal with ExxonMobil to purchase certified-circular PE material. 

In brief: Energy news
Borealis, one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and sustainable polyolefin solutions, and Eneco, an integrated sustainable energy company, signed a second ten-year power purchase agreement to supply renewable electricity for Borealis production operations in Belgium. Eneco, which has an exclusive offtake agreement for the entire output generated at the SeaMade offshore wind farm in the Belgian North Sea, will supply around 150-gigawatt hours each year to Borealis over the next ten years, starting in 2024. The additional renewable electricity procured through this agreement brings Borealis closer to realizing its aim to use 100% renewable electricity in its polyolefins and hydrocarbons businesses by 2030. 

Mondi’s recyclable paper-based packaging for Krissia brand chilled surimi sticks.In brief: Paper pack news 
Mondi supported Angulas Aguinaga in switching to recyclable paper-based packaging for its Krissia brand chilled surimi sticks, greatly reducing the amount of plastic used in Spain. The surimi sticks were previously packed in a multi-material plastic solution. By partnering with Mondi, Angulas Aguinaga and its Krissia brand is now transitioning to a secondary packaging using Mondi’s FunctionalBarrier Paper. Mondi created a solution that would be genuinely fit for purpose, protecting the chilled product while significantly reducing plastic – eliminating up to 20 metric tons of plastic annually. Mondi’s FunctionalBarrier Paper is made from renewable and certified resources, responsibly sourced and delivers a range of benefits. Its strong and tear-resistant kraft base paper is fully converted in-house to ensure customized barrier protection of the food and sealability of the packaging. The final packaging is said to be recyclable in Spain’s existing paper recycling streams.

Supa unveiled the “world’s first” plastic-free paper bottle for laundry and washing up liquids under its eco-mate brand to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic. The company said the bottle was designed in response to paper bottles already available on the market, many of which still feature inner layers, necks and lids made of plastic. Its internal coating is made of biodegradable seaweed and natural plant latex to protect the paper from liquid damage. The design features are intended to make the bottle disposable through several means at end-of-life, including being cut up for home composting, recycled in existing waste streams, or thrown away at home. Supa claimed that the bottle does not decompose into microplastics and has been tested and certified as a 100% bio-based material.Michael Zamora, senior vice president of Product Solutions at ExxonMobil, and Ron Delia, CEO at Amcor.

Self-adhesive material experts VPF had two self-adhesive laminates certified for recyclability. The Paper Technology Foundation certified the two VPF adhesive materials 12324 (laser/inkjet paper 65g) and VPF1353951 (recycled paper 100% 80g) in combination with the new dispersion acrylic adhesive 551 as not hindering the recycling process of waste paper. As a result, the complete adhesive composite was certified as recyclable. This signifies that the adhesive can be cleanly separated from the face material in the recycling process and consequently has no negative influence on the quality of the obtained waste paper recyclate. The label, when used on dispatch boxes or folding cartons, for example, can be disposed of in the normal waste paper without having to be removed from the carton beforehand. 

In brief: PE and more
Amcor announced a five-year deal with ExxonMobil to purchase certified-circular PE material in support of its target to achieve 30% recycled material across its portfolio by 2030. The volume of material will increase incrementally each year and is expected to reach 100,000 metric tons annually at the end of the five-year period. Made possible by ExxonMobil's Exxtend technology for advanced recycling, Amcor intends to leverage this material across its global portfolio, with a particular focus on the healthcare and food industries, which are required to meet stringent safety requirements for recycled plastic. The agreement expands upon Amcor’s initial purchase of certified-circular PE material from ExxonMobil earlier this year. Amcor is already delivering various solutions containing recycled content to customers worldwide, including Mondelez International, which has switched to 30% food-grade recycled packaging for its Cadbury Dairy Milk, Caramilk and Old Gold family blocks in Australia. 

TekniPlex introduced a range of dispensing liners. Image CaptionTekniPlex Consumer Products, introduced a range of dispensing liners whose peel-tab design provides simplified dosing for a wide variety of liquid, powder and solid products. An alternative to conventional plastic press-in orifice reducers, TekniPlex Consumer Products’ new line of Peel n Pour solutions offer strong induction seals to prevent product leaks, with custom orifice sizes to reduce product flow by as much or as little as a brand owner specifies. The fully customizable peel tabs allow easy removal while maintaining tamper-evidence and product spoilage. TekniPlex Consumer Products’ Peel n Pour is suitable for all bottle types and substrates – including high-density PE, PP, PET and glass constructions – and is printable for enhanced brand aesthetics. TekniPlex said eliminating the need for separate plastic orifice reducers also allows brand owners to reduce production costs and simplify sourcing demands, an appealing “addition by subtraction” benefit.

In brief: Acquisitions 
Marchesini Group acquired Rejves Machinery, a company from Marmirolo, Italy, which specializes in the construction of filling and capping machines for packaging cosmetic, pharmaceutical, chemical and food products. As a result of the operation, Rejves Machinery Srl joins the team of the Pianoro, Italy, multinational, one of the world’s top producers of technologies for packaging drugs, vaccines and beauty products.

By Natalie Schwertheim