Brückner Maschinenbau, a leading manufacturer of technology for flexible packaging production and Sabic have collaborated on the development of flexible packaging films based on Sabic’s certified circular BOPP and BOPE materials.
The materials, which belong to Sabic’s Trucircle portfolio, are made from feedstock recycling of difficult to recycle post-consumer used plastics, yet with no compromise on quality. The materials deliver the same performance as conventional products, yet with the added benefit of enhanced sustainability.
Brückner tested the BOPP material developed by Sabic in their own technology centre as a drop-in solution for biax-film applications. Trials demonstrated that BOPP films made from Sabic’s certified PP were in line with the requirements of the industry. The material’s processability and stretchability performance was shown to be on par with the best performing reference materials.
The films developed by the companies on the basis of these resins are suitable for use in various flexible applications such as labels, tape and food packaging such as confectionary, snacks, baked good, dried fruits, pasta and fresh food packaging.
Stefan Seibel, Head of New Technologies, Brückner Maschinenbau, called the development a ‘huge step forward in our journey towards closing the loop across the plastics value chain and working together to create a circular economy’.
Sabic and Brückner are working together to find further solutions to improve the recyclability of packaging films, added Mark Vester, Circular Economy Leader at SABIC.
In 2019, Brückner and SABIC also collaborated on a project to introduce BOPE films into the market. Currently, there is a strong need to develop mono-material PE based flexible packaging to fit with existing collection and recycling operations, a need which the present collaboration is helping to fulfil.