Day: February 6, 2024

Repsol has expanded its ultra-clean polyethylene range – now featuring several grades of HDPE, low-density metallocene, and an EBA copolymer – and expects to provide customers with various options to replace multi-material flexibles while aligning with recyclability targets set out in upcoming EU legislation.

Apparently, the new range increases the stretch ratio of non-ultra-clean polyethylene grades by 40% – enhancing the performance of its final products and improving processability compared to alternatives currently on the market. The stretch ratio is said to enable the materials’ use in applications with maximum orientation and differentiated mechanical properties.

In turn, the solution anticipates the requirement that all packaging on the EU market must be recyclable by 2030, with Repsol aiming to help its customers fulfill that target.

With the recent development of MDO technology to produce mono-material packaging, its minimal installed capacity is still under development; Repsol describes it as a ‘novel solution with high potential to solve the sustainability challenges of flexible packaging’.

The company seeks to encourage its customers to design packaging for mechanical recycling in a bid to cut down on carbon footprint and increase efficiency.

“We are proud to launch one of the most comprehensive ranges to support customers in this initial phase and accompany them in the innovation process,” said Antonio Portela, Polyolefins director at Repsol. “Our new range is also available in its circular, bio, and bio-circular alternatives to further drive our customers’ sustainability commitments in circularity and decarbonization.”

Pablo Giner, Polyethylene director at Repsol, added: “With this launch, we offer our clients a global eco-design solution for flexible packaging based on our broad portfolio of polyolefins: HDPE, mLLDPE, and EBA.”

Repsol’s HDPE UltraClean 110, HDPE UltraClean 120, mLLDPE UltraClean 210, mLLDPE UltraClean 220, and EBA UltraClean 310 material grades are now commercially available.

The news follows the release of Repsol’s ISCC PLUS certified circular EVA copolymers late last year. Claimed to be the first of their kind on the market, the copolymers are intended to help establish a circular economy for polyolefins and cut down on Repsol’s own virgin raw material consumption.

In another development, LeadEdge Flexo has developed a new mounting material made of bio-based polyethylene and seeks to lower the reliance on synthetic virgin material in corrugated post-printing solutions.

Berry Global has also unveiled an upgraded version of its Omni Xtra polyethylene cling film for fresh food products, intended as a certified recyclable alternative to traditional PVC solutions.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/news/ultra-clean-pe-materials-for-flexible-packaging-revealed-by-repsol/10944

Coca-Cola is temporarily removing the labels from its Sprite and Sprite Zero on-the-go bottles to trial label-free packaging in hopes of reducing plastic waste.

Although the existing labels are fully recyclable, according to Coca-Cola, designing them out is expected to cut down on the amount of packaging material used and negate the need to separate packaging components before recycling the bottle.

As such, single 500ml Sprite and Sprite Zero bottles will see their labels temporarily removed, with an embossed logo taking their place on the front of the pack. Product and nutritional information will be laser-engraved into the back of the bottle.

The bottles are already said to be made from 100% recycled PET. Green and transparent attached caps will differentiate between Sprite and Sprite Zero drinks, respectively.

Eight Tesco Express stores in Brighton and Hove, Bristol, London, and Manchester will stock the limited design between January and March 2024.

“We want to help create a future where plastic drink packaging will always have more than one life,” explained Dusan Stojankic, VP Franchise Operations, GB&I at Coca-Cola Great Britain. “Labels contain valuable information for consumers, but with the help of technology we can now trial other ways to share this information while reducing the amount of packaging we use.

“Going label-less might seem like a small step, but it is one of several ways we are exploring making recycling easier, minimizing waste, and minimizing the impact of our packaging on the environment.”

“The trial we are announcing today is a milestone for the industry,” continued Javier Meza, VP Marketing, Coca‑Cola Europe. “It’s the first time these two technologies have been used in a pilot globally, where a Coca‑Cola product will appear in a label-less, single-unit bottle sold in-store.

“Although the design change may sound simple, this is a big shift from a marketing perspective. This trial could contribute to longer-term changes to the way brands communicate with their consumers.”

James Bull, head of Packaging and Food Waste Strategy at Tesco, added: “We want to help our customers minimize the environmental impact of the products they buy, including removing plastic and packaging when possible. This trial of label-less packaging by Sprite is a great example of how brands are innovating to provide those solutions.”

“It’s clear that, as a society, we need to reduce, reuse and recycle more, and waste less,” concluded Allison Ogden-Newton, chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy. “Everyone, including businesses, needs to be part of the solution. We welcome this exciting and innovative trial.”

Coca-Cola has sought to reduce its packaging waste by redesigning its products; one of these efforts involved replacing green plastic Sprite bottles with clear alternatives to enhance their recyclability. The company has sought to lightweight and reduce unnecessary materials in the bottles themselves and any outer packaging, while its implementation of attached caps hopes to cut down on littering.

In other plastic reduction efforts, Coca-Cola has been facilitating transitions into 100% recycled plastic bottles, minus caps and labels, in the Philippines and Canada – both moves set to bring the company closer to its sustainability goals, including achieving 100% recyclability for its packaging by 2025 and implementing at least 50% recycled plastic in all its packaging by 2030.

Another label-free bottle came from Fourth Wave Wine and Denomination last year. It claimed to be the first wine bottle not to feature a label and sought to convey all necessary product information, including a scannable QR code, on a digital capsule on the bottle neck.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/news/label-free-sprite-and-sprite-zero-bottles-trialled-by-coca-cola/10928