The Flexible Packaging Association is leading an industry effort to address end-of-packaging life alternatives for flexible packaging. To summarize the association’s work to date, FPA has produced the brochure Flexible Packaging Resource Recovery: A work in Progress, which highlights the strengths and benefits of flexible packaging, including many sustainability benefits such as the use of fewer resources and generation of fewer emission during manufacturing.

The brochure discusses the different types of flexible packaging and the challenges around end-of-packaging–life of multi-material laminates, which represent only about 1.6% of municipal solid waste in the U.S.

Through its research, FPA has identified opportunities and challenges of existing and emerging options for flexible packaging waste. At present “no one disposal scenario is most favorable for flexible packaging waste across all environmental impact categories.” 

The brochure discusses current waste-to-energy, mechanical recycling, and landfill options; and describes emerging resource recovery options, the most promising of which appears at this time to be pyrolysis. Other issues discussed include the challenges of collection, sortation, volume and market pull for the recovered energy feedstock.

The FPA will continue researching and exploring pilots to further advance development of emerging resource recovery technologies.  For a copy of the report, and to learn more about FPA sustainability initiatives, please visit www.flexpack.org and view Sustainable Packaging.

FPA Welcomes  New Members

Edwards Label
Converters of Pouches, Sachets, Shrink Sleeves and films used with horizontal and vertical form, fill and seal equipment. Additional capabilities include 16 color printing of Prime Labels with variable printing, Short Run Digital, and Extended text. Lastly, Edwards has high level security for printing valuable on-package promotions.
 
KBA North America, Inc.
KBA North America is located in Dallas, Texas and a member of the KBA Group. The group's products focus on packaging and flexible substrate systems.
 
Mitsubishi Polyester Film, Inc.
Mitsubishi offers a wide array of polyester films for existing markets such as flexible packaging, industrial labels and liners, and also for many of today’s new emerging markets in energy and electronics, including a wide range of high-quality customized Diafoil® and HOSTAPHAN® brand PET films.
 
MTorres Diseños Industriales
Manufacturer of unwinds, splicers, rewinders and roll handling automation used in the converting industry. 
 
Poly Print Inc.
Poly Print, Inc. is a custom printer and laminator of flexible packaging materials.
 
Tufco Technologies
Tufco Technologies is a provider of wide web flexographic printing, adhesive laminations, wet & dry wipes, custom formulation development & blending, and microbiological services. ISO 9001:2008 Certified.