Sustainability

Plastic pollution is a pressing environmental issue, and University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment researchers are leading the charge with an innovative solution. 

The college’s Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering (BAE) is partnering with the UK Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering to tackle the tiny, often unseen, particles of plastic now found in the world’s oceans.  

PA Consulting (PA), the company bringing ingenuity to life, and PulPac, the Swedish packaging solutions company behind Dry Molded Fiber, are pleased to announce that Sanofi’s Consumer Healthcare (CHC) business has joined the Blister Pack Collective. Sanofi CHC first announced that it joined PA and PulPac’s Bottle Collective back in April 2023.

Berry Global has created a range of reusable bottles made entirely out of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic for leading UK ethical cleaning company The Bio-D Company.

The range includes 750ml, 1 litre and 5 litre sizes for a number of Bio-D’s liquid products including Laundry Liquid, Fabric Conditioner, Dishwasher Rinse Aid, Washing Up Liquid, and Home & Garden Cleaner.

States like California, New York, and Maine started the year with bans going into effect for food packaging that contains chemicals of concern, specifically per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals.” This leaves packaging manufacturers with the challenge of producing sustainable and chemical-free packaging that delivers the needs of its food and beverage customers.

Eat Happy is one of the first suppliers of freshly rolled sushi to go in Germany to introduce paper packaging with a viewing window made from plant cellulose. The new packaging is 100 percent recyclable in waste paper. The switch to a fully recyclable packaging solution in Eat Happy stores and chests will take place across Germany for the entire sushi range by October 2023.

The kp FlexiVac incorporates Dow’s Fusabond technology. The result is a high tensile strength suitable for bone-in cuts of fresh meat and poultry combined with its hermetical seal. The product has been certified as 100% recyclable as PE by cyclos–HTP and certified by Interseroh.

The best-case solution would be to use bio-based plastics that biodegrade instead, but many of those bioplastics are not designed to degrade in backyard composting conditions. They must be processed in commercial composting facilities, which are not accessible in all regions of the country.

ProActive Recyclable FibreSculpt is suitable for various products, including chilled cooked meats, cold cuts, sliced cheese and fish.

According to the company, FibreSculpt offers a wide range of sustainability benefits. It is lightweight, reducing packaging compared to alternatives like thermoformed materials. Engineered to maintain thermoforming line speed, it increases yield per roll, enhancing transportation efficiency and reducing changeover times on the filling line.

South Korea-based SK chemicals aims to enter the medical packaging market by unveiling a circular recycling solution at the upcoming Medical Design & Manufacturing West 2024 (MD&M) exhibition, held in Anaheim, USA from the 6th to the 8th of this month.

In a strategic move to address the increasing demand for recycled plastics in the medical device industry, SK chemicals plans to further solidify its longstanding partnership with Pacur, LLC, a leading US custom sheet extruder, with a primary focus on sustainable solutions for medical device packaging.