PVC has been the material of choice for many years for fresh food applications because of its many protective and presentation benefits.
However, its complex composition makes it difficult to recycle and if even minute amounts of the material are processed with other polymers, it can render the other recyclates unusable.
“How Omni Xtra+ Can Drive More Recycling of Cling Films” details the challenges that users of PVC cling films now face owing to its inability to be widely recycled and how the development work behind Berry’s new Omni Xtra+ polyethylene (PE) version has created a film with a comparable performance to PVC, and which can also be recycled.
As European legislation moves towards a requirement for all packaging to be designed for recyclability, PVC would therefore require a dedicated collection scheme, but there is limited collection and sorting infrastructure for PVC films in European markets.
While PE films for overwrapped trays would provide a more consistent supply of used film for recycling, the challenge has been to develop a PE film that can match the performance of a PVC version.
Key to the development of OminXtra+ therefore was to develop a recyclable PE film via both kerbside and front-of-store PE waste streams that combined strength, stretchability, and excellent clarity and resistance to puncturing.
