Page 57 - Plastics News December 2020

University of Liverpool researchers lead sustainable packaging project

niversity of Liverpool researchers have secured a £965k
Uproject to increase sustainability in plastic packaging
and deliver environmental benefits. Funded by non-
departmental public body UKRI, the project intends to
provide technological advancements for the use of post-
consumer recycled (PCR) resin, which can be made by
recycling high density polyethylene (HDPE). University of
Liverpool Department of Chemistry senior lecturer Dr Tom
McDonald, who will lead the project, said: “This is an
exciting project to be leading which we hope will provide
the necessary technological advancements that will
increase the incorporation of recycled plastic in
packaging.“The project aims to better understand the
chemistry and properties of post-consumer resin (PCR)
through finding out more about how HDPE changes during
recycling. “This knowledge can be used to invent ways of
improving the post-consumer recycled plastic so that more
can be used to make HDPE bottles. “This change will result
in less plastic waste, increased sustainability in plastic
packaging and less harm to the environment.” Dr Tom
McDonald will be supported by an interdisciplinary team,
with researchers including Dr Frédéric Blanc, Dr Andy
McLauchlin, Dr Vitaliy Kurlin, Professor Andrew Lyons, and
Dr Gopalakrishnan Narayanamurthy. Additionally,
University of Manchester Sustainable Materials Innovation
Hub director professor Mike Shaver is complementing the Manchester is also leading its own UKRI-funded project that
team. Alongside the academic team, the project also aims to increase compliance with recycling by developing
involves Unilever and Bright Green Plastics, who will be
providing industrial requirement. The University of 'one bin' to hold all plastic-like items.

AIM Sweden develops new tool to revolutionize food packaging production
A s pulp and paper manufacturers bid to replace single- i n c r e a s i n g l y
s e n s i t i v e t o
use plastic food packaging to help clean up our planet,
AIM Sweden, the commercial spin-off from the Mid Sweden food packaging
University, developed a new tooling concept that is being waste. The EU's
introduced in the manufacture of molded paper food and Directive on
drink containers. Over the past five years, AIM has used its S i n g l e - U s e
three GE Additive Arcam EBM Q20plus and Q10plus systems plastics, have
to develop cutting-edge 3D printed perforated molds. set targets on
These new molds address the unique challenges of turning decreasing the
wet, fibrous pulp into products, such as food containers and u s e o f
packaging material, with improved strength, thinner walls d i s p o s a b l e
and the ability to contain liquids and fats. The collaboration plastic products in Europe. By 2026 Member States also
between AIM and GE has allowed AIM to develop a have an obligation to show sustained reduction in the
completely new tooling solution as well as an optimized consumption of SUP as well. AIM Sweden's new shaping
EBM build strategy to produce extremely thin, highly tools, additively manufactured using GE Additive's EBM
stackable molds with minimal or no support structures. This technology, address these kinds of issues by making food
process significantly reduces production time. In operation packaging production less labour- and resource-intensive.
the thin titanium forming skins rest on a 3D printed nylon AIM's process makes packaging cheaper, more efficient and
backing, also designed and produced by AIM. This work is longer lasting.
essential as consumers and governments become

DECEMBER 2020 57 Plastics News