Both savvy shoppers and consumer packaged goods companies are placing more emphasis on sustainability, reducing waste, and using less energy. As a brand owner, your sustainability goals are more important now than ever, as consumers begin seeking out brands focused on the environment.
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When it comes to packaging, it&#;s no surprise that brands are looking for eco-friendly packaging. While recyclable or compostable packaging are the two most common types of sustainable packaging, there is a third choice gaining traction on the shelf &#; post consumer recycled (PCR) packaging.
Post-consumer recycled content, often referred to as PCR, is material that is made from the items that consumers recycle every day, like aluminum, cardboard boxes, paper, and plastic bottles. These materials are typically collected by local recycling programs and shipped to recycling facilities to be sorted into bales, based on the material. The bales are then purchased and melted (or ground) into small pellets and molded into new items. The new PCR plastic material can then be used for a variety of finished products, including packaging.
Need it fast? We can help. Rollstock orders can ship in as little as 10 business days after artwork approval. Formed pouches in as little as 15!
Though PCR, recyclable, and compostable packaging are all sustainable packaging options, they each differ in the way that they are processed and what they can offer consumers.
PCR packaging is manufactured with film that is made from recycled materials. In general, PCR packaging, such as post consumer recycled plastic, cannot be recycled again since it&#;s already made from recycled materials. This allows brands to fulfill their sustainability goals, without relying on the consumer to recycle or compost the package after use.
A package is deemed recyclable when the materials can be processed and used again. Once the package enters the recycling stream, it is broken down into raw materials and sold to manufacturers. One potential downside of recyclable packaging is that the benefits are dependent on the consumer actually recycling the package, and knowing where to recycle the package.
Lastly, compostable packaging is packaging that breaks down completely in a compost site and leaves no toxic residue. In order for a plastic to be called compostable, it must biodegrade, or break down into carbon dioxide, water, or biomass at the same rate as cellulose (paper). One potential downside of compostable packaging is that not all consumers have access to industrial composting facilities.
While all eco-friendly packaging options are a step in the right direction for brands looking to be more sustainable, PCR packaging, in particular, has some benefits that are worth discussing.
In general, PCR films are a great packaging option for brands looking for eco-friendly flexible packaging, and can be developed into stand up pouches, lay flat pouches, and rollstock. These films can be used in most industries including confection, coffee, baked goods, snacks, pharmaceuticals, herbal remedies, pet treats, and sports nutrition.
PCR packaging also matches the quality of regular flexible packaging. PCR film can offer the same level of protection, barrier performance, and strength as regular plastic film. You can rest assured knowing that PCR film will still block light, oxygen, and other gases from penetrating the package layer and getting into your product.
Lastly, and quite possibly the most obvious benefit, is that using PCR material can help your company reduce its carbon footprint, lessen its impact on landfills, and meet its overall sustainability goals.
The best part? PCR packaging is a great option for brands who want to offer a sustainable solution for consumers, with no requirements or actions needed on the consumer end, unlike recyclable and compostable packaging.
As you examine your company&#;s sustainability goals, consider partnering with a PCR packaging manufacturing. At ePac, we offer PCR pouches, rollstock, and lay-flat pouches in varying percentages, for any of your project&#;s custom flexible packaging needs. Our PCR film is FDA-compliant for direct food contact and can accommodate high-impact, photo-quality graphics. It&#;s just one of our sustainable flexible packaging services that we deliver for our customers. Ready to get started, or want to learn more? Call us today or request a quote and see how using PCR can help you meet your sustainability goals.
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Innovations in recent years have enabled plastics to be much more sustainable than in the past, and using post consumer recycled resin is a major contributor to that effort.
Post consumer recycled resin (PCR resin) is a material made from recycled plastic, such as water and beverage bottles and other packaging. It offers a more sustainable source for making packaging films, containers, sheets, and many of the products that would otherwise be developed with virgin plastic resin. PCR resins meet requirements and regulations for food, pharmaceutical, medical, electronics, and general retail packaging, making them suitable for nearly any packaging need.
PCR resin enables manufacturers to make the same high-quality products at competitive prices with less environmental impact. PCR resins can include multiple types of recycled materials, and can meet or exceed your needs in size, color, finish, and performance while meeting all necessary functional and regulatory requirements. Using PCR resin:
Lowers the amount of plastic being sent to landfills (4,800 16-ounce plastic bottles equal about a cubic yard of landfill space)
Shrinks your carbon footprint (traditional plastics production produces nearly 900 million tons of carbon dioxide each year)
Reduces the need to create new plastics from non-renewable petroleum products
Limits negative effects of plastics on the environment
Lowers amount of energy needed to produce new plastics (recycling a pound of PET plastic instead of making new can save up to 12,000 BTUs)
Satisfies environmentally conscious customers
Promotes your compliance with industry regulations
When plastics are recycled, they need to be properly sorted by type and thoroughly cleaned before being processed into new plastic flakes, pellets, or powder for reuse as PCR resin. Occasionally, despite using materials sourced from reputable recyclers, there are some impurities in the PCR resin, which can show up as specks or discolored spots in the finished products. While acquiring good quality PCR resin can present some difficulties, taking advantage of recyclable plastics is a crucial step in protecting the environment.
At Integrated Packaging Films, we believe in the importance of using sustainable materials and practices while maintaining the highest quality packaging materials and superior customer service. The PCR resins we use for custom extrusion projects include:
APET (Amorphous Polyethylene Terephthalate):
A safe, crystal-clear, lightweight polyester resin. Most of the PET plastic you see is APET except some PET formulations for higher temperature uses. &#;Amorphous&#; indicates the alignment of the polymers.
RPET (Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate):
This is polyester PET plastic but made of 100% recycled materials and sourced from used, fully cleaned PET packaging.
PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol-Modified):
A softer, slightly more flexible variety of PET plastic. It&#;s a fully recyclable and food-safe plastic that&#;s excellent for making clear sheets and is well suited to die cutting and printing for signs and displays.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Recycled Plastic Products.
PP (Polypropylene):
Clear, durable, fully recyclable, and chemically resistant, PP is popular for shrink films and blow-molded, rigid packaging.
With our state-of-the-art equipment, we offer the combination of material choice, color, size, and finish to match your specific requirements and provide regulatory and industrial compliance. We can use PCR resin for:
Packaging films
Sheets, including print-grade cut sheets
Custom plastic extrusion: for rigid film, sheets, and custom parts and products
Packaging materials, including heavy gauge thermoformable primary packaging materials
Custom plastic coating: including denesting and antistatic coatings
With decades of experience and a commitment to quick turnaround, on-time delivery, and superior customer satisfaction, we look forward to discussing your plastic film and sheet needs. Contact us today to learn more.
Many of the world&#;s leading brands have announced commitments to incorporate more post-consumer resin (PCR) in their packaging within the next 5-10 years. This sentiment is echoed by companies in a variety of industries around the world. Post-consumer resin is one solution to curbing the growing plastic pollution problem and decreasing the depletion of natural resources.
To meet the rising demand for post-consumer resin, the return and recycling of specific types of used, empty plastic packaging by consumers is key. One of the ways Mauser Packaging Solutions addresses the increased need for post-consumer resin and supports the transformation from a linear to a circular packaging industry is through our integrated life cycle management program, which includes collection, reconditioning, recycling and manufacturing of products from PCR materials.
So, what is post-consumer resin, how is it made, and what are the benefits?
What is Post-Consumer Resin (PCR)?
According to the International Organization for Standardization&#;s (ISO) &#;Plastics Vocabulary&#; list, post-consumer or post-use material, is defined as &#;material generated by the end-users of products, that has fulfilled its intended purpose or can no longer be used (including material returned from within the distribution chain).&#; This differs from post-industrial, or pre-consumer material which is defined as &#;material diverted during a manufacturing process&#;.
Post-consumer resin (PCR) includes consumer packaging items such as plastic film, bottles, milk jugs, buckets, and also industrial packaging items such as IBC totes and poly drums. These items can be reprocessed into recycled plastic that&#;s used to make new products.
How is PCR manufactured at Mauser Packaging Solutions?
When an IBC or plastic drum reaches the end of its usable life and is no longer suitable for reconditioning, the first step in the recycling process is collection through the Mauser Packaging Solutions collection program. Empty containers and used plastic components are then sorted, shredded, ground, washed, dried and repelletized as high-quality post-consumer resin in compliance to ISO : standards. We call this in-house generated PCR &#;RecoleneTM.&#;
RecoleneTM, our premium recycled resin, is used to manufacture our own components and packaging, such as the Infinity Series of products. It offers the same benefits of reusability and recyclability as virgin resin and comparable technical performance. In alone, Mauser Packaging Solutions generated more than 51,000 metric tons of post-consumer resin from empty IBCs and plastic drums returned through our collection program.
What are the benefits using PCR?
Post-consumer resin offers a lower carbon footprint compared to virgin materials. Use of PCR diverts waste from landfills, decreases the consumption of virgin raw materials, and reduces emissions while promoting the circular economy.
How can your company contribute?
With such high demand for recycled materials, collaboration among the supply chain with the packaging manufacturer, filler and end user is extremely important to establish a true circular economy.
Are you thinking about incorporating Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) resins into your flexible film products? The world is demanding that we address the issue of plastic waste (can add an impactful reference here such as &#;According to Greenpeace, the volume of the packaging material used by the e-commerce sector was 9.4 million tons in , and it is expected to reach 41.3 million tons by . Also, about 850,000 metric ton of plastic waste was produced by the package-delivery sector in &#;).
If you make flexible polyethylene films, an obvious way to reduce plastic waste is to use PCR resin in your products. This might feel like a challenge for a number of reasons.
Film production is not forgiving, and waste plastics can be inconsistent and contain too many contaminates.
There are not many options in the market for PCR de signed for film conversion in terms of melt index and cleanliness
PE films are notoriously competitive in terms of price and performance
Before you embark on this worthy journey, we want you to know more about PCR
Post-consumer recycled is defined as having served its purpose; after the product&#;s intended use in the market, it is collected, processed, cleaned and repelletized into PCR resin. When plastic is transformed into a product, then lost in manufacturing due to change over, overruns, and mistakes, it can be reprocessed back into a resin format. However, since it never served its intended use by cus tomers, it is considered Post-industrial recycled resin.
PIR can typically be used back in the original process and is less likely to end up in a landfill. Repro is short for &#;Reprocessed&#;. This is a plasticmade mostly from post-industrial parts that are ground into small format and then pelletized. The transformation of the plastic into a part has made the resin unusable back in the original product.
And finally, wide spec resin is not a recycled product. It is a virgin resin that has not been trans formed in any way. Wide spec generally consists of resin that is out of specification or has a perfor mance range wider than the intended specification.
Reducing plastic waste in our environment requires the use of materials that are most likely to be disposed in landfills and do so on a continuous and substantial way. Use of wide spec does not reduce plastic waste at all and PIR waste streams can often be used back into the source product &#; making PIR simply good manufacturing practice. Repro consumption keeps plastic waste out of landfills; however, supply is often variable and uncertain. This leaves PCR as the best solution when your goal is to formulate a product that incorporates recycle. Predictable supply and manageable consistency gives you the abil ity and the confidence to make a recycle based product that can then be marketed for its positive environmental impact.
The melt index, melt flow ratio, and density are basic properties that should be communicated on every lot of PCR. We offer some observations that will make your experience with PCR align better with expectations. While PCR rheology curves may look similar to virgin resins, it is important to un derstand the shear thinning behavior and melt strength of the resin during processing. For instance, if LDPE is present in a LLDPE based PCR, the resin will process as if it has a higher MFI than indicat ed. Care should also be given to selecting a PCR based on density values only. Mineral fillers are of ten present which can make the density will appear to be higher than the actual base polymer density. Ash is a good property to evaluate along with density.
Melt Flow Ratio is a good indicator for processability &#; a higher number indicates it will be easier to process. Also, it is important to align the source of PCR to your final product and processing needs &#; if your process requires a melt index of 2 or above, it is ideal to find a PCR to suit your needs rather than try to work with a fractional melt that will make processing difficult and frustrating. Resin suppli ers have a role to play here as well, as PCR can be provided as a melt compounded blend with virgin resin to alleviate issues such as MI mismatch.
Since PCR is often used as a blend component, it is important to understand how the PCR properties will affect your overall perfor mance. The first step in using a PCR blend is to compare the phys ical property performance of PCR to a virgin resin. Make sure you choose the right resin to conduct a fair comparison &#; try to align the MI and density of the PCR to your comparative virgin resin. Physical property retention can be quite good provided the PCR is high qual ity and free of contamination. If performance falls short, consider changing to a higher performance virgin resin in the blend to over come the slight reduction in performance.
Exploring how much PCR to use in your product design is key in applications development and should be done on a case by case basis. The level of PCR content often depends on cleanliness (gels or impurities), physical property retention, and desired aesthet ics. For cleanliness and gel level, ask your supplier about their cleaning steps and their melt filtration capabilities. For physical property retention, matching density is important and if this is not possible consider what can be done to offset the resulting change in performance. With regards to aesthetics, our advice is to embrace the ugly! PCR is not likely to look as good as virgin, even if the utmost care is taken in its production. Let the different aesthetic start telling the story for the consumer to understand that PCR is being used in your product design &#; the sustainability messaging is a key component to driving growth in the circu lar economy!
You should ask your PCR supplier if any additives have been added, such as slip or blocking agents. These additives can have a negative impact on your product performance. Anti-blocking agents can interfere with tackiness required for stretch films for instance. There are beneficial additives that you also want to ask about. Antioxidants may improve PCR stability and film performance. If you think the PCR needs stabilization, collaborate with your resin supplier.
Most plastic manufacturers can attest that PCR often has a different odor compared to virgin plastic. Good PCR suppliers address odor early in the recycling process. It is critical to remove paper labels and cellulosic/organic contamination in the wash step to prevent particles from charring during the ex trusion process. Devolatilization and deodorizing additives are secondary activities that can improve perceived odors. Ask your supplier if any of these steps are included in their process.
Finally, if you have a special criterion such as absence declarations and food contact, work with your supplier to address these needs. The FDA has a specific process defined to achieve a letter of Non Objection (LNO), which is one criterion for food contact. PCR should not be used for food contact applica-tions unless it has explicit statements indicating that it is safe to do so &#; an LNO is only one piece of the entire picture.