ARCHROMA LAUNCHES NEW PFC-FREE AND AMMONIA-FREE  CARTASEAL VWAF BARRIER FOR ODORLESS PAPER-BASED FOOD PACKAGING

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, today announced the launch of Cartaseal VWAF, a new industry-leading perfluorinated compound (PFC)-free and ammonia-free barrier coating for odor-free packaging applications.

Archroma is well known for its innovations and sustainable solution systems aimed at helping packaging & paper manufacturers to optimize productivity and/or create value in their markets.

The multifunctional Cartaseal range offers barrier solutions that can be used to protect from grease, oils, water, and water vapor in both packaging and food packaging applications such as pizza boxes, sandwich wedges, fresh vegetables, fast food service, and general supermarket packaging.

The latest addition to the range is the new Cartaseal VWAF, which has been developed in line with the principles of “The Archroma Way to a sustainable world: safe, efficient, enhanced, it’s our nature”.

The innovative Cartaseal VWAF is designed to form a continuous and defect-free film-like coating on the paper surface. The resulting barrier offers class-leading performance against the penetration of oils, fats, water, and vapor.

The odor-free product is also ideally suited to food packaging applications, where the taste and smell of the packed food can be very sensitive to the environment and must be carefully preserved for the full enjoyment of the consumer.

Thanks to its superior performance, Cartaseal VWAF can be used as a more sustainable alternative to replace not only PFC-based coatings but also plastic in applications where resistance to water, oil, fats, and water vapor condensation is required. Developed with food packaging in mind, Cartaseal VWAF is compliant with FDA and BfR requirements for food contact applications. It is also compliant with, eco-labels such as EU Flower, Nordic Swan, and several annexes of Blue Angel, and is of course reach registered.

Importantly, Cartaseal VWAF offers increased potential for compostability, repulpability, and recycling compared to PFC and plastics since the coating will break down with the paper during the recycling process.

Cartaseal VWAF is at the core of the new PACK IT CLEAN system just launched by Archroma where it is combined with a primer solution for cases where a binder or pre-coat can also be used to further boost performance. The PACK IT CLEAN system can be found in the online Archroma System Selector.

“Consumers and regulators are increasingly attentive to how products are made, and rightfully so”, explains Andy Bell, Head of the Competence Center Chemicals at Archroma. “It is our responsibility as an industry to develop and convert to technologies that reduce our impact on the environment and on people’s health. That is exactly what we at Archroma do, with innovations like Cartaseal  VWAF. Because it’s our nature.” 

#newpfc-free #odorlesspaperbased #foodpckaging 

https://www.archroma.com/systems.

UBQ Announces Multiple Partnerships in Food Industry

We recently shared news of our partnership with PepsiCo, and today we are proud to announce new collaborations with Osem-Nestle and ABinBev. See each press release linked below and let us know if we can answer any questions or provide further materials.

PepsiCo, one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, announces the use of UBQ material to reach its global goal of achieving Net-Zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Osem-Nestlé launches a pilot of UBQ in logistics pallets for the Osem-Nestlé Tzabar Salads product line. Pilot results in a 24% decrease in CO2 equivalent emissions over a 20-year time period.

ABinBev, the world’s largest brewer, introduces UBQ into packaging materials to reduce carbon emissions in Brazil and explores the option to replicate across European markets.

UBQ’s thermoplastic material is made from 100% unsorted landfill waste, including all organics. By incorporating UBQ in various logistics and packaging solutions, brands and manufacturers are able to reduce their corporate carbon footprint, supporting a circular supply chain.

#multiplepartnershi #foodindustry #UBQ

Cosmo Films Ltd. Launches White Cast Polypropylene (CPP) Film

Cosmo Films Ltd., a global leader in specialty films for flexible packaging, labeling, and lamination applications as well as synthetic paper, has launched a white Cast Polypropylene (CPP) Film with a high Coefficient of Friction (COF).

A film specially innovated to address the issue of slippage of layers over each other, it has a seal strength of more than 1,800 gf/inch with a seal initiation temperature of 950 o C. It helps in achieving a uniform sealing area of the final pouches as it helps in preventing the issue of inter-layer slippage. The Film-to-film coefficient of friction range is more than 0.4 while a film-to-metal coefficient of friction range lies in the range of 0.3 to 0.4.

With a thickness range of 25 to 40 microns, the film eliminates the need for white ink and is suitable for flexible packaging for the lamination of noodles, biscuits, snacks, and other bakery products. The structure of the film consists of three layers i.e., a) Corona treated layer; b) White PP core layer & c) Sealable untreated layer.

Talking about the product launch, Mr. Pankaj Poddar, Group CEO, Cosmo Films Ltd. said, “Packaging slippage is one of the major issues of the FMCG industry. To address this issue and avoid wastage of food material, we have designed this film.

The issue of slippage of layers over each other arises due to the lower value of the coefficient of friction that results in the non-uniform sealing area of the final pouch. Our new CPP film is designed with a higher coefficient of friction, which helps in achieving a uniform sealing area for the final pouch.”

#LAUNCH #Cosmofilms #CPP                      

Avoiding PVC in medical products

Medical products manufactured from PVC-containing plasticizers can pose a risk to patients and children in particular. Plasticizers are not chemically linked with the PVC, which means it is relatively easy for them to leach out of the medical product. They can migrate into patients’ bodies via outgassing or leaching, for example through infusions or nutrient solutions.

Although the corresponding PVC-free medical products are already available on the market, many hospitals continue to use items that contain PVC. These include urinary catheters, blood pressure monitors, IV bags, and even endotracheal and feeding tubes.

PVC-free IV bags

Various preparations are available for infusion therapy, whereby a distinction can be made between non-specific solutions such as electrolyte solutions (“crystalloids”) or glucose solutions and those with a specific therapeutic purpose, e.g. colloidal solutions for volume therapy, highly-concentrated glucose solutions, and other nutrient solutions for nutrition therapy, or buffer solutions for treating acid-base balance disorders.

While infusion bags have traditionally been a PVC domain, the material is increasingly coming under pressure today. Alternatives are starting to gain market share. According to a market study by Grand View Research, annual growth of 8.4 percent can be anticipated by 2025 for the market for infusion bags made from PVC alternatives. The total volume of the international market for such products is to amounts to USD 2.29 billion (EUR 2.08 billion).

Also due to the rapid advancement of new highly-effective medication, particularly in oncology, alternative materials free of plasticizers are being relied on for both intravenous bags and for their closures and filling and drip tubes. On the one hand, compatibility problems can arise with the material if it is manufactured from soft PVC.

On the other hand, undesirable “side effects” can present if the infusion solution causes plasticizers and other additives to leach from the PVC material. This arises when the infusion solution contains fatty or lipid-like substances. Efficient solutions can be offered using TPE materials for infusion bag closures.

TPE such as those offered by ProvaMed is particularly efficient and hygienic in terms of processing. The material only comprises raw materials which meet the specifications of the medical market in order to eliminate the possibility of contamination. These TPE can be sterilized and, unlike a rubber septum, offer the advantage of injection-molded processing. When processing in the two-component injection molding process, time is also saved due to the elimination of assembly work, and the processing performance is increased.

Because TPE materials are so highly elastic, the septum reliably seals off the intravenous bag when the drip tube is removed. The actual production process is medically safe. “As our ProvaMed TPE materials are non-interlinking, the risk of chemical reactions and reactive residue by harmful chemicals in the rubber is effectively counteracted which, in turn, contributes to a maximum level of hygiene in this sensitive medical area,” claims Florian Schindler, Product Manager at Actega.

PVC-free tracheal cannulae

Tracheotomy refers to the opening of the windpipe (trachea) to the outside. In the process, a tracheal cannula is advanced into the trachea below the larynx through a created access. Tracheotomy is one of the oldest known operations. There are already references to the opening of the windpipe in a papyrus from 1500 BC found in Luxor. The anatomical structures were already known in 3000 BC. There are notes on anatomy and operations in the throat area dating as far back as the first dynasty of the Egyptians under King Aha.

In the Middle Ages, curved tubes were used for the first time as precursors to today’s tracheal cannulae. Diphtheria epidemics in the 18th century led to an increased application of tracheotomies. It was only in the course of the 19th century that more attention was paid to aftercare and from the 20th century onwards, the focus shifted to therapy. Meanwhile, the indications have become much more diverse: long-term ventilation, aspiration prophylaxis for severe dysphagia, stenoses in the subglottic area or in the larynx and pharynx, pulmonary diseases, and laryngectomy.

 On average, 55,000 tracheotomies and 1,300 laryngectomies are performed every year. A wide range of tracheal cannulae is available for this purpose: from small to large internal volumes, with or without cuffs, with suction aid, with fenestration or sieving, and internal cannulae.

As in many areas of medical technology, most plastic-based tracheal cannulas have been manufactured from PVC to date. But here, too, a rethink has taken place. ProvaMed TPE meets the demand for freedom from PVC and plasticizers containing phthalates. They can be processed very well on all common injection molding and extrusion machines. The flow properties of the material can be precisely adjusted for processing in extrusion.

 In multi-component injection molding, tracheal cannulae and cannula shields can be produced in a single economically-favorable step and the adhesive properties of the TPE can be designed and optimized for the material of the connector. An excellent solution – confirmed by extensive testing – was also found for the aspect of solvent bonding. This is because it is often necessary for microtubes to pass through the cannula shield and be bonded to the outer sheath using common solvents. These bonded joints must also survive the sterilization required after manufacture and printing. Even after gamma sterilization of ProvaMed TPE with 50 kGy, no impairment of the material properties can be detected.

#PVC #avoid #provamed #cannulae

The Compound Company acquires Exxelor polymers from Esso Deutschland GmbH to expand its global reach into new markets

The Compound Company, a leading developer and manufacturer of compounds, announced it has acquired the production site, product portfolio, and customer base for Exxelor polymer resins from ESSO Deutschland GmbH, ExxonMobil in Cologne, Germany. The acquisition will increase the global production capacity of The Compound Company to about 70 kilotons per year and significantly expand the group’s reach into new markets.

“We are very excited to welcome the Exxelor manufacturing force and portfolio in our organization,” says Frans Haafkens, a major shareholder of The Compounding Company. “The acquisition adds a new sizeable jewel to our crown and ideally complements our established offering of Yparex extrudable adhesives and EcoForte compound families. It provides great synergies to further grow our customer base, with new opportunities in several dynamic application areas such as e.g. e‑mobility.”

Exxelor polymer resins are chemically modified polyolefin and elastomers-based resins used to enhance the performance of engineering thermoplastics and other polymers. As impact modifiers, they improve the toughness of compounds. As compatibilizers, coupling agents, and adhesion promoters, they increase the bonding strength of non-polar polymers with polyolefins, fillers, and reinforcements as well as metals, thermoset rubbers, and most polar substrates, including glass.

“With The Compound Company, our Exxelor manufacturing operations have found a good home to strengthen the market focus of the product offering and progress from a niche to a core business,” states Ronald van den Berg, Plant Manager in Cologne. “Our resins fit very well within The Compound Company’s existing range of functionalized and grafted polyolefin-based solutions.”

“While Exxelor has traditionally been targeting different application areas than Yparex or EcoForte, it will benefit from the sales support by our experienced commercial team,” adds Wouter van den Berg, Commercial Director for The Compound Company. “Our strategy is to use the addition of these performance resins as leverage for expanding into a wider range of markets. The production site and the brand will be maintained, and the integration of Exxelor in our business will be as smooth as possible, without any major changes towards customers.”

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Straumann SmileAward 2022

Straumann invites dentists everywhere—anyone who gives back smiles—to showcase their most inspiring patient stories by participating in the 2022 SmileAward.

Every day, around the globe, we know dental professionals rely on Straumann to give patients the confidence to smile again, to laugh, to show off their smiles, to eat the foods they love. Thousands of dental professionals use our products and solutions to rebuild the quality of life for patients and to unlock the potential of people’s lives.

While Immediacy Protocols stood in the focus of the SmileAward 2021, the SmileAward 2022, we welcomed dental professionals to show us how THEY are changing the lives of their patients through full-arch rehabilitation or clear aligner therapy. They are invited to submit their best patient stories and share with the world the many ways that dentistry can restore confidence and improve our wellbeing.

The 2022 SmileAward aspires to be the most inspiring, most uplifting clinical case competition.

What’s new for 2022?

Our 2021 inaugural contest attracted 93 participants from 30 countries who changed their patients’ lives with immediate protocols. The 2022 SmileAward will encompass another prize-awarding winner in not just one, but two categories:

• Straumann category for full-arch (edentulous) patient stories
• ClearCorrect category for clear-aligner orthodontic patient stories

Submission requirements

The required documentation includes all relevant diagnostics and step-by-step illustrations. It is also required to submit a 4-minute video that combines high-definition clinical images with the testimonial of the patient.

All cases fulfilling the criteria will go through to a public vote. A jury composed of key opinion leaders in dentistry will select the final winners, who will be announced at Europerio 2022.

Timeline

• Now till 20 April: Submission of cases
• 1 May – 10 May: Public voting
• 10 May – 1 June: Selection of winners by our Evaluation Jury
• 15 June – 18 June: Announcement of winners at Europerio 2022

Great prizes

All finalists in both categories will be awarded a prize so that they can continue changing lives together with Straumann. The top three winners in both contest categories will be GivingSmilesBack with the materials needed to complete one or more pro bono cases, and our top winner in each category will also get their patient video story edited professionally and it will be seen with worldwide visibility across Straumann channels and platforms.

Our winners can also opt for a Changing Lives prize—a donation to a philanthropic organization in their honor—or for a BoostingYourPractice prize in which the top winner in each category will take home a TRIOS Intraoral Scanner.

GivingSmilesBack

We believe in the transformative power of dentistry. If you’ve provided life-changing treatment for one of your patients, Straumann invites you to participate in the 2022 SmileAward.

If this product is both registered in the country of origin of the winner and permitted according to the laws of the winner’s country of residence.

http://www.straumann.com/

Toyo Ink Group Announces Sustainability Vision TSV2050/2030 toward Carbon Neutrality by 2050

Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co., Ltd., the parent company of the Toyo Ink Group of Japan, launched the “Toyo Ink Group Sustainability Vision TSV2050/2030” in January 2022, as the long-term strategy for its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. The Vision was established in response to recent global trends regarding climate change, carbon neutrality as well as the current social climate that calls on companies to meet increasing demands for sustainability. Under the TSV2050/2030 Vision, the company reaffirms its commitment to making 100% of its products and manufacturing operations carbon neutral by 2050.

   “The Toyo Ink Group Sustainability Vision sets forth an ambitious vision to bring our entire carbon footprint on a global basis to net-zero by 2050,” said Kazuhito Nakano, Chief Sustainability Officer of Toyo Ink SC Holdings. “While we’ve been steadily reducing CO2 emissions at our production bases since 2010, the renewed Vision is integral to fulfilling our commitment to low-carbon product development, to reducing greenhouse gasses in our manufacturing supply chain, and to reinforcing trust in our company by all of our stakeholders. In line with the targets specified under the TSV2050/2030 Vision, we’ll continually strive to realize a decarbonized society and to make real, positive change in this world.” 　　　

The TSV2050/2030 Vision is comprised of two components: TSV2050, which sets forth specific targets that the Group intends to achieve by 2050, and the TSV2030, which defines interim targets to be realized in 2030. Specifically, CO2 emissions are to be reduced by 35% in Japan by 2030 (from fiscal 2020 levels), 35% reduction in other countries compared to fiscal 2030 BAU (business as usual) level.

#sustainabilityvision #carbon neutrality #TSV2050

http://schd.toyoinkgroup.com/en/

ALPLA Group significantly expands its PET recycling capacity in Germany

The ALPLA Group has become one of the largest PET recycling companies in Germany. With the acquisition of the recycling company Texplast from the FROMM Group and all of its shares in the joint venture PET Recycling Team Wolfen, the international company will increase its annual processing volume in Germany to 75,000 tonnes of PET bottles.

ALPLA is strengthening its efforts in the German recycling industry. With the complete acquisition of Texplast, a company based in Bitterfeld-Wolfen and previously part of the FROMM Group, as well as the joint venture PET Recycling Team Wolfen, the international packaging solutions and recycling specialist is significantly expanding its capacities. With this, ALPLA is investing in the quality and availability of PET recyclate for the German ‘bottle-to-bottle’ cycle.

Following the acquisition of BTB Recycling in October 2021, ALPLA increased its processing volumes in Germany to a total of around 75,000 tonnes of PET input. This includes 55,000 tonnes by Texplast and PET Recycling Team Wolfen and 20,000 tonnes by BTB. ‘Our goal is the cycle from bottle to bottle. We are stepping up our activities worldwide to meet the growing demand for post-consumer recyclate. This investment will strengthen our position in the German market and guarantee high quality and availability of the material for our customers,’ ALPLA CEO Philipp Lehner explains.

Continuation of a successful collaboration

Texplast, founded in 1992, produces PET pellets and flakes from used PET bottles. The pellets are primarily used for preforms for new PET bottles. The colourful PET flakes produced during the process are used by the packaging manufacturer to produce packing straps. However, the focus has increasingly shifted towards the bottle cycle in recent years.

“The long-term and successful, collaboration with the FROMM Group was the perfect basis for this development. The acquisition enabled us to increase our capacity quickly and efficiently. And this will also help us to secure production for both sides in the future,’ says Georg Lässer, Head of Recycling at ALPLA. The colourful flakes will also be supplied exclusively in the future. ‘We have a highly motivated, fully functional team and we are proud to welcome all 125 Texplast employees into the ALPLA family,’ Lässer adds.

Rico Seiler, Managing Director of Texplast GmbH, on the acquisition: ‘The change in ownership underlines the transformation of Texplast from a material supplier for plastic strapping to a key player in the bottle cycle. With the new owners, the company will be able to fulfill its potential in this field even more efficiently.

PET Recycling Team Wolfen specializes in the recycling of PET bottles from ‘yellow bag’ – German bin for household recyclables. These are returned from household collection to the recycling loop. The sorting and processing systems at Texplast’s site in Wolfen, which are unique worldwide, were set up in 2019.

The acquisition was officially finalized on 25 February 2022. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price or any further details. The acquisition is subject to the legal and regulatory approval of the competent competition authorities.

Global expansion of recycling activities

In early 2021, the ALPLA Group announced that it would invest an average of 50 million euros a year until 2025 in the ongoing expansion of its recycling activities. In particular, it plans to globalize its activities in the area of high-quality recyclates in order to close the materials cycle in as many regions as possible. In total, the annual production capacity of ALPLA’s recycling companies, joint ventures, and collaborations amounts to approximately 203,000 tonnes of rPET (recycled PET) and 74,000 tonnes of rHDPE (recycled HDPE).

#PETrecycling #texplast #packagingmanufacturer