Application News Fair
Application News Fair trade tea French company, Les Jardins de Gaïa recently decided to pack its range of organic teas in individual sachets made fom Innovia Films’ compostable cellulose-based material, NatureFlex NVR. Founded in 1994, Les Jardins de Gaïa is a Fair Trade, organic tea company based in Wittisheim near Strasbourg. As part of their philosophy of selling natural organic products, they wanted to wrap their tea in natural packaging. The converter in this application is leading Germanbased tea packer TPS from Soltau. Colourful designs distinguish Les Jardins de Gaïa teas from other tea packaging designs on the market. According to Jean Baptiste Dubois, Marketing of Les Jardins de Gaïa, “We wanted to keep our product safe and in premium condition and do something that would stand out from the crowd. NatureFlex films ensure we are proud of our packaging!” “We were delighted to assist Les Jardins de Gaïa via TPS from Soltau, Germany in realising their sustainability goals. Alongside the environmental benefits, NatureFlex films also offer a host of advantages for packing and converting such as inherent dead fold and anti-static properties, high gloss and resistance to grease and oil, good barrier to gases, aromas and mineral oils, a wide heat-seal range and easy opening,” stated Neil Banerjee, Market Developer, Innovia Films. NatureFlex was an obvious choice in this application as the film begins life as a natural product – wood - and breaks down at the end of its lifecycle in a home compost bin (or industrial compost environment) within a matter of weeks. It is also confirmed as suitable for emerging waste to energy techniques such as anaerobic digestion. MT www.jardinsdegaia.com www.NatureFlex.com Individual tea sachets from Les Jardins de Gaïa wrapped in compostable NatureFlex NVR from Innovia Films API and SACMI, together to develop a biodegradable cap When it comes to innovation and sustainability, the development of new materials and the optimisation of processing technologies are equally important goals. API Spa is a long-standing company with a wealth of experience in the soft thermoplastic compounds field and is also a leader in the biopolymer industry. Now, together with SACMI – an international group leading in the world of machines for Packaging (a sector that includes Beverage and Closures&Containers) – API has produced a 100% biodegradable mineral water bottle cap. Presented at PACKOLOGY 2013, and Drinktec 2013 in the SACMI for the Environment area - a green tour that will also be set up on the SACMI stand for K’2013 - the biodegradable, compostable cap proved to be a big hit, arousing considerable levels of interest and curiosity. The cap was obtained starting from a compound belonging to the APINAT BIO range; thanks to their chemical structure and versatility, these compounds can easily be processed using widely available technology and have an extensive application range, being used in industries as varied as footwear, agriculture and, of course, packaging. Thanks to the unique rheology and behaviour of the molten material, Apinat Bio has been able to take full advantage of the cap-making compression technology for which SACMI is so renowned; the flexibility of this technology has, in fact, resulted in optimisation of the Apinat compound and attainment of outstanding production, functional, biodegradability and compostability performance of the cap. Stemming from a joint project by API Spa and SACMI, this latest development confirms and reinforces both firms’ mutual commitment to the high-innovation development needed to resolve the planet’s burgeoning environmental issues. www.apiplastic.com 46 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/13] Vol. 8
Applications Barrier triplex laminate After years of research, development and live trials Parkside (Normanton, UK) are pleased to announce that they are the first, and currently the only, manufacturer of printed flexible packaging to be able to offer the environmentally conscious brand owner and packer a barrier triplex laminate accredited under EN13432 industrial compostability standard which requires at least 90% of the packaging to disintegrate within 12 weeks. The pack accredited under Vincotte has seen Parkside work closely with specialist base material manufacturer Innovia Films to develop this unique product, which fills a vital gap in the market. The Flexographically printed metalized laminate can be used in a variety of applications where an oxygen and moisture barrier are required to give prolonged shelf life for the contents. This innovative new material is the first of a whole range of Compostable laminate products that Parkside are developing which will be specifically tailored to meet the environmental demands of packer, retailer and consumer. With manufacturing facilities in Europe and Asia, Parkside are able to offer this finished product on a global basis. This development means that Parkside customers have the option to move away from conventional laminate structures that can only be disposed of through either landfill or incineration, the pioneering structure will be printed with the Vincotte OK Compost logo which means it can enter the waste stream through Bio-waste collection (where permitted e.g. in Germany it is only permitted for biowaste collection bags – nothing else!), which is becoming more widely prevalent with local authorities; for final disposal through industrial composting sites or anaerobic digestion. Steve McCormick, Managing Director of Parkside Speciality Division “This achievement is a huge step forward in barrier laminate technology and is the first of a string of environmentally aware products we plan to launch. As a company Parkside understand that the demand for compostable packaging will continue to grow across the globe and we see ourselves in a very strong position to advise on and service demands in this area”. “This now offers a real alternative to the environmentally conscious manufacturer who wants great product quality with a bio friendly compostable pack” said Lawrence Dall, Parkside’s Chairman. This latest development continues to build on Parkside’s commitment to environmentally sound practices such as their recent investment in a 100% Secure Waste Management system. Parkside are the first packaging manufacturer in Europe to offer a totally secure waste disposal solution ensuring any sensitive waste generated is destroyed on site. The system ensures that 100% of waste is destroyed with the residual products being either recycled or burnt for energy, providing a totally secure Zero to Landfill system. www.parksideflex.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/13] Vol. 8 47
