Page 34 - Packaging News magazine Sep-Oct 2022

FOOD PACKAGING
Major markets move to mono
Mono means “alone”, “single”, or “one”, and according to KM Packaging, mono material alone can make the single greatest contribution to packaging recyclability than any one other factor.
MONO REMOVES THE challenges presented by multi-polymer lam- inates in packaging, which are difficult to separate for recycling and thus often end up in landfill. In addi- tion, the recycling of mono material packaging is more efficient. It is easier to collect and sort, and the process uses less energy, reducing C02 emissions.
It’s no wonder the top recommenda- tion from Liz Morrish, of the European The Circular Economy for Flexible Packaging (CEFLEX) initiative, is to “redesign towards a mono material wher- ever possible”.
Moving to mono is a shift in most major markets. Closer to home, the Australian Packaging Pact (APCO) has advised that brand owners and manu- facturers should move toward mono polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) polymers.
Specific to PET, APCO has said in its Designing for Recyclability guide that the key barriers to PET recycling are the use of different polymers or
materials with PET which cannot be easily separated.
APCO’s advice is to use mono materi- als and lightweight where possible. PET lidding films that remain tethered to an rPET or APET tray are suitable for kerb- side recycling.
Suppliers are responding to the calls to increase the usage of mono materials. One such supplier is lidding film manufacturer KM Packaging, which is setting an example of “how mono material is already making a singularly strong contribution to packaging recy-
clability in Australia and beyond”. The company’s products include resource-efficient, mono structure lidding films, which can replace tradi- tional thicker mixed polymer coex and
laminates for the fresh protein sector. Essential for this sector, KM’s prod- ucts have high barrier properties that traditionally were only achieved using
multi-layer, multi-polymer laminates. These lidding films from KM’s K-Seal and K-Peel ranges include both PP
Our films have exceptional clarity, anti-mist, and an effective barrier...while providing a packaging solution that is 100 per cent designed for recycling.”
JOHN SHIPLEY, KM PACKAGING
Above & left: KM Packaging’s products include resource- efficient, mono structure lidding films that can replace traditional thicker mixed polymer coex and laminates for the fresh protein sector.
and PET mono material solutions and provide 100 per cent recyclability, high barriers, transparency, anti-fogging, and cold peel options.
Flexible packaging can also be an enabler for other components of the pack to be recyclable.
As an example of this, KM says its K-Seal 715 V AF 25 can remain tethered to a rPET tray and be deemed recyclable kerbside in Australia.
KM also has K-Peel MLS V AF, a mono PP laminate with barrier, which is REDCycle approved and provides a cold peel solution for PP trays.
This compatibility, according to KM, allows the food processor or manufac- turer to use a recyclable mono material tray, with the entire pack (tray and lid) made of the same mono material.
John Shipley, KM’s business unit director for Australia and Europe, said: “Many manufacturers within the pro- tein sector face the problem of ‘How can we move to more mono materials to avoid using multi-layer trays and films’?
“The sustainability of packaging solu- tions to protect, present, and preserve foodstuffs is a key consideration.
“Offering excellent seals to PET and PP trays, our films have exceptional clarity, anti-mist, and an effective barrier, per- forming in the same way as existing films, while providing a packaging solution that is 100 per cent designed for recycling.” ■
34 ❙ SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 2022
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