FDBusiness.com

Holland-based Yparex claims that it is the first supplier in the packaging industry to develop and commercialise bio-based adhesive tie layers for multilayer packaging films

The firm claims that the tie layer resin is derived from 95% annually renewable resources and is fully recyclable and acts like non-renewable petroleum-based polymer.

Adhesive tie layers are special polymers used in well-known multilayer films that bond together dissimilar resins that otherwise would not adhere to each other.

Such films are then used in rigid or flexible barrier-packaging structures that prevent passage of oxygen into the package (causing spoilage or contamination) and keep flavour and odours from leaving the package (leading to prematurely stale products), extending the shelf life for meat, cheese, and other perishable foods.

Sustainability question

“There’s a lot of disagreement about how best to make the packaging industry more sustainable,” said Wouter van den Berg, general manager, Yparex.

He added: “Some argue for glass, since it’s insert and recyclable. Others say paper is better, as it’s made of materials that grow back. Still others say lightweight plastics are greenest because they save significant transportation costs and energy, while increasing safety (since they’re unbreakable), and extending shelf life (reducing waste).

“Given the incredible size of the packaging industry, and the breadth of products involved—from food and beverages to car parts to industrial maintenance supplies and consumer electronics—I don’t believe there will be one easy answer that solves the sustainability question or a single approach that addresses the needs of all the segments that are involved.

“As an industry, we need to develop many parallel initiatives to help move packaging to the next level of sustainability. And as a producer of adhesive tie resins, Yparex management decided that the best way we could contribute was by formulating the greenest tie resin we could make.“

He said that the firm would be shipping its first lot of products to a film producer this month for evaluation. He concluded: “We hope the packaging industry responds favorably to this sustainable product offering and, if it does, we promise this will be the first of many more “green” innovations coming from our company.”