Page 50 - Plastics News December 2020

Nova announces two new collaborations to boost Graham Partners buys flexible packaging
PCR use in plastics packaging business from Berry Global

algary-based Nova Chemicals Corp. has entered into
Ctwo new collaborations designed to increase the use rivate investment firm Graham Partners has
of post-consumer recyclate (PCR) in flexible packaging. Pacquired Berry
In the first, Calgary-based Nova is partnering with Global Group Inc.'s
recycler Revolution to provide a portfolio of PCR-based North American
resins to Nova's customers that will be available as soon
as next month to help converters and brand owners e x t r u s i o n ,
achieve their sustainability goals; and in the second, converting, and
Nova is sponsoring the Pet Sustainability Coalition's coating business
FlexForward pilot for an undisclosed
recycling program,
t o a d v a n c e t h e price. Concurrent
circular economy for with the closing,
flexible plastic pet the business will be
f o o d a n d t r e a t combined with
packaging materials.
Nova's partnership Graham Partners'
w i t h Re v o l u t i o n flexible packaging
builds on the one portfolio company, Advanced Barrier Extrusions LLC
Nova recently made (ABX), which Graham Partners acquired in August
with Merlin Plastics 2018. The business will operate under the ABX name
t o i n c r e a s e t h e
s u p p l y o f p o s t - going forward. “Combined, the strong R&D cultures of
consumer recyclate these two businesses offer exciting possibilities for the
(PCR) available for future,” said William Timmerman, managing principal
consumer packaging. at Graham Partners, which is headquartered in
R e v o l u t i o n
manufactures plastic Newtown Square, Pa. “We intend to sustain and
films for a variety of accelerate their proven track record of developing
consumer and industrial products and packaging, which innovative new products to better serve customers.”
they recapture after use to recycle and reuse in new Based in Charlotte, N.C., ABX manufactures co-
products. This agreement will utilize a portion of this
“closed-loop” plastic, and Nova will begin to provide extruded high-barrier films of as many as 11 layers; up
these resins in January 2021. “The relationship we've to 12 colour narrow and wide-web flexographic
built with Revolution will have a significant impact on printed rollstock, bags, and pouches; and solvent and
the market for recycled plastics,” said Greg DeKunder, solvent-free laminations. The products are used in a
Nova's vice president, polyethylene marketing. “Joining variety of food and healthcare packaging applications.
forces enables Nova to be a one-stop shop for our
customers' PCR needs”. As part of its involvement with Through this acquisition, ABX expands geographically,
the Pet Sustainability Coalition's FlexForward program, adds categories such as personal care and healthcare
Nova will become the technical sponsor of “Toward packaging, and increases its revenue by over US$200
Circularity”, which is an expansion of that program. To million, Graham Partners said in a Dec. 1 news release.
help address some of the biggest obstacles to achieving
packaging sustainability, “Toward Circularity” will The combination holds “significant synergy potential”
expand collection to include both post-consumer and and creates a vertically integrated business spanning
post-industrial recycled (PCR and PIR) material, and multiple extrusion technologies and printing,
conduct testing to determine best markets and laminating, bagging, coating, finishing, and niche
applications for the recyclate. “Toward Circularity” has
two objectives: first, to decrease the current landfill packaging operations, the news release continued.
rate of 99 per cent of plastic pet food and treat bags by “Importantly, certain members of ABX's current
finding uses for recycled plastic pet food and treat bags; leadership team had oversight of these particular
and second, to provide end-of-life solutions for facilities during their tenure at Berry,” Graham
consumers, retailers, and packaging manufacturers.
Partners officials said.

DECEMBER 2020 50 Plastics News