From Research to the Shelf July 2024

Monthly showcase of packaging solutions to communicate, protect and distribute commonly used products.

A bio-circular coating made from agricultural by-products.

As an alternative to the traditional plastic coating for packaging, Mondi and its traceless team are perfecting a revolutionary bio-circular solution, the first of its kind, using agricultural by-products. The material, furnished with the DIN CERTCO certification, is based on natural polymers and allows for a reduction of up to 95% of greenhouse gas emissions in relation to production and disposal compared to virgin plastic materials. From an operational point of view, the granulates for the coating are produced in the traceless pilot plant and applied on Mondi’s kraft paper in its R&D centre.

Thorough testing has confirmed that the solution can resist water, oxygen and fat, offering, at the same time, good printing capacities. The aim is to obtain a packaging solution scalable to a vast range of sectors and to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions during the entire life-cycle of the packaging. Subsequent industrial-scale production will take place in a dedicated factory in Hamburg.

From the recycling of drink cartons to new outdoor solutions.

Tetra Pak, the company leader in food processing and packaging solutions, and Felli, the Italian company that produces wood plastic composite (WPC) for floors, wall coverings and sunshades, present a new solution for the outdoors which, thanks to its distinctive composition, combines aesthetic and sensorial qualities with a high technical performance. The collaboration between the two companies has enabled drink cartons to acquire a new value after recycling, as part of a high-quality and high-performance product. Felli has, in fact, decided to integrate into the production of profiles a percentage of PolyAl, that is, the plastic and aluminium component deriving from the recycling of drink cartons, which is suitably regenerated through a specific reworking process in the Ecoplasteam company and then converted into a recycled granule that is particularly interesting for this application. It’s a concrete example of the circular economy that shows how also PolyAl, which makes up around 30% of Tetra Pak cartons in their traditional structure (while the remaining 70% is cellulose-based), can be transformed into a precious resource and through suitable recycling processes can become a second raw material of great value.

VALPECK™, practical and sustainable paper-based single-dose.

The collaboration between Valmatic and Ital-Agro has given rise to VALPECK™, the paper-based practical and sustainable single-dose chosen for the VithalBIO, range, and elected PdA© product of the year in the gardening category.

The new Valpeck™ single-dose for the agricultural sector, specially developed for Ital-Agro, also finds applications in the chemical, veterinary, para-pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics fields, and represents a significant step forward in the field of sustainable packaging. The Valpeck™ single-doses, made with recyclable materials, are eco-friendly, easy to use and ideal for the packaging of bio-stimulants and fertilisers. The design of the package guarantees a precise dosage and easy application, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the treatment.