PACKAGING | TECHNOLOGY


materials. The Biomind family of biodegradable and compostable compounds are designed for cap- sules to achieve OK Compost and OK Home Compost certification, ensuring that they meet rigorous standards for biodegradability. The products offer performance characteristics compa- rable to traditional plastic capsules, while maintain- ing compatibility with popular beverage systems such as Dolce Gusto, Lavazza A Modo Mio and Nespresso. Cabopol also developed Sofiprime, a line of PP compounds that deliver a significant competitive edge compared to high-cost barrier materials such as EVOH, PBT and aluminium. Sofiprime delivers high performance while maintaining a balance between cost-effectiveness and barrier properties to oxygen and water vapor, eliminating the need for additional external secondary packaging such as laminated pouches. Capsule packaging manu- facturers can ensure product integrity and gain an easily recyclable material with use of the Sofiprime PP compound, which aligns with sustainability objectives and actively contributes to a greener future for the packaging industry. In January 2021, the European Union’s research and innovation programme Horizon 2020 launched the Preserve project with the goal to replace fossil-based plastics used in food and beverage packaging with bio-based plastics and promote the circular use of such plastics by improving existing technologies in packaging design, waste manage- ment and polymer recovery. Innovative processes such as coatings and adhesives are being devel- oped to promote bio-based packaging, with an ambition to substitute 60% of packaging used in consumer products with bio-based packaging. Processes being covered in the project include injection moulding, extrusion and blow moulding. The Spanish plastics technology centre Aimplas joined the project with the “aim to minimise the use of fossil-based plastics by encouraging the development of bioplastics with the same and even better properties,” says Lola Gómez, principal investigator of the project at Aimplas. Specifically, Aimplas is working on the develop-


ment of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-based coatings with water vapour barrier properties similar to fossil-based packaging, to improve the properties of cellulose-based packaging. “We also focus on improving the end of life of these materi- als through the use of enzymatic recycling of bio polyesters to obtain oligomers that can be used as additives, (with) the use of enzymes embedded in bioplastics to improve the biodegradability of materials, and the use of enzymatic detergents to


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favour the delamination of multilayer structures,” says Gómez. Recyclability of material will be enhanced with the delamination of adhesives, coatings or enzyma- tion. Other Preserve project strategies to improve the properties of the bioplastics include the development of bio-based adhesives, the applica- tion of e-beam radiation to improve barrier and mechanical properties and the development of polymer reinforcement technologies to improve the properties of recycled bioplastics. The project will develop standards and certification schemes applicable to packaging materials made from recyclable and biodegradable bioplastics and will develop upcycling technologies of plastics for food and drink packaging that transforms them into new materials or products of better quality or environ- mental value, to ensure the generation of micro- plastics is avoided. The Preserve project aims for food packaging


material to contain at least 85% bio-based content. The project currently has 26 participating partners from nine countries across Europe representing the value chain of actors. The consortium looks to enhance the performance of bio-based materials such as PLA and PHA, improve the environmental footprint of packaging through use of secondary raw materials, with improved properties for new applications or the substitution of conventional plastics with recycled bio-based plastics.


CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: � www.nisseiplastic.com � www.negribossi.com � www.kraussmaffei.com � www.yizumi.com � https://trexel.com � www.cabopol.com � www.aimplas.net


July/August 2023 | INJECTION WORLD 35


Above: The multipartner Preserve project aims to reduce


fossil-based plastics used in food and beverage packaging


IMAGE: AIMPLAS


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