Mondi’s BarrierPack Recyclable laminate earned a 2018 Plastics Recycling Europe Award for Best Technology Innovation in Plastics Recycling. The sustainable innovation has performance properties equivalent to conventional materials, yet is fully compatible with existing industrial recycling streams.
“We believe that BarrierPack Recyclable is a major breakthrough for flexible packaging,” notes Carl Stonley, technical account manager at Mondi Consumer Goods Packaging. “It complements the sustainability benefits already offered by flexibles – reduction of food waste, CO2 emissions and energy use – by adding recyclability, something laminates made of different materials cannot offer.”
In addition to being fully recyclable, the material offers exceptional mechanical properties and is suitable for a range of packaging style formats. The material is stiffer, stronger and lighter than a conventional PET/PE laminate of the same thickness and it can be formed directly on form/fill/seal (FFS) machines as well as used for pre-made packaging.
The initial moisture barrier provided by BarrierPack Recyclable made it ideal for applications such as dry food, food ingredients, personal care and pet care applications. But now, with the recent addition of an additional gas barrier layer between the PE layers, the material is also suitable for such uses as modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) for food products.
Mondi developed BarrierPack Recyclable to help address the plastic waste issue and to support the move toward a more circular economy. Industry-wide initiatives are driving development of recyclable packaging to maximize the lifecycle of plastic and reduce its ecological footprint.
“Plastic packaging plays a vital role in protecting products, reducing food waste and increasing user convenience. Public and industry discussions recognize that more needs to be done to minimize the impact of waste plastics,” Stonley says. “Since flexible packaging is growing in popularity with consumers, BarrierPack helps to address the market’s need for sustainable alternatives for flexible laminates by offering full recyclability. This has been validated by extensive trials by CeDo Recycling in the Netherlands, a leader in recycling technologies.”
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