The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) said that as the second largest packaging sector in the US, flexible packaging solutions accounted for 18% of the US$145 billion US packaging market. Lightweight flexible packaging includes films and laminates that facilitate the transport of higher volume products and reduce the raw materials required for production. For each brand, saving energy costs and reducing material costs is a revolutionary sport.
Rationality of production of flexible packaging
In the production process, flexible packaging uses 50% less energy than rigid bottles and uses 60% less plastic than rigid bottles.
At the time of production, flexible packaging requires less material, produces less CO2 during transportation, and takes up less space in landfills. At the manufacturing end of the production/consumption cycle, the flexible package is more reasonable because it has a less negative impact on the environment than the corresponding rigid plastic bottle. According to FPA, flexible stand-up pouches are 35 times more packaging than metal-covered glass bottles and 21 times more expensive than aluminum cans.
Sustainable packaging is a big argument in the flexible packaging industry, and it is still a matter of environmental responsibility. For all consumers, recycled plastic is the answer. CompleteRecycling.com points out that recycled plastics use 80% less energy than new plastic containers or bottles. But recycling is the only answer to environmental awareness? Does this apply to flexible packaging?
Knowing ourselves and knowing each other
At the beginning of discussing these issues, we couldn't help but look at the imperfections of the bags.
Although the demand for packaging bags in various fields is increasing, the innovation of the packaging bags itself is also increasing, but when it comes to the forming factors of the bags, the problem of lack of adaptive innovation is still very prominent. Whether the bag is used to make a gel-like soap, or a dry-grain-baked seasoning, or a liquid cooking sauce, its accessories are almost identical.
According to the Flexible Packaging Association, in 2013, flexible packaging accounted for 58% of packaging in the retail and institutional food industries and 12% in non-food retail packaging. Flexible packaging has several advantages, such as less waste, low distribution costs, and high customizability.
What will happen to the flexible packaging industry if we pay more attention to the rigid components contained in the bags? What if the flexible packaging industry solves the structural problems?
For the time being, there is no formal closed-loop system for handling flexible packaging recycling, especially for multilayer high-barrier materials, aluminum foil laminate structures with polyethylene (PE) layers. Single layer packaging is easier to recycle because it does not contain a foil center layer. The recycling process for multilayer flexible PE packaging involves more steps than traditional plastic recycling solutions due to the separation of each layer. Each layer is then analyzed, identified, and recycled, and the plastic film is further processed to produce a recyclable resin. Since a large amount of flexible packaging is used for food packaging, food contamination becomes another obstacle to recycling. For most flexible packaging, because the food contamination runs through the current recycling system, the actual reusable packaging ratio is simply small and small. Non-renewable polymers are sent to an anaerobic chamber for incineration to provide emission monitoring energy to the production plant.
Forward-thinking groups (such as the Flexible Packaging Association) have taken a number of great initiatives that focus on sustainable packaging. FPA is working with some manufacturers to study environmentally safe packaging. The Sustainable Plastics Alliance, the Post-Plastic Recyclers Association (APPR) and the Flexible Film Recycling Group (FFRG) are also promoting and promoting public education and publicity on plastic film recycling.
Flexible packaging recycling
Barry Tuner, chairman of the European Packaging and Film Association (Pafa), once said that the British media has distorted the authenticity of the value of plastic bags and the "minimum impact of plastic bags on the environment." In fact, the rhetoric of these things in plastic bags in various countries and regions is also exaggerated.
At present, Enval's complete recycling of aluminum parts and the use of pyrolyzed plastic parts are currently the best solution for handling multi-layer packaging waste. However, there is currently no solution for adequate recycling of plastic parts in other plastic materials.
By pyrolysis, the carbonized residue formed from the inorganic material plastic contains 80% liquid carbon and 20% gaseous carbon (CO2 gas is not produced due to lack of oxygen in the chamber). These carbons can be delivered to different locations depending on the liquid fuel/energy requirements. The resulting ash can be used as a component of products such as concrete premixes. While carbon can be used as a fuel, companies often import mixed waste into the pyrolysis chamber to produce fuel that may not be optimally available.
An effective way to turn this liquid carbon fuel into a more durable, high-integration energy source requires constant research.
Finding a more efficient waste treatment process for soft packaging (especially in pyrolysis) has a lower impact on the environment and is a challenging task that is possible. With the innovations already made in the flexible packaging industry, such as the use of bio-based materials or the pyrolysis process that converts waste into energy, the cornerstone of further development has been laid.
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