Bioeconomy

Shoe packaging doubles as carrier and storage display

A packaging concept called RamPack demonstrates how shoe boxes could serve a second life rather than being thrown away after purchase. Created by Ümithan Üçok, an industrial design student at Turkey's Atilim University, RamPack can be transformed from a shoe carrier to a display ramp. The design consists of a box with paper rope handles, plus a green-colored lid. The handles, which are connected to the lid, allow the box to be transported without the need for an additional carrier bag. By tearing away the lid and then tilting the structure on its side, the box can then be used as a display ramp. Thanks to a recess in the paperboard, the shoes can be stacked properly without getting in the way as they’re displayed.

The primary source of this information is Core 77

Seed packaging is zero-waste

The Seed Scoop Fertilizer is a packaging offering that has a purpose at every stage without producing any waste. Designed by students from the Royal College of Art, the compostable seed packaging doubles as a soil scoop and is made out of peanut shell material and seeds. After taking off the lidding and removing the seeds, consumers can use the packaging as a scoop for digging out soil and burying the seeds in a flowerpot. Once the spatula is broken into pieces and put into the soil with water, it turns into fertilizer and gives the soil nutrients. The minimal and 100% organic design is a full-circle eco-friendly product and a prime example of sustainable packaging design.

The primary source of this information is Yanko Design
 

Plastic-free spoon for dairy and convenience products is made of paperboard

The Karlo Spoon by Pennsylvania-based Cardbox Packaging is an eco-friendly alternative to plastic spoons. Made of renewable virgin fibers with a water-based coating, the spoon can be simply disposed of with other paper waste. Because the spoon is easy to fold, it can be attached to the product, or even inserted into the lid. Spoons are delivered to customers folded by machine, and consumers can easily unfold them and start using immediately. Thanks to the Karlo Spoon’s structure, food is well captured at its edges and does not overflow. Karlo Spoon was created in cooperation with Greiner Packaging International.

The primary source of this information is Cardbox Packaging

Today, the European Commission has launched a public consultation on biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics. The consultation will provide insight for preparing a new policy framework on these groups of plastics. The aim of the new framework - a key deliverable of the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan is to address emerging sustainability challenges related to the use of the biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics and by driving innovation, enhancing investment certainty within the internal market and increasing environmental protection.

Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said:

Biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics have the potential to bring advantages over traditional plastics. However, we need to thoroughly assess if these plastics deliver on their promises, and under what conditions. We also need to bring clarity to the market so consumers and businesses can easily understand the differences between these plastics.

Biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics currently make up 1% of the global and European plastic market, with an overall expected growth of 5–8% between 2020 and 2025. At present, these types of plastics are predominantly used for specific packaging and agricultural purposes, offering advantages like biodegradability or compostability.

The consultation follows the publication of the roadmap that outlines the objective of the framework – to address the emerging sustainability challenges related to the use of these plastics. Specifically, it maps the following policy areas to be explored:

Policy area 1: The sustainability of the biological feedstock used to produce biobased plastics

Using biological feedstock instead of feedstock made from fossil fuels can help reduce the environmental impacts of plastics across the whole life-cycle. However, the full life-cycle environmental impacts need to be considered - including land use changes, biodiversity and climate impacts, and littering. At present, no EU sustainability criteria apply to these plastics, while consumers expect them to be fully sustainable.

Policy area 2: The effective biodegradation of biodegradable and compostable plastics and their role in a circular economy

These plastics can only deliver environmental benefits if their biodegradation can be verified by means of standards. Whilst European standards exist for some media such as industrial composting, no European standards exist for biodegradable plastics in other conditions, such as the marine environment. In addition, the circular economy and ‘waste hierarchy’ principles suggest only using these plastics for limited, specific purposes for which reducing, reusing and recycling are not feasible or desirable.

Policy area 3: Widespread confusion

Although these plastics have many similarities, they also have many differences. Consumers and users of these plastics do not currently have access to clear and trustworthy information when buying or disposing of these plastics. Labelling can only help when it is clear and complete. Furthermore, if these plastics are disposed of incorrectly, it could lead to cross-contamination of waste streams and therefore less plastics circularity.

The consultation is published on the DG ENV website and is open for feedback for 8 weeks until 15 March 2022. The Commission services will take feedback into account when preparing the policy framework on biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics, expected to be adopted in summer 2022.

Independent lab certifies films for commercial compostability

S-One Labels & Packaging is pleased to announce that three of its ground-breaking ReEarth films have been certified for commercial compostability by the independent labs at the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI).

Third-party certification from BPI verifies that packaging materials meet the guidelines for commercial compostability. The BPI certification can be carried on packaging that meets these stringent guidelines. The BPI website guides packaging manufacturers and brand owners in choosing compostable packaging materials to achieve sustainability goals.

“This is truly a game-changer for S-OneLP and the flexible packaging industry,” says Dan Halkyard, Director of New Product Development at S-OneLP.

Brand owners and packaging manufacturers can now source a certified, highly functional laminated structure that performs, and meets their compostable packaging production requirements, while still taking advantage of S-OneLP’s low minimum order requirements and short lead times.

“Packaging producers can utilize our roll stock certifications to minimize the amount of testing and certification time and the financial investment required to have their finished package certified,” Halkyard says. “This certification provides a sense of confidence that pouches made with our ReEarth films can also pass BPI certification for commercial composting.”

The ReEarth compostable products certified by BPI were a 3.4 mil laminated stand-up pouch, 3.4 mil roll stock, and 2.2 mil metalized film. The stand-up pouch was primed with Michelman DigiPrime® 050, finished with S-OneLP’s CatPak™ matte eBeam overprint varnish, and formed into a stand-up pouch.

S-OneLP previously had announced that these films passed ASTM D6400 testing for municipal or industrial composting. BPI certification is the next step to verify the film’s compostability.

In addition to the independent lab certification, certain ReEarth films were successful in real-world composting environments. S-OneLP partnered with the Compost Manufacturers Alliance to test certain ReEarth films at a CMA member site, a fully operational commercial compost facility in Cedar Grove, Washington. After 47 days in a real-world commercial composting environment, the material successfully turned into compost.

ReEarth is S-OneLP’s line of bio-based prelaminated flexible packaging films. ReEarth is made from raw materials that allow for the quickest municipal or industrial compostability. All components of ReEarth laminated films are either BPI certified or have passed ASTM D6400 testing as commercially compostable materials.

ReEarth films mimic the performance of traditional structures without sacrificing functionality and quality.

Narrow and mid-web flexible packaging converters have found success with ReEarth in applications including bar wrap and flow wrap, snack webs, sachets, stick packs, and stand-up pouches.

S-OneLP created a Sustainability Resource Guide to answer any questions customers or brands may have on these products. Visit https://info.sonelp.com/sustainability-resource-guide for more information or contact S-OneLP at 941-256-7900.

Send in an environmentally friendly way with grass cardboard and grass corrugated cardboard

Anyone who wants to switch to environmentally friendly shipping packaging now has a new alternative: With GrassGreen!® shipping packaging, the company Pohl-Scandia is launching a new product series made of grass fibers. "With our new GrassGreen!® brand, we offer industry and trade a particularly innovative, environmentally friendly and quickly available shipping system for standards, but also for custom-made products," explains Jürgen, Müller, sales manager at the specialist manufacturer of shipping packaging. This serves the growing consumer desire for environmentally friendly shipping.

65% of consumers demand protection of the environment

"Brand manufacturers and companies can use the look and feel of the packaging to communicate directly that they are acting responsibly and sustainably," says Jürgen Müller, underlining the image effect of the new packaging concept. More and more consumers expect sustainable shipping packaging. According to the current Statista study “Sustainable Consumption 2021”, sustainability is a reason for behavioral change for more than half (56%) of those surveyed, and environmental protection is important for more than 65%. According to another survey by Simon-Kucher & Partners from March 2021, a total of 73 percent of those surveyed in Germany attached importance to sustainable packaging.

Easy change, quick availability

The shipping boxes and shipping envelopes with grass fiber are easy to process and can be printed on. The grass fibers, produced in the form of pellets, come from the specialized company Creapaper, which purchases grass material exclusively from agriculturally unused areas or compensation areas. Unlike wood-based paper, the production of grass paper only requires mechanical steps and no chemical treatment. The material has up to 40% grass content, the rest consists of waste paper. The packaging is 100% recyclable and compostable. The properties of the grass material can be compared to other recycled cardboard - the packaging, envelopes and shipping boxes still protect well and are therefore ideal for post and parcel shipping. All packaging offers rational, secure self-adhesive, good product protection and a convenient tear-off aid. The new product range is extensive, fast delivery is guaranteed.

Less CO 2 emissions

The new packaging material is also a showcase project in terms of production, CO 2 emissions and efficiency: the grass fibers are produced purely mechanically without chemical processing, causing significantly less CO 2 emissions, requiring hardly any water and little energy: compared to According to the raw material manufacturer Creapaper, the savings from fresh wood pulp are enormous:

• 0% chemicals*
• 99% water saving*
• 97% energy saving*
• 95% CO 2 savings*
• *compared to virgin wood pulp

The use of raw materials during production is pleasingly efficient: 1.2 tons of grass become 1 ton of fiber. These are top marks compared to conventional fresh fiber materials, because 2.3 tons of wood are required for 1 ton of pulp.

About Pohl-Scandia GmbH:

The core competencies of Pohl-Scandia GmbH are environmentally friendly shipping packaging made of cardboard and corrugated cardboard especially for post and parcel shipping. This is supplemented by services from packaging development to the logistics concept. Customers from wholesale, eCommerce and industry from Germany and all over Europe benefit from decades of experience and the impressively large vertical range of manufacture, supported by the closely connected plants of the Karl Knauer Group.

In addition to an immediately available standard delivery program, Pohl-Scandia also offers creative and refined custom-made products, for example for online trade, agencies, logistics service providers and photo development companies. In dialogue with customers, the company develops constructions that meet all the requirements of contemporary shipping packaging - from protection, environmental friendliness, security to an attractive unboxing experience for the recipient. In addition, the company creates future-oriented packaging solutions from innovative raw materials as an ecological alternative to packaging made of or with plastic.

A revolutionary new plasterboard design incorporating seaweed could reduce the carbon footprint of building materials and contribute to safer, more liveable homes in Aotearoa New Zealand.

University of Canterbury Bachelor of Product Design student Andy (Minhong) Park has developed a revolutionary new building material that incorporates seaweed.

University of Canterbury (UC) Bachelor of Product Design student Andy (Minhong) Park has developed a biocomposite wall panel that uses algae – or seaweed – as a bio-filler as part of his final-year Industrial Design project.

The plasterboard has fireproofing and moisture control features and is a low-cost material that could help reduce the building industry’s carbon footprint.

“Currently the building industry contributes 20% of our country’s carbon emissions,” Park says. “As the sector faces the challenge of reducing carbon emissions but building more houses, and with plasterboard used in almost every home, seaweed plasterboard offers a viable green alternative.

“Seaweed is fast-growing at 0.5 metres per day and is capable of sequestering around 173 million metric tons of carbon annually. It’s easy to cultivate and can be farmed offshore, not competing for farmable land with other bio-based materials, making it an attractive, low-cost farming commodity. Because seaweed can absorb carbon underwater, large wall-panel manufacturers could employ seaweed farming as a carbon offset by growing it.”

Seaweed bio-filler also contributes to warmer, drier, safer homes, and Park says preliminary testing indicates fire performance at the level of commercially available products.

“Seaweed has been proven to reduce ignition risks, increase flame retardancy, and promote auto-extinguishing behaviour of seaweed-based composite systems because it contains boron, a natural fire retardant. When seaweed is combined with cement, the strength of the resulting concrete is increased. Seaweed and its main constituent, alginate, have also been demonstrated to have high thermal stability and low thermal conductivity so the plasterboard would take longer to break down during a fire,” he says.

“Seaweed is also recognised for its ability to absorb and release moisture and is a greener alternative to traditional passive fire protection materials due to the absence of non-recyclable elements. This also makes it able to be recycled and used as a fertiliser.”

The finished seaweed plasterboard product has a glossy marble surface, coloured green, red or brown depending on the type of seaweed used.

The 12-week project was supervised by University of Canterbury Product Design Senior Lecturer Dr Tim Huber in collaboration with UC Fire Engineering Lecturer Dr Dennis Pau. While still in the early stages of research, design and testing, the team is working with the University of Canterbury’s Research and Innovation team to develop a commercialisation plan, and Kaiārahi Rangahau Māori to identify suitable species of seaweed for product development and marine agriculture.

The project recently won the UC Innovation Jumpstart Greatest Commercial Potential Award and accompanying $20,000 prize.

Breakthrough for HMDA, widely-used ingredient, paves the way for more sustainable coatings, apparel, adhesives and plastics

Material manufacturer Covestro and biotechnology pioneer Genomatica announced an important industry milestone to advance sustainability resulting from their partnership. The two companies have teamed to be the first to successfully produce significant volumes of a plant-based version of the chemical raw material HMDA (hexamethylene diamine).

HMDA, with a worldwide market of 2 million tons per year, is a key ingredient for a widely-used type of nylon (nylon-6,6), as well as an important component for raw materials for coatings and adhesives from Covestro. Up to now, HMDA has been manufactured from fossil feedstocks. Coatings and adhesives can be produced more sustainably thanks to bio-based HMDA, made from renewable feedstocks. Areas of application include automotive, construction, furniture, textiles and fibers.

Teams from Genomatica and Covestro have been working together to develop a commercial process technology for bio-based HMDA. The companies expect to produce ton quantities of high-quality material over the course of multiple production campaigns. Both partners are already processing and testing material from their initial production campaigns, and the resulting bio-HMDA is of high purity and quality. The companies plan to advance the program to full commercial scale, and Covestro has secured an option from Genomatica to license the resulting integrated GENO™ HMD process technology for commercial production.

Genomatica develops widely-used ingredients and materials using biotechnology and renewable, plant-based feedstocks rather than fossil feedstocks and their associated extractive processing methods. These materials are used by brands and their suppliers in popular goods ranging from apparel to cosmetics. Covestro brings extensive know-how in the field of research, chemical process technology and application development. The cooperation for the development of alternative raw materials based on biotechnology advances Covestro’s global program to achieve the circular economy.

Covestro established an R&D Competence Center for biotechnology to further strengthen its overall know-how in this field. Bio-based raw materials and biotechnology have also been identified as one of five focus areas at Covestro´s Venture Capital (COVeC) approach.

"The increased use of alternative raw materials, including the utilization of biotechnology, is an important pillar of our approach to fully embrace the circular economy and help make it a global guiding principle," says Covestro CEO Dr. Markus Steilemann. "Our program with Genomatica, which complements our internal R&D, is one of our largest external funding of biotechnology R&D to date, and underscores both the field’s importance to Covestro and the results it can deliver."

Replacing fossil-based raw materials
"This program is of great importance to us, because markets are increasingly asking for more environmentally compliant products based on renewable raw materials, which are just as powerful as their fossil-based alternatives," says Dr. Thorsten Dreier, global head of the Covestro business entity Coatings & Adhesives. "We can reduce this dependence on fossil feedstocks with innovative technology and our partnership. With a purely plant-based HMDA, we can significantly advance our corporate objective of CO2-neutral production."

"Genomatica is committed to delivering a portfolio of sustainable materials that can help any brand reduce the carbon footprint of its products while maintaining the performance customers count on," said Christophe Schilling, Genomatica CEO. "Covestro is a valued partner that is playing a leading role in improving the environmental impact of many of today’s most prevalent materials. Together, we are taking an important step to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for a broad range of products we use in daily life."

About HMDA:
Hexamethylene diamine is a chemical raw material used to create materials ranging from nylon to coatings.
The HMDA market was 2 million tons in 2021, nearly all of which is currently produced from fossil fuels. HMDA is a key ingredient in the USD 6.4 billion market for nylon-6,6.
Each year, the automotive market uses 500,000 tons of polyurethane coating based on HMDA.
About Genomatica:

Genomatica is harnessing biology to remake everyday products and materials built by and for the planet. The company is developing and scaling sustainable materials derived from plant- or waste-based feedstocks instead of fossil fuels to help brands deliver on their climate goals and our planet’s needs. Genomatica has already commercialized sustainable materials used in plastics, spandex and cosmetics, and is working on plant-based nylon, household cleaners and more. To learn more, visit genomatica.com.

About Covestro:

With 2020 sales of EUR 10.7 billion, Covestro is among the world’s leading polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative, sustainable solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. In doing so, Covestro is fully committed to the circular economy. The main industries served are the automotive and transportation industries, construction, furniture and wood processing, as well as electrical, electronics, and household appliances industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. At the end of 2020, Covestro has 33 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 16,500 people (calculated as full-time equivalents).

Forward-looking statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.