SABIC, Jinming and Bolsas to develop flexible packaging solutions

SABIC, Jinming and Bolsas to develop flexible packaging solutions

Saudi chemical company SABIC has partnered with Guangdong Jinming Machinery and Bolsas de los Altos to develop flexible film packaging, said Packaging-gateway.

The partners will work on polyolefin-based solutions for the flexible packaging segment. They will provide an outlet to test and validate the performance of SABIC ‘s polyolefin resin products, including the polyethylene resin from Gulf Coast Growth Ventures (GCGV) and TRUCIRCLE.

Jinming will install its multilayer coextrusion machinery at Bolsas’ facility in Mexico to facilitate this process. Bolsas de los Altos founder and CEO Guillermo Lopez Orozco said: “As a leading provider of plastic packaging, Bolsas de los Altos is excited to expand into the broader flexible packaging market.

“The installation of multilayer coextrusion equipment at our Mexico facility made possible due to our collaborative partnership with Jinming and SABIC will allow us to target several new applications, including long-term sustainability trends in this space.”

SABIC expects the partnership to strengthen its position as a polyethylene resin supplier in the Americas with local production capabilities. The collaboration aims to address the challenges of transforming incumbent film structures to meet the latest circularity requirements.

To achieve this, the companies will combine SABIC’s knowledge of materials with Jinming’s experience in equipment manufacturing and Bolsas’ converting capabilities.

SABIC polymers technology and innovation vice-president Waleed Al-Shalfan said: “We understand that partnerships with the right value chain players have the potential to bring newer, game-changing innovations to the market faster.

“The current partnership with Jinming and Bolsas holds great promise to tap into mutual capabilities and adapt global trends in flexible packaging applications to regional needs.”

Based in Riyadh, SABIC operates in the petrochemical, chemical, industrial polymer, fertiliser and metal segments.

Last month, the company launched a closed-loop recycling initiative for flexible food packaging in partnership with food company Mars and recycling firm Landbell.

We remind, SABIC has announced plans to set up a crude oil-to-chemicals (COTC) complex in Ras Al-Khair, Saudi Arabia. The complex is expected to convert 400,000 bbl/day of oil, the company said in a statement to the Tadawul stock exchange. The project, said SABIC, is part of its strategic growth plans, as well as contributing to the realization of the Kingdom’s program to convert oil and its liquids into chemicals.

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Huhtamaki inaugurates expanded packaging factory in Nules

Huhtamaki inaugurates expanded packaging factory in Nules

Finnish sustainable packaging company Huhtamaki has inaugurated a 12,500m2 expansion of its paper-based packaging manufacturing site in Nules, Spain, said Packaging-gateway.

The expansion involved a EUR20m (USD20.8m) investment, which included a grant of EUR2.2m (USD2.3m) from the Conselleria de Hacienda y Modelo Economico. Huhtamaki said the expansion will begin production this January and double the site’s capacity.

In line with the company’s 2030 Sustainability Ambitions, the extended facility was built to comply with Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method sustainability standards. It also features an advanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system to meet high thermal comfort standards for employees.

Huhtamaki Europe-Asia-Oceania fibre foodservice president Eric Le Lay said: “This investment, which will create around 130 new jobs when fully operational, has been aided by the Community of Valencia, which has supported the expansion of Nules with €2.2m of development funding.

“It builds on our existing technological expertise and will further enhance our manufacturing capacity for innovative and sustainable paper-based packaging in Europe, providing our customers with the ability to substitute rigid plastics, which are being driven by consumer demand.

“We continue to urge EU policymakers to support legislation that enables and incentivises innovation and sustainable packaging solutions.” The expansion of Huhtamaki’s Nules factory highlights the increasing demand for renewable and recyclable paper-based packaging as an alternative to rigid plastics. The factory develops sustainable packaging solutions for the company’s European customers.

Earlier this year, Huhtamaki announced that its manufacturing site in Alf, Germany, would start producing smooth moulded-fibre products instead of plastics. The facility will be able to manufacture up to 3.5 billion fibre products a year when fully operational.

Through this, the company aims to address growing demand for plastic-free materials for food packaging. Based in Espoo, Huhtamaki provides packaging for companies in 37 countries and has 114 operating locations worldwide.

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EU to propose boosting recycled content and reuse of packaging

EU to propose boosting recycled content and reuse of packaging

The European Commission is set to announce this week proposals to reduce packaging waste with new targets for recycled content in plastic drinks bottles and for the reuse of take-away cups and of packages used for online deliveries, said Reuters.

The proposed revision will expedite the EU’s goal to make all packaging reusable or recyclable by 2030 and contribute to its aim to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Expected to be presented on 30 November, the proposal includes new targets for recycled content in plastic drinks bottles, as well as for takeaway cups and packages used for online deliveries.

Reuters reported that under the tentative proposal, plastic drink bottles and contact-sensitive packaging such as food wrapping made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) would need to contain 30% recycled content by 2030.

Contact-sensitive packaging that is not made from PET will need 10% recycled content, while other plastic packaging will be required to include 35% recycled content. These requirements would increase to 50% for contact-sensitive packaging and 65% for other packaging, including drinks bottles, by 2040.

In addition, 20% of takeaway cups in the EU should be made reusable by 2030 and 80% by 2040, while 10% of beer and soft drinks containers should be reusable by 2030, with this increasing to 25% by 2040. The draft proposal also stipulates that 10% of non-food online deliveries packaging should be reusable by 2030 and 50% by the following decade.

The proposals have kept their recycling targets unchanged from the directive issued in 2018. Under this, the commission set 65% recycling targets by 2025 and 70% by 2030.

The proposal will be subject to approval from the European Parliament and the European Council. Last July, the EU introduced a ban on certain single-use plastic items under the Single-Use Plastics Directive. The Single-Use Plastics Directive aims to eliminate ten single-use plastic items that represent 70% of all marine litter in the EU.

We remind, Sabic and PepsiCo have signed a memorandum of understanding at the Sabic Center for the Development of Plastic Applications - SPADC - in Riyadh, under which the two companies will collaborate on the implementation of a programme to promote a more circular economy for plastics in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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FSA publishes insights into coronavirus on packaging and foods

FSA publishes insights into coronavirus on packaging and foods

The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA ) has published research on the survival of coronavirus (Covid-19) on food packaging and foods, said Packaging-gateway.

The research was commissioned by the FSA and conducted by the University of Southampton. In the study, researchers deliberately added the Covid-19 virus to most types of food packaging, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) trays and bottles, aluminium cans and composite drinks cartons.

The FSA said these materials were chosen as they are widely used and consumption from them may involve direct mouth contact with the packaging. The study found that the virus’ lifespan depends on the food packaging and foods examined.

All packaging materials examined saw a ‘significant drop’ in virus contamination in the first 24 hours, in all relative humidity conditions and at both 6°C and 21°C. Researchers also studied the virus survival on the surface of foods such as fruits and vegetables, cheese, meats, bread and pastries.

The virus was found to survive for several days on foods like cheese and ham, while it decreased quickly on items such as apples and olives. The study comes after the FSA published a risk assessment in 2020 that determined that the chances of humans receiving the Covid-19 virus from food were very low.

FSA microbiology risk assessment team leader Anthony Wilson said: “In the early stages of the pandemic, we didn’t know much about how the virus would survive on different food surfaces and packaging, so the risk assessment was based on a worst-case assumption.

“This research gives us additional insight into the stability of coronavirus on the surfaces of a variety of foods and confirms that assumptions we made in the early stages of the pandemic were appropriate and that the probability that you can catch Covid via food is very low.”

We remind, EU Commission has published its far-ranging draft revision of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Framework directive which will have major implications for the entirety of the packaging and waste management chain. The draft legislation sets out minimum recycled content targets, minimum reuse and refill targets, mandates packaging recyclability, requires the implementation of deposit return schemes, sets out requirements for biodegradable packaging, reporting and labelling requirements, and appears to allow the use of chemical recycling in recycling targets as long as its end output is not used for fuel or backfilling applications.
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OMV introduces new corporate structure to drive sustainable growth and innovation

OMV introduces new corporate structure to drive sustainable growth and innovation

OMV has announced its new corporate structure, designed to fully enable the delivery of Strategy 2030, said the company.

OMV’s new strategy evolves around its long-term goal of becoming a net-zero company by 2050 at the latest and driving its transition towards becoming a leading integrated sustainable fuels, chemicals and materials company. At the same time, OMV is striving to become a global leader in circular economy solutions and will also build a low-carbon business in the energy sector, which includes geothermal energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS) in particular.

The new organization will be built on five distinct areas. In addition to the CEO and CFO areas, three business segments will be established: Chemicals & Materials, Fuels & Feedstock, and Energy.

The transformation will be fueled by a high degree of innovation and new technologies, while maximizing the value of life cycle management of current technologies. Aimed at strengthening these capabilities across the Group, a dedicated Innovation & Technology function will be established under the leadership of the CEO. In addition, group-wide Controlling and Performance as well as Sustainability management in the CFO area will be strengthened to foster effective strategic and sustainable group management.

The Chemicals & Materials segment will continue to cover the entire chemicals value chain, including responsibility for capturing value from the circular economy. The business segment will act as the growth engine of OMV, aiming to develop into a leader in high-quality polyolefin solutions as well as renewable and circular chemicals and materials. – In the field of chemical recycling, OMV recently took a further big step by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with a partner to enter into a mutually exclusive collaboration agreement for the global commercial licensing of OMV’s proprietary ReOil® technology.

The Fuels & Feedstock segment combines the previously distinct Executive Board areas of Refining on the one hand and Marketing & Trading on the other. This division is now responsible for refining operations, logistics, commercial business, and the entire filling station network. The business segment will support the transition by reconfiguring refining in the direction of sustainable fuels and feedstocks for the chemical industry and by building a leading position in EV charging locations in the CEE markets. – The production of sustainable fuels has already started and will be significantly expanded by 2030. Here OMV has already entered into partnerships with four major European airlines for the supply of Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

The Energy segment will be the home to the traditional Exploration & Production business as well as the entire Gas business. A new addition here is the Low-Carbon business. This is where OMV will use its assets and know-how to develop projects in the areas of renewable energy with a focus on geothermal energy and CCS. – OMV recently completed a production and injection test to analyze the geothermal potential in the Vienna Basin with promising initial results.

We remind, OMV and Wood, a global leader in consulting and engineering solutions in energy and materials markets, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enter into a mutually exclusive collaboration agreement for the commercial licensing of OMV’s proprietary ReOil technology.
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