Application
Application AutomotiveNews Brazilian sugar now packaged in sugar-based Bio-PE Braskem’s Green Plastic will be used for the first time in packages of refined sugar in Brazil. Pioneering this use is Caravelas Sugar, one of the country’s most important companies in this segment. The Caravelas brand consumes 140 tonnes of packaging per month and is the first and, so far. the only one in the segment to have sugarcane in its production cycle from start to finish. Consumers will be able to identify the new packaging through the I’m green seal, visible on the product front, which is Braskem’s identifying mark for packaging made with Green Plastic. “Sustainability is an essential pillar in our company, especially due to the production process of our product, whereas innovation and pioneering are directly linked to the positioning of our brand: In Favor of Tasting What Is New. In this sense, Green Plastic is an important initiative that can effectively respond to all these demands, bringing important innovation to the entire segment”, says Javel Colombo, commercial director for the Colombo Plant, Caravelas Sugar’s producer. The new packaging is produced by Zaraplast, the leader in flexible packaging solutions, longtime partner of Caravelas. “As suppliers of flexible packaging 50 years ago, we have noticed that every day consumers are looking for products that offer more sustainable solutions; and managing to combine Braskem’s renewable raw material, our transformation expertise and Caravelas product was rewarding”, said Eli Kattan, director of Zaraplast. For Braskem, which constantly monitors the market, the launch is aligned with the company’s goal of finding solutions for its customers and improving people’s lives through chemistry and plastic. “There is a growing concern of companies in the adoption of innovative solutions with a lower environmental impact. Green Plastic is the material that fits the attributes that Caravelas seeks for its products: innovation and respect for the environment”, says Gustavo Sergi, Director of Renewable Chemicals at Braskem. Braskem’s Green Plastic is 100 % recyclable, captures and fixes 3.09 tonnes of CO 2 from the atmosphere for each ton of resin of renewable origin produced, collaborating to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. The product also has the same characteristics of traditional polyethylene and can be recycled in the already existing chain. MT www.braskem.com Hot beverage cups Synbra Technology, Etten-Leur, The Netherlands, recently introduced a high heat biobased and biodegradable alternative for hot beverage cups and hot food packaging. In Asia for example hot noodle dishes are often served in foamed plastic bowls, even from vending machines. Synbra Technology has developed and patented a process to make such beverage cups and bowls using BioFoam ® , their PLA particle foam that can be processed on modified existing EPS moulding equipment. Thus this new cup and bowl application is an addition to the already established market of ice cream packaging and white goods production. The coffee and hot beverage and noodle cups that are heat resistant, yet biodegradable and can now be produced CO 2 neutral. “Even after 48 hours the cups don’t not leak any coffee, which is surpassing the industry standard,” as Jan Noordegraaf, Managing Director of Synbra Technology points out. A myriad of bans loom for not using polystyrene for using beverages packaging. Polystyrene particle foam is the most used material to make drinking cups, and despite its good recyclability it is getting under pressure. In Malaysia all EPS and plastic foam packs are banned and there is a demand for biodegradable alternatives. In the state of California, a new bill aims to ban Styrofoam throughout the state for applications such as disposable foodservice cups, plates, and containers. This new development opens up a market for alternatives for compostable disposables. MT www.synbra-technology.nl 38 bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/17] Vol. 12
Application Automotive News Barrier lidding Italian flexible packaging converter, Corapack (Brenna, Italy), has used Futamura’s renewable and compostable NatureFlex cellulose films for compostable lidding for trays. The lidding material is a proven compostable structure that is an ideal alternative to conventional plastics that often end up in landfill. To supply the best technical solution and functionality the high barrier NatureFlex film is laminated to an internal sealing bio-polymer so that the final structure, certified compostable, can be heat sealed to compostable base trays made from bio-polymers or wood pulp. NatureFlex films are produced from sustainable wood pulp harvested from managed plantations and are certified to both EU (EN13432) and US (ASTM D6400) composting standards. In addition to industrial composting, the product has reached the standard required for home composting. NatureFlex provides high barrier to moisture, aroma and gasses, has excellent transparency and high gloss; making it an ideal solution for a compostable lidding structure. Giorgio Berton, Futamura’s Italian regional sales manager, said: “This application is another great example of a successful collaboration where renewable and compostable NatureFlex films have been selected as a real alternative to conventional plastics; this means the brand owner can be happy that they are providing an environmen environmentally responsible solution without compromising on functionality”. MT www.futamuragroup.com Men’s skincare in Green PE tubes RPC M&H Plastics and Bulldog Skincare for Men have joined forces once again for Bulldog’s new line of skincare packaging, with a sustainable twist. The first men’s skincare brand in the world to use Braskem’s sugarcane based Green PE as a raw material, Bulldog have chosen to go green with their updated flexible tube line up, which features Moisturisers, Face Washes and Face Scrubs, with multiple variations of each product focusing on different skin types which includes sensitive skin, mature skin and oily skin. Simon Duffy, founder of Bulldog Skincare For Men says: “Bulldog is proud to be the first men’s skincare brand in the world to use plastic from sugarcane in our packaging. We have always tried to make the most ethical and sustainable decisions we can, from never testing on animals, to never using microbeads to making all our products suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Plastic from Sugar Cane is the latest step in this approach and we are delighted to have worked with M&H Plastics to turn Green PE into something we can use in the tubes and caps of our packaging.”MT www.rpc-group.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/17] Vol. 12 39
