Innovia’s renewable BOPP film range puts fossil-based in the past

15 Jun 2020 --- Innovia Films has introduced a new family of highly functional and recyclable BOPP films named Encore. Encore films are manufactured from renewable non-food based raw materials, helping to reduce the use of fossil-based virgin raw materials. The Encore packaging and labeling film range boasts “exactly the same” properties as equivalent fossil-based BOPP film, guaranteeing high clarity and gloss, high stiffness, excellent water vapor barrier and printability, the supplier confirms.

Encore has been assessed by Interseroh, an independent German recycling and consulting company, and received its highest rating of full recyclability. The films can be recycled through existing flexible PP film collection schemes.

“Using our in-house Life Cycle Analysis program, we have calculated that by using renewable polymer we can determine that Encore films offer reductions in carbon footprint,” says Steve Langstaff, Business Manager, Packaging.

“The Encore film range has an International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) using a mass balance approach. They are suitable for use in all market segments currently using BOPP films,” he adds.

The first two grades of Encore film to be launched will be announced “in the coming weeks.” One grade will be a low-temperature heat seal film for packaging and the other is intended for pressure-sensitive labeling applications.

“The renewable materials used are sourced from second generation, bio-based feedstocks such as waste from the wood pulping process. Encore films use the resultant polymer derived from this feedstock to bring new sustainable films to the market,” Paul Watters, Product Development Manager, Packaging, tells PackagingInsights.

Encore REF30b is an example of such a film, with 65 percent renewable content, while the addition of the renewable polymer also reduces the carbon footprint of the film to the point where it is carbon neutral, Watters highlights.

The main challenge in creating the Encore films was the sourcing of the correct material for the extrusion process, which required close liaisons with suppliers. After the sourcing, the challenge is the process of introducing the new polymer into the extrusion system to ensure the correct behavior is exhibited, he explains.

“This [product range] represents the first step in our journey to produce more sustainable films, with the next step being products that contain recycled post-consumer content. We have agreements in place and hope to be able to launch the first of these in 2022,” Langstaff continues.

According to Watters, the main challenge here is obtaining post-consumer recycled material that is food contact approved. “Chemical recycling offers a viable route to deliver such materials. The other challenges will be having enough post-consumer waste to feed these chemical recycling units to produce the required amounts of resulting polymer to be fed back into the system,” he concludes.

By Joshua Poole

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