thermoforming

Sustainable thermoformed packaging supplier Placon Corp introduced its patent-pending recyclable oxygen-barrier material, OxyStar. Direct oxygen contact with perishable foods is known to significantly decrease the shelf life of oxygen-sensitive products, increasing food waste and shrinking profits for producers, said Placon. “OxyStar is the world’s first recyclable PET barrier material,” added the company.

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced today that he is not signing Assembly Bill 2784, which would have established minimum recycled content in thermoform plastic containers and mandated CalRecycle to collect fees from producers whose products did not meet those requirements.

If thermoforms have a recycling rate of between 50 and 75 percent, they can be exempted from some requirements.

But to do that, they would have to climb much higher bars than they can now. Some studies have found that less than 10 percent of thermoformed containers are recycled.

The legislation would exempt medical device, drug and infant formula packaging.

Designed primarily as a thermoforming base web, Ecoflex® is formulated with premium PE polymers, offering good puncture resistance, improved tear resistance and it can be used for MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) or vacuum. Offering excellent clarity and printability, the material is perfect for meat, dairy and bakery thermoformed applications and has good recyclability throughout Europe.

• Syntegon develops new paper-based packaging concept for “PACK4SENSE” project
• Optimized recyclability thanks to easier separation of all packaging components

Together with partners from industry and research, namely Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging in Dresden, Colruyt Group, Strauss Group and the University of Reading, Syntegon is implementing the EIT project “PACK4SENSE” (Paper packaging for SENSitive foods) to develop a sustainable packaging concept.

Clamtainer utilizes Click-It™ Closure technology that provides exceptional security with a one-snap closing system that can be opened with just one hand– yet it stays completely secure in tests such as a penny pitch and wrench toss. It is the only clamshell packaging that doesn’t require scissors, knives, or strength to open, making it both frustration-free and accessible for seniors, people with arthritis, and others with mobility challenges.

It will be sourced from bottles, pots, tubs and trays to manufacture new rPET food packaging products at the thermoforming packaging specialist’s Arklow production site.

Not only does the agreement help to further secure Waddington Europe’s long-term source of rPET, but it also enables the company to expand its line of Eco Blend products made with post-consumer recycled content sourced domestically in Ireland back into the Irish market.

The K3 thermoformed cup uses up to 33 per cent less PP than a conventional direct-printed, thermoformed cup of the same size, claims Greiner. To enable separation for recycling, the cup is wrapped with a removable cardboard outer layer, which can be produced with virgin or recycled board produced from sustainably managed forests.

“The next step, which will make separation for recycling even easier, will be the implementation of our new, improved tear-tab, which will be introduced very soon,” said Greiner Packaging’s sales director, Josef Zicha.

Pioneered by Kingsmoor’s R&D team, KPL Cirrus works by creating a unique pattern in the sidewalls of a thermoformed container. As the container is formed, a series of small pockets are created where material continually gets slightly ‘affixed’ during the thermoforming process.

According to the company, this in turn creates stronger sidewalls with less material, thereby creating a much lighter yet stronger pack.

“As expected, there has been considerable positive interest in KPL Cirrus from our customers,” says Kingsmoor Packaging’s managing director, James Hill.