Sainuo Industrial Begins Mass Production of BOPLA Degradable Film, Adding a Green Option for Flexible Packaging

Hainan Sainuo Industrial Co., Ltd., a company based in the Haikou National High-tech Industrial Development Zone, has recently introduced China's first dedicated production line for high-quality multifunctional film and officially started mass production of biaxially oriented polylactic acid (BOPLA) film, providing the flexible packaging industry with a green material option whose performance can match conventional petrochemical films and which is biodegradable.

BOPLA film is made from polylactic acid (PLA) produced by fermenting plant starch from corn, cassava and other plants, and is a bio-based biodegradable material. Unlike traditional plastic films, which persist in the natural environment for a long time, BOPLA can gradually decompose under natural conditions and re-enter the ecological cycle, which is why it is called a 'film that disappears'.

The line was custom-built by Germany's Brückner and can achieve precise biaxial stretching of 9 times in the machine direction and 6 times in the transverse direction, with production precision and stability among the industry's leaders. On this basis, Sainuo Industrial has established a full-process quality control system covering raw material screening, formulation R&D, production processing and finished-product testing, and holds 12 core patented technologies including primerless coating.

At present, Sainuo has achieved a from-zero-to-one technical breakthrough in BOPLA film for tobacco packaging. Tobacco film places extremely high demands on tensile strength, haze, gloss, runnability and other indicators. Sainuo's BOPLA film for tobacco not only delivers excellent performance but also produces no black smoke or odor after burning, with degradable ash, and is expected to replace a market of about 100,000 tonnes of conventional tobacco film.

For flexible packaging companies, BOPLA film can first be evaluated as a PET alternative in scenarios such as transparent windows, gift box liners and food-grade flexible packaging; for export orders, it can also serve as an alternative material for responding to tightening EU packaging regulations and carbon assessment. However, degradable films still need verification in moisture barrier and weather resistance, so it is recommended to start with small-batch trials in non-high-humidity scenarios and expand application only after confirming heat seal performance and shelf-life performance.

Next, Sainuo Industrial plans to build a green industrial chain from raw material modification, testing and inspection, production processing to product application, and to drive bio-based film from the laboratory to large-scale supply. (Sources: Haikou Fabu, Toutiao, etc.)