Sustainable Products: PACKAGING 2015

  • The primary and secondary packaging has been the subject of numerous debates and discussions about the short life cycle. At the same time, however, we recognize the fundamental and strategic role of protection and conservation of the products we use daily.
    Companies, Consortia and designers are committed every day to make more sustainable packaging, reducing size, amount of material used and promoting recycling process at end of life.
    In recent years we have seen the development of a new concept of sustainability, which places particular importance to the choice of material used in relation to environmental impact: life cycle assessment of product, optimization of materials, reuse and recycling.
    For this reason, in addition to the most common recycled materials (such as paper, aluminum, glass, steel, …), we can find a new generation of packaging that use natural materials such as beeswax, potato starch, the wood fiber or coffee as alternatively or in combination to traditional materials or with other innovative materials.
    Thanks to materials from renewable sources there are new end of life packaging scenarios, which provide, in addition to the concept of recycling, also biodegradability and compostability, not only with bio-plastics.

    The report Sustainable Products: PACKAGING 2015, presents 60 international examples of innovative packaging analyzing the different aspects of environmental sustainability that characterize them. The report is a tool to know the market trends of packaging sector and sustainable materials used.
    Since 2002 Matrec is a consulting company on the issues of environmental sustainability of materials, products, and market trends.
    Thanks to an international observatory and the cooperation with companies, Universities and Research Centers, daily information is collected and selected on materials and eco-innovation.
    The consultancy is divided into several strategic actions to meet the needs of business.

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  • Carlsberg announced a three-year ground-breaking project, with packaging company ecoXpac, to develop the world’s first wood-fiber bottle for beverages. The new packaging, to be known as the “Green Fiber Bottle”, will be fully biodegradable and made from bio-based sustainably sourced. The project is developed between Carlsberg, ecoXpac, Innovation Fund Denmark and the Technical University of Denmark.

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  • Tetra Pak presents the World's first package made entirely from plant-based materials. Tetra Rex® Bio-based carton is manufactured solely from a combination of plastics derived from plants and paperboard. Finnish dairy producer, Valio, becomes the first company in the world to trial products in the new packaging.

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  • Potato starch and paper from bio-based materials for the new bottles packaging of Veuve Clicquot: 100% biodegradable. The packaging materials are isothermal and preserve the product temperature for two hours.

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  • Coffee pods made from renewable, bio-based materials that are 100% compostable. The ring of the pod is made using coffee chaff, the skin of the coffee bean that comes off during the roasting process. Every single part of the product is designed to be digestible by, and accessible for, bacteria. The pod is currently undergoing a rigorous testing process to meet U.S. and international standards and certifications required by municipal and commercial compost manufacturers.

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  • Bottles and cans ma de of bamboo, this is the material used to package a collection of cosmetic products.

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  • Is it reasonable that it takes several years for a food container to decompose naturally, when the product inside will deteriorate in a few days? This is the concept for the development of a series of food packages where the packaging has the same short life span as the foods they contain.
    A package made of caramelized sugar, coated with wax, is made for oil-based food. When the material is cracked the wax do no longer protect the sugar and the package melts when it comes in contact with water.
    Gel of the seaweed and water are the only components used to make a package for drinks that have a short life span and needs to be refrigerated, fresh juice, smoothies and cream for example.
    Then, to contain dry goods, as grains and rice, is made a biodegradable beeswax package. To open it you must peel it like a fruit.

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  • Packaging for liquid detergents made with an outer shell made of 100% recycled cardboard and newspapers, integrated with a inner pouches made with minimal plastic.

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