Weekly Roundup: Mondi secures circular economy paper certification, Faerch launches post-consumer bowls

21 Jan 2022 --- In packaging news this week, Mondi received Cradle to Cradle certification for its uncoated fine papers produced in Austria, Slovakia and Russia. Meanwhile, Faerch launched bowls made from post-consumer material, and Borealis joined the Reclay Group to increase market demand for plastic recyclate in high-end plastic applications.

In Brief: Certifications and awards
Mondi received the Cradle to Cradle certification at Bronze level for its uncoated fine papers produced in its mills in Austria, Slovakia and Russia. The company is the first to offer an extensive uncoated fine paper portfolio as Cradle to Cradle-certified, meeting the high standards and demanding requirements of this certification scheme, which marks the step from a linear to a circular economy. The certification includes Mondi’s professional printing brands Color Copy and Pergraphica and its range of Nautilus-branded recycled papers.

Bormioli Pharma announced the winners of its “Bormioli Pharma Dispenser Design” contest. The competition aimed to develop a new bottle for oral medication that can deliver pills in an automatic and controlled way. The MediClicker project won first place with its mechanical pill-dispensing system, incorporating IoT functionalities. Second place went to Giro Dispenser, a system with a series of divisions that allows several types of medication to be taken simultaneously with a simple movement of the capsule, integrated with IoT functionality. Third place went to Daily Care, a system that can be integrated with existing pill dispensers and which administers pills in a completely mechanical manner based on the patient’s specific dosage requirements.Faerch’s recycled PET bowls.

Penn State University, US, was awarded a US$3.4 million contract from the Remade Institute, a public-private partnership established by the United States Department of Energy, to fund research redressing the inefficient methods currently used to process and upcycle mixed plastic waste. The project will receive US$1.7 million in federal funds with an additional US$1.7 million in cost-share by the project partners. A global analysis of all mass-produced plastics found that a total of 8.3 billion metric tons of virgin plastics is estimated to be generated worldwide to date. As of 2015, 79% of plastic waste, which contains numerous hazardous chemicals, has been left to accumulate in landfills or natural environments, with approximately 12% incinerated and only 9% recycled.

In brief: Plastic in, plastic out
Faerch introduced Evolve into its existing Plaza range of recycled PET bowls as an off-the-shelf product offer, providing food distributors a fully circular alternative to traditional clear PET packaging. The bowls are made from post-consumer material that can be recycled into mono-material food packaging without any loss of quality. The Plaza range provides “a stylish and practical serving solution for salads and pasta,” says the company. Oumph!’s new cardboard packaging.

Oumph! announced it is phasing out plastic for recyclable cardboard packaging. The multi-award-winning Swedish plant-based food producer is rolling out the new cardboard packaging into all markets where Oumph! is sold, starting with the UK, Australia, and the Netherlands. “Our food is a progressive choice, and we wanted the packaging to match that. With our new recyclable packaging, the aim is to limit our environmental impact further,” says Linda Arnason, global brand manager at Oumph!, a LiveKindly Collective’s brand.

In brief: New partnerships
Borealis, a chemical and fertilizer specialist, joined the Reclay Group, an international expert in environmental and material recovery management, to increase market demand for the supply of plastic recyclates for use in high-end plastic applications. This partnership will optimize the recycling value chain starting with Germany and accelerate the transition to plastics circularity by enabling customers and other value chain partners to meet their environmental sustainability targets.

ProAmpac partnered with Dr. Kit Yam, a Rutgers University Department of Food Science professor. The partnership is integrated with ProAmpac’s Material Science and Innovation teams to support its commitment to developing active and intelligent food packaging. “Dr. Yam is recognized as an expert in the fields of active and intelligent packaging, and ProAmpac is honored to include him and his lab in our expanded research and development partnerships,” said Hesam Tabatabaei, global vice president of product development and innovation at ProAmpac.Borealis joined the Reclay Group.

In brief: Acquisitions
Berlin Packaging acquired the glass jar and lid producer Le Parfait business and brands from O-I France SAS. The acquisition seeks to strengthen Berlin Packaging’s position as a leading supplier of high-quality glass containers. The French brand is known for its tradition in packaging homemade food preserves like jams, honey and terrines. The durable glass jars feature natural and recycled rubber seals, providing an environmentally sustainable packaging solution.

Vonco Products, a turnkey contract manufacturer of medical devices, fluid bags and packaging, acquired Flex-Pak Packaging Products. Based out of Batavia, Illinois, US, Flex-Pak provides flexible barrier packaging and sterile barrier DuPont Tyvek pouches for leading consumer and healthcare organizations.

Tekni-Plex acquired assets and licensed technologies of Fibro Corporation, a US-based company that develops and manufactures molded-fiber packaging. The transaction strategically expands Tekni-Plex’s materials science solutions in the fresh food marketplace to include a broader range of environmentally sustainable, pulp-based packaging solutions.