Global Packaging Sustainability Trends Through the Lens of the World's Largest Packaging Trade Fair

Interpack is the world's largest and most influential packaging exhibition. At this exhibition, the packaging industry provides tailor-made solutions and innovative designs for all industrial sectors with its wide array of materials, and leading companies in the packaging industry will showcase all-round industry services at the highest international level.

In early May 2023, Interpack was held at the exhibition center in Dusseldorf, Germany. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, six years had passed since the exhibition was last held. During this period, product packaging has become a central topic for many brands, a fact also reflected in the scale of this exhibition. This exhibition had a total of 18 halls, 2,800 exhibitors and 140,000 visitors, many of whom came from overseas.

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As we see globally, the sustainability of product packaging is a concern for consumers and often a headache for many brands.

According to the EU Green Deal and the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, by 2030 all packaging in the European Union (EU) will be reusable or recyclable in an economically viable way, which puts enormous pressure on both brands and packaging manufacturers. Therefore, companies of all sizes across the entire value chain are sharing R&D technologies to join forces in the face of this situation. Collaboration is not ineffective; what they are doing is helping the packaging industry achieve its sustainable development goals.

The sustainable development trends in the packaging industry are currently concentrated in two areas: first, the trend toward mono-material packaging remains pronounced.

One company (Jindal Films) showcased its new polypropylene (PP) mono-material to help replace polyethylene-based laminate films. This globally leading specialty film company presented its breakthrough material: Bicor oriented polypropylene (OPP) film, designed to promote a shift in the flexible packaging market from non-recyclable laminates (that is, those containing PET, aluminum/foil or paper, etc.) to PP-based mono-material mechanically recyclable laminates.

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Another innovative "design for recycling" material for sustainable packaging is o

neBARRIER PrimeCycle, a polymer-based mono-material developed by Bobst together with several partners. PrimeCycle material is a solution for polyethylene (PE) barrier film that contains no ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) and no topcoat, and can replace metallized polyester film. It has the advantage of being recyclable while retaining barrier properties. Bobst has already opened its two huge demonstration and competence centers in Europe to all actors to accelerate the creation of solutions for the sustainable development of industrial packaging.

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A few days after the exhibition ended, a packaging company (Sabic) announced an industry initiative. Together with several companies, it committed to joining R&D projects to achieve more sustainable plastic waste treatment and mechanical and chemical recycling.

On the other hand, people are considering whether paper products can be used as a solution. Numerous companies showcased recyclable paper bags.

One company (ProAmpac) showcased a roadside-recyclable, heat-sealable paper packaging that is also suitable for frozen food applications such as ready meals and vegetables, and can also be used in some dry food and secondary packaging applications such as confectionery.

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Plastic coatings traditionally used for protection and heat sealing often make the final product difficult to recycle. Therefore, several companies have rethought this concept

design. On the basis of existing barrier paper, water-based coating heat sealing and grease barrier agents were added. The resulting pouches are easy to recycle and help recover more fiber. This helps meet the growing consumer and regulatory demand for easily recyclable packaging.

The various breakthrough technologies and materials related to sustainable development showcased at this packaging exhibition have already signaled that only innovation can cater to the sustainability characteristics of today's era and avoid being eliminated by the market.

——This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-379422.html