Packaging Solutions
Void Technologies has announced the launch of its VO+ PE 1300 Series voiding agents to serve the rapidly growing demand for recyclable opaque films. The resulting voided polyethylene (PE) film structures are compatible with existing PE recycling streams and meet the requirements for a wide range of recycle ready packaging applications such as laminates, wicketed bags, labels, and flow wraps.
VO+ PE 1300 Series is being used to develop voided machine direction oriented (MDO) HDPE films that offer a combination of low density and high opacity that is not feasible with mineral pigments like TiO2. The innovation positions a new PE based recycle ready alternative to pearlised biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), which is not widely recyclable and offers a significant growth opportunity for PE film converters.
While pearlised BOPP has displaced paper for opaque white packaging, labels, and confectionary wrappers since the 1980s, it is challenging to recycle as it is very difficult to separate from flexible PE packaging. The two materials are highly incompatible, and post use BOPP can essentially function as a contaminant in the more common PE flexible packaging recycle streams. Even if BOPP could be successfully separated from PE flexibles, there are almost no dedicated recycling streams for flexible PP packaging, meaning the material would likely be lost to landfill.
VO+ PE 1300 Series offers a PE alternative to pearlised BOPP that is compatible with existing PE recycling streams.
The series is compliant with direct food contact standards in North America and Europe and has passed key recycling standards outlined by the Association of Plastic Recyclers and RecyClass.
