Flexible Packaging
For most industries, sustainability considerations have grown in importance over recent years and evolved into a major strategic focus. The flexible packaging sector is no exception, with increasing environmental awareness placing greater pressures on today’s manufacturers
DOWNGAUGING:A SUSTAINABLE STEP
F
rom the public and media, through to retailers, brand owners and government, the appetite for
sustainable packaging development is undeniable. Irrespective of market sector, the entire packaging supply chain must embrace this challenge and develop strategies to help minimise environmental impact. Whether reducing pack weight or reconsidering materials selection and usage, the industry is moving into an exciting era of competition-driven innovation and delivering advanced new solutions for a host of packaging needs. The flexible films market is at the forefront
of this movement, with converters investing considerable time, effort and resources in developing environmentally friendly solutions and practices to meet these demands. Downgauging, or lightweighting as it’s also known, is an integral strategy here and a key trend among material suppliers and the processing community – creating packaging that delivers more, from less. By using thinner materials, the process allows packers to offer the same products alongside adequate protection, preservation and presentation credentials, but with higher product-to-package ratios. “Downgauging’s capacity to minimise
materials usage and deliver more from less is beneficial both from a commercial and environmental point of view,” explains Paul Glover, commercial technical director of Skymark, one of the UK’s independent flexible packaging manufacturers. “However, while the principle may be
simple, the actual execution can be rather difficult and requires extensive experience, from using the latest polymers to utilising revolutionary extrusion technology,” continues Glover. “The key is to combine effective planning with comprehensive knowledge and cutting-edge machine capability, in order to deliver solutions that satisfy all the key stakeholders from a design, efficiency and sustainability perspective.” Another vital element of the
downgauging process is keeping the fundamental purposes of packaging protection, preservation and presentation front of mind. Whether rigid or flexible, these considerations are necessary to avoid
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decreasing the pack’s effectiveness, particularly in terms offrom a structural integrity perspective. “When going through the process of
thinning a material, you have to ensure you are maintaining the same functionality qualities,” comments Glover. “For example, with respect to maintaining a pack’s shelf-life, manufacturers need to address whether downgauging will affect the oxygen and moisture barrier performance. Minimising food waste through extended shelf life is central to enhancing sustainability, so downgauging has to be both efficient and functional. “Critically, you have to ask whether the
pack still works after downgauging. Will it still meet requirements for pack strength, barrier protection and shelf life? Will the packer face any issues when running the product on their equipment? And will it still resist damage in transit? All these things need to be considered in order to create an all-round successful pack.” Skymark is no stranger to developing
sustainable, lighter weight products with high performance design. The Scunthorpe- based business has recently created a range of baby wipes packaging for Tesco that use 20 per cent less material, developing a PE film to be used in a laminate structure that is lighter and thinner than the previous versions used for Tesco’s own label range. Through innovative design, use of the latest resin technologies and integrated film, print, lamination and conversion production capabilities, Skymark has downgauged the PE film layer used in the laminate structure from 50um to 35um. The development results in a packaging weight reduction of 20 per cent, before the application of the lid, and enabled the removal of 57 tonnes of plastic from the supply chain in it’s very first year of use.
The new pack brings a wealth of benefits
to both manufacturing and the supply chain, with the thinner film enabling more metres per roll and reducing the number of roll changes during production. This also lowers the number of pallets in shipping and storage, further contributing to lessening the product’s overall carbon footprint and environmental impact. Furthermore, the thinner film involves fewer raw materials, minimising packaging waste both at the point of manufacture and when the consumer disposes of the pack at the end of its service life. Glover concludes: “The Tesco baby wipes
pack project clearly demonstrates the all- round benefits of downgauging from a commercial, operational and cost perspective, yielding a cost and carbon footprint reduction through the whole supply chain and supporting brands’ environmental ambitions. “True sustainability is achieved when the
balance of value and environmental credentials meets marketplace demands. By focussing on continual improvement of substrates, pack design, manufacturing methods and processes, supplier partners like Skymark are triumphing in the quest for sustainable innovation.” For more information, please visit the
website below.
uwww.skymark.co.uk
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