Polysack, a green-tech manufacturer of plastic film products for flexible packaging and high-shrink labels, has partnered with Flessofab, an Italian packaging manufacturer, to launch a series of eco-friendly, stand-up pouch packaging.
More products are being designed to be easily recycled and reused as raw materials. The vast majority of flexible packaging, however, is missing out on the trend as most plastic cannot be recycled. These unrecyclable packages are made from a blend of different polymers – usually an outer layer made of biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate (BOPET) and an inner layer made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) – which cannot be repurposes together.
Polysack produced Pack’N’Cycle to help counter this problem. The Pack’N’Cycle family of films is made of Mono Oriented PE (MOPE) and has enhanced properties compared to traditional PE films. Pack’N’Cycle successfully replaces traditional BOPET or BOPP, thus producing a package made of mono-material that can be fully recycled. By combining suitable raw materials and a unique production process, Polysack has achieved a sustainable solution that will change the flexible packaging market.
During the production process, the films are stretched in one direction (MDO – Machine Direction Orientation) using Polysack’s proprietary methodology and processes, thus obtaining improvements in several properties: mechanical, optical, gas transmission (barrier) and thermal resistance, all while maintaining a particularly low film thickness of less than 25 microns. Already commercialized for dried fruits, bread crumbs, coffee, and more, the film is suitable for printing in every existing technology and a variety of applications. The packages have successfully launched in the British market and are already in use by a number of leading brands in the country.
“With the Pack’N’Cycle MOPE family of films, we can replace BOPET in 80 percent of its applications,” says Gianfranco Lambiase, R&D director of Flessofab. “We’re thrilled to participate in such a novel project that promotes a circular economy in the flexible packaging space.”
“The novel MOPE films we design, innovate, and produce have been used in more than 130 projects,” says Yanir Ahanironson, CEO of Polysack. “Pack’N’Cycle’s MOPE enables converters to produce a mono-material package without sacrificing efficiency or quality. It is a true BOPET replacement. Sustainability is a top priority for leading brand owners who have set ambitious packaging recycling targets by 2025, and we’re determined to assist them in accomplishing their goals.”