Extrusion International 2-2021

24 Extrusion International 2/2021 INDUSTRY NEWS Less Plastic for More Sustainable Packaging „ Plastic disposable packaging is under enormous pressure from different directions. On one hand, the European Union charges a fee of up to 800.- € per ton for non-recycled one- way packaging. On the other hand, the public pressure on this form of packaging is growing due to the amount of plas- tic waste in the world’s oceans, not to forget the fees for col- lection and recycling institutions. Nevertheless, plastic is an irreplaceable material in the pack- aging industry for the protection of goods and food and therefore an important part of the value chain. But how to design and produce easy-to-open, stable, flexible and above all recyclable packaging while protecting the environment and conserving resources? Promix Solutions AG www.promix-solutions.com A solution: Reducing the packaging weight by up to 30 % and still getting a stable and protective packaging. This is possible by using the Promix microcellular technology, in which a foam structure is created in the polymer by environ- mentally friendly gases such as CO 2 and N 2 . With the micro- cellular technology of Promix Solutions AG this is possible in a reliable process and the investment pays off within a few months. On a conventional extrusion packaging line with a throughput of 500 kilogramof plastic per hour, up to 3.6 tons of plastic can be saved per day and thus 3,600 € per day or almost 80,000 € per month. This results in a reduced plastic consumption of 1.000.000 kg per year, per production line. As the gases are ecologically neutral and no environmentally harmful additives have to be used, this technology is a green solution for retail packaging, boxes, trays and much more. Recycling of the finished packaging and sections from pro- duction, such as those produced during thermoforming, is possible without any problems, as the gases do not accumu- late in the plastic, as other additives do. Rolf Heuser CEO of Promix Solutions AG: “The Promix tech- nology can be used for almost all plastics. With polyolefins, polystyrene and polyesters the greatest experience is avail- able, but biopolymers have also been modified with very good results”. In case of biodegradable plastics, the weight reduction has another side effect. More surface and less weight lead to naturally shorter degradation times, as well in industrial composting plants. A Turning Point in the Packaging World „ Thanks to its historical experience in the production of packaging machines and films for the food market, Fabbri Group is proud to introduce for the first time in the packag- ing world the innovative concept of “HYBRID”. Automac Dual, Automac Industrial and Automac Ultra are the three high-productivity wrapping machines of the new “Fabbri HYBRID” range, which guarantee a perfect packag- ing of fresh and very fresh products with any type of stretch film, in both neutral and printed format: PVC-based film, PE- based film, bio-based film and compostable film. All the films Fabri produces are characterised by reduced thickness and high performance, guaranteeing a very low use of raw materials and the lightest possible packaging. Great attention is also paid to the effective disposal of pack- aging at the end of its life: the recent “Nature Fresh” certi- fied compostable film, for example, can be thrown directly into the domestic compost bin without generating packag- ing waste. Fabri Group www.gruppofabbri.com The new machines have been designed to ensure quality packaging even with alternative films. Eco-rPET tray produced with Promix technology: lighter weight and less plastic consumption (Picture: Promix Solutions AG)