MeetingPack 2019, sustainability of barrier packaging

The MeetingPack 2019 Congress was held in Valencia on May 29 and 30, with the title “Trends in sustainable barrier packaging: towards the H2030 objective”.

The PLASTIC SENSE Foundation had the opportunity to collaborate with AINIA and AIMPLAS in the preparation of the event, as well as to participate as a speaker in the fourth session, dedicated to Eco-design, recyclability and certification.

A summary of the event is outlined below, which is consolidated as an important meeting point of the main agents of the value chain of plastic packaging to discuss current solutions and future challenges of the sector in the framework of the circular economy:

1^st Session. Innovative materials for the production of sustainable packaging.

After the introduction dedicated to the Circular Economy Strategy carried out by ANAIP, the first session was opened by NOVAMONT and KURARAY, talking about biodegradable and compostable materials for applications in packaging and barrier coatings respectively. It continued with the intervention on paper coating by PLA and Compostable barrier solutions by TOTAL CORBION and NIPPON GOSHEI. QUIMOVIL, dedicated its intervention to water-based inks for flexible laminable packaging. Finally, DOW CHEMICAL explained its strategy on plastics as part of the Circular Economy.

2^nd Session. Films, sheets and sustainable trays.

The second session included interventions by UBE, PLASTICOS ROMERO, COMEXI, ARTIBAL, FAERCH PLAST and GRUPALIA PACK, among others. We would like to highlight the presentations of two companies certified with ECOSENSE. On the one hand, the new experiences in the development and manufacture of recycled and recyclable packaging from KLÖCKNER PENTAPLAST, who since 2007 has managed to reduce its carbon footprint by more than 65% thanks to measures such as the incorporation of recycled PET in its containers, and on the other SP GROUP, who since 2005 has achieved more than a 30% decrease in thicknesses and grammages of its products with the consequent savings in the consumption of resources.

3^rd Session. Injected packaging, ISBM and EBM with lower environmental impact.

Innovations and novelties related to Injected packaging, ISBM (injection molding, stretch and blow molding) and EBM (extrusion blow molding) came from PLASMA ELECTRONIC, KRONES and RESILUX. The first one introduced a transparent silicon oxide coating improved with plasma for use as a barrier to gas, aroma and migration; KRONES explained the latest developments in solutions for recycling PET and RESILUX talked about technological perspectives and different possibilities of combining recycled PET.

4^th Session. Eco-design, recyclability and certification.

The PLASTIC SENSE Foundation was in charge to open the fourth session presenting the RETRAY Project, which main objective is to promote the recycling and recyclability of the post-consumer PET tray. ECOEMBES introduced PackCD, a tool that will allow packaging design teams to include sustainability as one of the decision criteria in the design / re-design phase of a container while TUV AUSTRIA IBERIA explained its bioplastics certification. On the other hand, CADEL DEINKING, FILIGRADE and APK introduced, respectively, their solutions on de-inking of films, the use of watermarks in the recovery of packaging and the recycling of multilayer films and mixed plastics. AIMPLAS presented REFUCOAT, a 100% bio-based container (50% barrier and 50% active) resulting from a project financed by the European Commission.

5^th Session. Key aspects and successful cases of sustainable packaging.

The closing of the congress was in charge of AINIA, UNILEVER and AMC JUICES. They introduces some development projects in sustainable packaging manufactured from food waste,  initiatives to reduce the plastic in their packaging and measures to increase efficiency and reduce emissions in the manufacture of its products through eco-design criteria. Finally, DANONE talked about the integration of circular economy into its strategies and operations, explaining two pioneering projects of its  brands Lanjarón and Renueva.

All the information about the conference can be found here:

CONGRESO