Page 46 - Plastics News April 2022

PRODUCT NEWS

Starlinger Viscotecr PET100 Wins Award Pepsi Co Partners With
Israeli Start-Up On Sus-
recyclable in food-grade quality. This tainable Pallets
makes it the environmentally sustain-
able alternative to single-use cups, tubs,
and trays made from polyolefins, whose
material properties degrade with each
recycling loop. Besides, polyolefin recy-
clates are not approved for food contact
as secondary raw material in Europe ac-
tarlinger Viscotec rPET100 has won
Sthe Re|focus Sustainable Innovation cording to efsa. Sustainable Packaging
in Material Award 2022. The heat- material choice. The Sustainability In- BQ Materials has confirmed
resistant and fully-recyclable rPET100 novation awards recognize outstanding Uthat beverage giant PepsiCo is
material first unveiled in 2020 by Star- innovations in plastics manufacturing using its bio-based thermoplastic to
linger viscotec has won the award re- that further environmental advantages develop a sustainable pallet, utilising
cently. Designed for recycling and made in design, material, and end-of-life unsorted household waste – includ-
from recycled PET, the rPET100 sheet management. Said Jeff Cornell, presi- ing organics. The UBQ™ material is
material for thermoformed packaging is dent of American Starlinger-Sahm, a bio-based thermoplastic converted
reportedly a game changer for circular “We are honored by the award and from 100% unsorted municipal solid
packaging solutions. This sheet material recognition of our efforts to put cradle- waste, including mixed plastics, pa-
is said to be the first packaging material to-cradle recycling into action for a cir- per, cardboard, and organics, and is
that combines three properties needed cular economy.” According to Cornell, suitable to substitute conventional
to revolutionize packaging for dairy and the need to incorporate thermoformed polymers in various durable applica-
hot-fill products: it is heat-resistant up packaging into the recycling stream tions. The first phase of the PepsiCo
to 212 °F (100 °C), can be made from has been a major objective when de- project includes the manufacturing of
100% recycled content, and is 100% veloping the rPET100 sheet material. 830 ecological pallets for use in two of
the company’s logistics centers. In ad-
dition to UBQ™, the pallets are made
from recycled materials that include
Avient Launches New Resound™ Rec recycled PP resin and recycled BOPP
Thermoplastic Elastomer (a plastic film used in the company’s
snack packaging), which completes
vient has launched a new re- can be used for manufacturing certain the circular economy cycle. “This in-
ASound™ REC thermoplastic elas- food-contact articles. This PCR content novation is very exciting for PepsiCo
tomer (TPE) formulation for use in formulation offers comparable perfor- because it helps us on our journey
certain food-contact applications. This mance to prime TPEs and can provide through materials that replace virgin
grade incorporates post-consumer re- a more sustainable option in applica- plastic while at the same time work-
cycled (PCR) material that received a tions such as toothbrush grips and other
no objection letter (NOL) from the personal care items, as well as certain ing on CO2 reduction. In addition,
U.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA food-contact items like reusable this is a differentiated material be-
(FDA). reSound REC recycled-content crates. It is naturally gray, colorable, and cause it represents an alternative to
grades are a part of Avient’s reSound suitable for injection molding or over- the chain as a whole, especially with
TPE portfolio, which includes both molding onto PP. “This FDA evaluation regard to collection, sorting, trans-
recycled-content and bio-based formu- should boost OEM and consumer con- portation and final disposal in land-
lations. This new reSound REC TPE fidence in incorporating recycled ma- fills. Now we will go further, scale this
is a 65 Shore A hardness and contains terials into products that face stringent solution in Brazil, Latin America and
25 percent PCR content from recycled regulatory controls,” said Matt Mitch- why not in other parts of the world,”
polypropylene (PP). The FDA no ob- ell, Director, Global Marketing, Spe- said Raphael Cyjon, Senior Direc-
jection letter confirms that the recycled cialty Engineered Materials at Avient. tor of Operations at PepsiCo LatAm.
material included in this formulation

46 PLASTICS NEWS April 2022