Page 33 - Plastics News January 2020

FeAtures

Recyclable All-PE Pouches: Sustainable Opportunity for

Film Extruders

Lilli Sherman

ustainability and the Circular Economy are both a (mLLDPE), allow processors to further downgauge films.
Schallenge and an opportunity to flexible packaging There are also advances in HDPE, polyolefin elastomers
producers. Recyclable pouches based on all-PE multilayer and plastomers, and specialty coatings that allow
structures, utilizing new resins and perhaps techniques like replacement of film structures that contain PET or nylon
MDO or biaxial orientation, appear to be major contenders for barrier properties and increased stiffness. Pioneers
against glass, metal, and multi-material film structures Dow, ExxonMobil and Nova Chemicals, with SABIC a more
recent contender, highlighted their advances in such
Plastic film-based pouches are fast evolving in both variety
of design and breadth of applications in packaging of sustainable packaging and emphasized their collaborations
dry and frozen foods, liquid foods, pet foods and non- with industry partners across the supply chain at last
food household products. Due to growing demand for month’s K 2019 show in Düsseldorf.
Plastic film-based pouches are fast evolving in
both variety of design and breadth of applications
in packaging of dry and frozen foods, liquid foods,
pet foods and non-food household products. Due
to growing demand for sustainable packaging
options from consumers and brand owners, all-
PE structures have already gained a lead simply
because of their potential recyclability advantage
over multilayer, multi-material film structures.
What’s more, manufacture of plastic pouches
boasts 70% lower emissions than production of
aluminum containers; and the pouches take up far
less space than rigid containers, are very damage
resistant, and lightweight and cheaper and more
energy-efficient to transport.

A handful of leading polyolefin suppliers have
sustainable packaging options from consumers and brand made significant commercial strides in all-PE pouches
owners, all-PE structures have already gained a lead within the last half-decade, and their specialty, high-
simply because of their potential recyclability advantage performance PE polymers, including metallocene-
over multilayer, multi-material film structures. What’s catalyzed LLDPE (mLLDPE), allow processors to further
more, manufacture of plastic pouches boasts 70% lower downgauge films. There are also advances in HDPE,
emissions than production of aluminum containers; and polyolefin elastomers and plastomers, and specialty
the pouches take up far less space than rigid containers, coatings that allow replacement of film structures that
are very damage resistant, and lightweight and cheaper contain PET or nylon for barrier properties and increased
and more energy-efficient to transport.
stiffness. Pioneers Dow, ExxonMobil and Nova Chemicals,
A handful of leading polyolefin suppliers have made with SABIC a more recent contender, highlighted their
significant commercial strides in all-PE pouches within the advances in such sustainable packaging and emphasized
last half-decade, and their specialty, high-performance their collaborations with industry partners across the
PE polymers, including metallocene-catalyzed LLDPE supply chain at last month’s K 2019 show in Düsseldorf.

33 Januar y 2020 Plastics News