February 2024

A class of chemicals commonly used in plastic food containers and cosmetic products may have caused about 10 percent of the United States’ preterm births in 2018, according to a study from environmental health experts at New York University. 

New research is shedding light on food and beverage products linked to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, and suggesting potential solutions for protecting the public.

Eat Happy is one of the first suppliers of freshly rolled sushi to go in Germany to introduce paper packaging with a viewing window made from plant cellulose. The new packaging is 100 percent recyclable in waste paper. The switch to a fully recyclable packaging solution in Eat Happy stores and chests will take place across Germany for the entire sushi range by October 2023.

The kp FlexiVac incorporates Dow’s Fusabond technology. The result is a high tensile strength suitable for bone-in cuts of fresh meat and poultry combined with its hermetical seal. The product has been certified as 100% recyclable as PE by cyclos–HTP and certified by Interseroh.

The best-case solution would be to use bio-based plastics that biodegrade instead, but many of those bioplastics are not designed to degrade in backyard composting conditions. They must be processed in commercial composting facilities, which are not accessible in all regions of the country.

ProActive Recyclable FibreSculpt is suitable for various products, including chilled cooked meats, cold cuts, sliced cheese and fish.

According to the company, FibreSculpt offers a wide range of sustainability benefits. It is lightweight, reducing packaging compared to alternatives like thermoformed materials. Engineered to maintain thermoforming line speed, it increases yield per roll, enhancing transportation efficiency and reducing changeover times on the filling line.

South Korea-based SK chemicals aims to enter the medical packaging market by unveiling a circular recycling solution at the upcoming Medical Design & Manufacturing West 2024 (MD&M) exhibition, held in Anaheim, USA from the 6th to the 8th of this month.

In a strategic move to address the increasing demand for recycled plastics in the medical device industry, SK chemicals plans to further solidify its longstanding partnership with Pacur, LLC, a leading US custom sheet extruder, with a primary focus on sustainable solutions for medical device packaging.