Flexible packaging leader ProAmpac announces the launch of R-2000D, their newest patent-pending addition to the ProActive Recyclable® series of polyethylene-based structures. Designed to be a drop-in replacement for conventional multi-material laminates, R-2000D’s unique performance characteristics allow it to run at high-speeds on form/fill/seal equipment.

R-2000D is the newest member of the ProActive Sustainability family and available in standard, high barrier and ultra-high barrier to extend the shelf-life of dry products. Both standard and high barrier platforms have been tested and pre-qualified for polyethylene store-drop-off recycling.

“ProAmpac continues to deliver on our mission to help our customers meet their sustainable packaging goals. The ProActive Recyclable® R-2000D series replaces conventional multi-material laminated films with recyclable alternatives without sacrificing performance,” states Adam Grose, chief commercial officer for ProAmpac.

Available in rollstock or premade pouches, R-2000D offers very high clarity, high drop resistance, excellent stiffness and dimpling resistance for premium shelf appearance. R-2000D provides excellent directional tear without the need for laser scoring and R-2100D provides improved toughness for sharp products like nuts, pet treats and pretzels. With superior heat resistance R-2000D allows for optimal speeds, a wide operating window and high efficiencies on filling lines.

Hesam Tabatabaei, vice president of product development and innovation for ProAmpac, states, “Engineering a high-performance recyclable solution that replaces high barrier PET/PE, Nylon/PE, PET/metalized PET/PE, and in some cases PET/Foil/PE was a multi-year material science research and development project. R-2000D is engineered to withstand aggressive filling and distribution environments. Its unique multilayer technology allows it to run on high-speed filling lines without facing film or ink distortion in the seal area especially for products with a reclose feature.”

R-2000D utilizes ProAmpac’s award-winning HD flexographic printed graphics and is available with matte or gloss registration to offer brands a package that pops off the shelf. In addition to the R-2000D series, ProAmpac offers a range of ProActive Recyclable solutions.

The pressure from consumers, governments and associations to minimise the use of plastic increase and many brand owners and food producer put much effort into meeting those expectations and strengthening their environmental positioning. One example is Picard, the French food company specialising in frozen products, who has replaced a plastic tub for ice cream with a carton-based solution provided by AR Packaging.

The new ice cream box contains >95% cartonboard, based on renewable fibres from sustainably managed forests, which makes it recyclable in the paper stream in many countries. The thin inner layer of polyethylene (PE) ensures product protection and pack integrity.

“Our main motivation is to find alternatives to plastic packaging when the product and its environment allow it. We were looking for an innovative cartonboard solution, which would allow us to find harmony in the complete “Le Petit Marchand de glaces” range (other references packaged in cardboard cups)”, said Gilles Lapique, Project Manager Packaging at Picard. “Our desire was to adapt a box-style casket, easily automated by our packers and guaranteeing all the functionality of an equivalent plastic packaging.”

The development team at AR Packaging’s plant in Cholet, France, took on the challenge and developed an easy-to-use alternative to the 500 ml plastic tub. The box is supplied to the different ice cream producers for Picard as an erected tray with integrated lid and re-closable option. Product leakage is prevented thanks to a smart construction with a special flap. The lid can be provided as two options; either to be formed manually after filling or to be formed mechanically in the filling and packaging line at the customer facility.

“The new ice cream packaging for Picard is one more example of how we challenge the conventional and develop more sustainable solutions without compromising product quality, consumer convenience and industrial efficiency”, said Pierre Guillebeau, Sales Director Food & Consumer Goods at AR Packaging. “This fibre-based packaging can be used for many other products than ice cream too, for example frozen foods and chilled ready meals, and support brand owners to substantially reduce its carbon footprint from packaging.”

The polyethylene (PE) recyclate that facilitated this innovation is Mersalen®, produced by APK AG, Merseburg (Germany). APK’s solvent-based Newcycling® technology generates Mersalen® from complex polyethylene / polyamide multilayer film waste that is difficult for most conventional recycling processes to recycle. ‘The quality and purity of our LDPE recyclate shows properties close to virgin plastics and is suitable for a wide range of packaging applications’, says Florian Riedl, APK AG’s Director of Business Development. The tube produced with Huhtamaki’s laminate contains 19% Mersalen® recyclates and its performance is nearly identical with the standard referenced PBL structure produced with virgin LDPE. The ambitious R&D unit at Huhtamaki Flexible Packaging Europe plans to further increase the percentage of recycled content in their products and will test recyclates based on different feedstock streams. With regard to the different input streams for plastics, recycling post-consumer waste streams stands at the centre of the circular economy discussion. Still, significant volumes of post-industrial waste need to be taken into account when implementing a truly circular plastics economy. In addition, if the plastics and the packaging industry aspire to reaching the goals of the European Plastics Strategy by 2030, post-industrial waste must become circular. ‘ When it comes to our waste feedstock streams, APK is looking into all options. We are producing recyclates from post-industrial material, we research compounds of post-industrial and post-consumer streams and, of course, we ultimately aim to provide excellent quality from post-consumer mixed plastic waste’, says Riedl. Currently, LDPE-recyclates based purely on post-consumer waste and suitable for food and cosmetic packaging, which requires food contact compliance, are not yet available on the European market. Huhtamaki and APK are cooperating closely to solve this challenge.