Japan-based Toppan has started construction of a new barrier film plant in Most, a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. Construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.
The facility will manufacture GL Barrier, a range of substrate films (PET, PP, PE, or nylon) laminated with a barrier coating layer and an inorganic vapor-deposited barrier layer (alumina or silica). The layer structure combines a coating layer with a high-grade vapor-deposited layer. According to Toppan, the film displays stable barrier properties and is easy to use in post-production processes such as printing and laminating.
The new facility will act as a ‘strategic base’ catering increasing demand for sustainable products in the European market, Toppan said in a statement.
“Establishing a European base for our GL Barrier business has been a long-standing wish,” said Toppan’s managing executive officer Masahiko Tatewaki. “More than 15 years ago, demand for transparent barrier packaging materials increased from Europe, and our efforts to establish overseas bases began at that time. Our barrier film is not only a sustainable and recyclable product but also uses the most advanced technology in the world,” he claimed.
In October 2022, Toppan expanded its GL Barrier portfolio with a polyethylene (PE) mono-material barrier packaging for liquids, to improve packaging recyclability.