Collaboration key to perfecting packaging, says DuPont
In keeping with the theme of 'Greenovation' at Chinaplas 2014, DuPont's Packaging and Industrial Polymers division is showing a range of materials it says not only increase the functionality and attractiveness of plastics packaging, but also reducing its footprint and food waste.
The company will focus on thinner, multi-layer barrier films for lidding applications and thermoformed trays, special adhesive resins, polymer modifiers and compatibilisers for use in the recycling of mixed plastic waste, all solutions it has developed through industry and customer collaborations.
"Science driven innovations continue to be a strong basis for DuPont's answers to global market demands. But we strongly believe that sustainable success needs more than the efforts of a single company," commented Roger Kant, Regional Marketing Director, DuPont Packaging and Industrial Polymers Asia-Pacific.
"Solutions for the major challenges of today's world require global collaborations. And this is particularly true for the development of safe packaging solutions, which support our customers' businesses and at the same time guide the way to both a lower environmental footprint and a more responsible handling of food.
One such collaboration is with Reifenhauser Kiefel Extrusion, where the companies have worked together to create two high barrier packaging solutions to market, with DuPont using its knowledge of packaging materials and Reifenhauser optimising its blown film lines to suit the processing parameters for production. The first is a new APET-based DuPont 'Appeel' sealant resin used for the production of PA-based lidding films said to reduce material and lid and tray production costs and the second is a special grade of DuPont's 'Surlyn' packaging which reportedly enables 20 percent thinner thermoformable barrier films.
DuPont has also worked alongside Kuhne to extend the field of application for the latter's TrippleBubble technology for the production of biaxially stretched films, as well as Braksem, to develop renewably sourced tie-resins and polymer modifiers.
"At Chinaplas 2014 we will present tangible examples of these new technologies including high performance nine-layer barrier shrink bags, reclosable packaging, frangible pouches etc," concluded Kant.
The company also said that the growing market for plastics packaging in China that is both sustainable and food safe offered the opportunity for important collaboration with customers and major food retailers.
"We have been working with major retailers...to understand how packaging is goin to play out for the meat industry in Asia Pacific. We are at a turning point for the meat industry in this region, both in terms of food safety and the consumer getting a quality product. Packaging to meet these needs is the future and we want to work alongside retailers in Asia to understand the needs they have," Kant told media representatives at the company's press event.