Application News
Application News Compostable bags Strawberry Fields Organic Farm (Feltham, UK) grows an extensive range of inspirational vegetables and herbs. But, after 46 years of organic growing, they had struggled to find a supplier of compostable bags at an affordable price. That was until they discovered the C BAG Treetop Biopak (London, UK) and its partner, KM Packaging (Peterborough, UK), a leading flexible packaging and lidding films supplier. It has proven that the C BAG is from KM Packaging’s C-Range of home compostable bioplastic packaging with similar properties, look, and feel as conventional plastic, is perfect for packing their. Pam Bowers said: “What we like about the bags is they immediately look different to their plastic counterparts so the customer is able to tell at a glance they are compostable.” Watts Farm, Kent-based growers, packers, and distributors of fresh produce, is another satisfied KM customer who had been searching for some time for a costefficient compostable packaging solution. They chose the C BAG due to its lower cost and compostable qualities. Both Watts Farm and Strawberry Fields were keen to replace existing packaging with a compostable alternative. And Strawberry Fields were particularly concerned about GMO in some compostable packaging during their search for a supplier. They were also aware that the UK Soil Association requires organic-certified growers to use compostable packaging with no GMO. So Strawberry Fields were delighted to discover that the C BAG from KM Packaging had been verified as compliant with the Soil Association Food & Drink standards. It is now being used to pack Strawberry Fields’ Rainbow Chard, Red Oakleaf, Green Oakleaf, Romaine, Red Batavia, and Green Batavia lettuce. The bioplastic C-Range products from KM Packaging have been developed in partnership with Treetop Biopak, specialising in providing innovative compostable packaging solutions. Customers can compost the bag at home, including any vegetable leftovers, which will accelerate the biodegradation process. Alternatively, if the local council offers kerbside collection of organic food waste, the bags can be used as caddy liners. The C-Range of bioplastic packaging materials includes shrink wrap, stretch wrap, adhesive tape, and bags. It enhances KM’s portfolio of sustainable flexible packaging solutions and offers customers a wider range of choice. AT www.organicdeliverycompany.co.uk | www.treetopbiopak.co.uk www.kmpackaging.com | www.wattsfarms.co.uk Collaboration for a bio-zipper Elplast Group, the worldwide leading name in zipper products, is teaming up with Woodly in a venture to produce a new product by using Woodly ® material – The Woodly EL- ZIP Press to Close Zipper. With a global presence and their head offices located in Żory, Poland, the company is set to take another significant step towards biobased products. Marcin Pawelak, owner of Elplast, has aspirations of a productive collaboration with Woodly, based in, Helsinki, Finland. “We aim to develop together a solution for resealable packaging that will satisfy our customers in terms of recyclability and sustainability. We help our customers meet their targets and strengthen our position as an innovative supplier of closures,” comments Pawelak. Elplast is known for manufacturing high-quality EL- ZIP Press to Close Zippers that are used in food, pet food, and pharmaceutical flexible packaging. Elplast currently supplies to more than 1000 customers in over 60 countries on 6 continents. The company is a global operator with an immense reach and strives for unique accomplishments with the help of innovations such as Woodly material. “Our primary business targets are quality, hygiene, service and constant innovation. In the last few years and in the future sustainability is a term that is used in most of our projects, whether it is recycling or compostable or even mass reduction of packaging and closure – we are constantly improving our process and looking for new materials that can offer new and better packaging solutions,” says Pawelak. Elplast focuses its efforts to limit any potential negative impact on the natural environment, as a consequence of its activities. “Climate responsibility and sustainability mean for us that we should do our best to control the use of resources and materials, make our process efficient and products easy to recycle. As a matter of fact, all our products were ready to be recycled from the beginning but the film structures were not mono materials and therefore complete packaging was non-recyclable. Now the material is development makes recyclability possible,” explains Pawelak. AT www.woodly.com | www.elplasteurope.com 28 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/21] Vol. 16
Flagship over-ear headphones Known for its high-end, responsibly produced audio equipment, thinksound (Toronto, Canada) has launched its first over-ear headphones — the ov21 — using Eastman Trēva engineering bioplastic that contains more than 40 % biobased content derived from sustainably harvested trees. “We’re a company that has always had sustainability as part of our mission,” said Aaron Fournier, president and founder of thinksound. “Historically, we’ve achieved this by using wood and other natural or recyclable components. Trēva now offered us an opportunity to develop headphones in an environmentally responsible way while meeting our rigorous standards for acoustic performance.” Trēva is a USDA Certified Biobased polymer that offers excellent acoustic properties in addition to the durability, chemical resistance and processability required for engineered applications in consumer electronic devices. “We’re proud to be working with a company like thinksound, with its deep commitment to environmentally sound products,” said Courtland Jenkins, commercial director of specialty plastics for Eastman. “Eastman innovation is enabling a new level of sustainability with electronic components, which is part of our overall commitment to creating a more circular economy.” The audio company is also developing two wireless headphone products that will use sustainable materials. “We now have the flexibility to create almost any audio product our customers desire, and we can do it in a way that we can feel good about,” said Mark Forward, chief marketing officer of thinksound. “Eastman provides the kind of technology and innovation that matches our ambitions as a company. We’re excited about the possibilities of what we can create together.” MT Application News www.eastman.com | www.thinksound.com Plant-based kitchen products Good natured Products Inc. (Vancouver, Canada) recently announced the launch of its plant-based Bin Bags, Zipper Bags, and retail-packed Compostable Tableware. The Company continues to build its range of earth-friendly consumer products and carve out its share of the USD 150 billion fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) market, 25 % of which is now made up of sustainable goods. As always, good natured has developed these latest products to look and perform just like traditional petroleum-based options with the added benefit of being made from annually renewable resources and without BPAs, phthalates, and other chemicals of concern. Designed to replace petroleum-based trash liners and offered in the most popular size in North America, good nature Plantbased Tall Bin Bags are made of USDA Certified Bio-based LDPE that is manufactured with annually renewable sugarcane. In the US market alone, household trash liners represent a USD 1.7+ billion annual opportunity with 50 % of the US population using 25 or more bags per month. Similarly, good natured Plant-based Zipper Bags, in the most popular freezer and sandwich formats, are made of Bio-LDPE offering the same strength and durability of traditional brand-name zipper bags and contain no chemicals of concern that are potentially harmful to humans and the planet. With almost 75 % of the US population using 3–5 zipper bags per week, these are exactly the type of fast-moving products that retailers embrace to drive frequent repeat visits to their stores and higher spend per customer. Complementing these items to offer a more complete assortment for retailers, good natured also launched a collection of Compostable Tableware, which includes all the most popular household party and picnic items, including plates, bowls, hot cups and cutlery. Made from tree-free fibre, heat-resistant PLA and SFI paperboard, this assortment fulfils the need for holiday and seasonal partyware, which is rebounding quickly as COVID restrictions are lifting. Of note, the premium, heavy duty cutlery is certified compostable, 97 % plant-based, and can even withstand multiple runs through the dishwasher, making what’s often a disposable item into something reusable and even more eco-friendly. Demand for environmentally friendly tableware is particularly high amongst millennials as upwards of 61 % are willing to pay more for a more sustainable alternative. AT https://goodnaturedproducts.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/21] Vol. 16 29
