Terphane, a manufacturer of polyester films, recently launched Ecophane, its new line of sustainable films. These new polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films were created to address a growing demand for films that guarantee the production of recyclable packaging that is comprised of recycled content.
“The Ecophane line is the result of extensive research and development and the use of highly advanced technology. We are now able to create a PET film with a minimum of 30% post-consumer recycled PET in its composition,” says Marcos Vieira, global R&D director of Terphane. This research has resulted in more than 10 different types of Ecophane films intended for a wide variety of applications.
The company says that while guaranteeing a lower use of new raw materials, Terphane ́s new Ecophane films are also aligned with the Circular Economy concept: disposable PET packaging and other products are collected, recycled, and become new packaging.
“The development of Ecophane not only follows the sustainability metrics established by Terphane, but also fulfills brand owners ́ search for more sustainable packaging,” says Mike Nickens, North American sales manager of Terphane.
The company has defined environmental, social, and economic positive actions in its plants, products, and communities as priorities for its sustainability journey. Terphane has found that flexible packaging supports this initiative because of its excellent performance in optimizing functionality and the use of resources. The Perfect Fit, a document produced by Flexible Packaging Europe (FPR), states that efficiency is a fundamental issue when defining the sustainability of a package, taking into consideration the aspects of the product ́s value chain, the packaging itself, consumption, and all other impacts.
The Perfect Fit document also emphasizes the fact that flexible packaging is highly adaptable. It says that flexible packaging’s intelligent design can guarantee even more sustainable benefits, including: correct portion sizes, reclosable packaging systems to minimize waste, and printing of information that guarantees correct use and storage. Functional and lighter packaging also reduces the impacts of storage, distribution, and transportation of consumer packaged goods, according to the document. Further, it says that due to its light weight, flexible packaging also reduces environmental impact and offers great advantages for product storage and transportation costs.
Flexible packaging is often top of mind in discussions about sustainable packaging, though recycling issues can be a barrier. The new Ecophane film is designed to close the loop, using disposable post-consumer packaging that can be recycled again.
