Aspects of Sustainability in Rigid Plastic Films for Packaging

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1 in Rigid

2 Product Protection Quality Assurance Convenience Consumer Safety Functions Marketability Environmental Compatibility No Damage in Distribution Chain Processability The requirements of packaging

3 TODAY S GENERATION Social Meet consumers expectations in all aspects of - Product protection - Safety - Handling - Inmation TOMORROW S GENERATION Environment Protect more resources than are used Economy Save cost in distribution and merchandising of goods Key criteria placed on packaging

4 Energy Usage in the food chain (Gj) 9,0 1Gj = x 4 months = x 250 miles ,0 2, ,3 0,6 0,6 0,5 0,3-0,9 0 Food Supply Supply (farm/sea as farm/sea as prepared food processed leaving the food factory) leaving the factory Primary Primary packaging Secondary & and Transport Transport packaging Factory to to shop Shop transport Transport protects far more resources than it uses Retailing Consumer Consumer Shopping shopping Cooling cooling / and freezing Freezing Source: Incpen 2007 Consumer Cooking cooking

5 Gj per Household per Year Home Heating and Hot Water Production of Goods Transport - primary and secondary - all goods and food 7 Cooling and Heating food Use of Household Appliances Production of Food Environmental impacts in the household

6 Plastics make a significant contribution to sustainable development. Defined by the Brundtland Commission as: meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of the future Plastics Contribution to Sustainable Development

7 Plastics use only 4% of the world's oil as feedstock, compared to 87% used heating and transport. The plastics energy is recoverable in m of heat which is converted into electricity. Clean manufacturing technologies minimise emissions. In comparison with other materials such as metal and glass, plastics require less conversion energy due to lower processing temperatures. In-house recycling technologies of the converting industry maximise resource efficiency. Plastics Contribution to Sustainable Development

8 Plastics contribution to resource efficiency - during the use phase Replacing plastic materials (where feasible) by alternative packaging materials (e.g. glass, paperboard) would have a strong environmental impacts Plastics Alternative Materials Weight Production Costs Refuse Volume Production Ene r gy Greenhouse Gas Emissions Plastics Contribution to Sustainable Development

9 In order to decide, which polymer is the most sustainable in packaging applications, different steps of the value chain have to be taken into consideration: Polymer production The environmental sustainability of the polymers during their production can be benchmarked by perming a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The LCA benchmark on the polymer pallet basis also gives a first overview of the permance of the polymers throughout their complete life cycle.

10 In order to decide, which polymer is the most sustainable in packaging applications, different steps of the value chain have to be taken into consideration: Conversion of the polymer into the final product The efficiency of the polymers during their conversion will be influenced significantly by the specific requirements of each application and the technical permance of each polymer. The material properties of the polymers will have a significant impact on their process ability.

11 In order to decide, which polymer is the most sustainable in packaging applications, different steps of the value chain have to be taken into consideration: End of Life Options - The treatment of the packaging waste is significantly influenced by the European Directive and the different infrastructures provided in the different countries.

12 Polymer production LCA The following LCA, permed by Boustead Consulting (UK), provides a comparison of the environmental impact of the production process of the most commonly used polymers including the following criteria: Energy usage (MJ / kg polymer) Greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO 2 eq. / to polymer) Acidification potential (kg SO 2 eq. / to polymer) Eutrophication potential (kg PO 4 3- / to polymer) [Eutrophication is caused by the increase in an ecosystem of chemical nutrients, typically compounds containing nitrogen or phosphorus. Eutrophication generally promotes excessive plant growth and decay, favors certain weedy species over others and is likely to cause severe reductions in water quality] Water usage (kg / kg polymer

13 Gross (cumulative) energy use from cradle to polymer factory gate (MJ / kg polymer) Cellophane Nylon 66 Nylon 6 PC HIPS GPPS A PET LDPE PP PVC S PLA6 PLA /NG (MJ/kg) Net cradle to factory gate greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO 2 eq./ to polymer) Cellophane Nylon 66 Nylon 6 PC HIPS GPPS APET LDPE PP PVC S PLA6 PLA/NG Reference: Nylons, PET, PE, PP: Plastics Europe PLA: NatureWorks LLC Cellophane: Cirfs Definitions: PLA 6 PLA resin produced from 2006 (including wind power energy) PLA NG next generation, applying new fermentation technology from 2010

14 Eutrophication potential (kg PO 3-4 / to polymer) Cellophane Nylon 66 Nylon 6 PC HIPS GPPS APET LDPE PP PVC S PLA6 PLA/NG Acidification potential (kg SO 2 eq./ to polymer) Cellophane Nylon 66 Nylon 6 PC HIPS GPPS APET LDPE PP PVC S PLA6 PLA/NG Reference: Nylons, PET, PE, PP: Plastics Europe PLA: NatureWorks LLC Cellophane: Cirfs Definitions: PLA 6 PLA resin produced from 2006 (including wind power energy) PLA NG next generation, applying new fermentation technology from 2010

15 Nylon 66 PC Water usage (kg / kg polymer) GPPS LDPE PVC S PLA/NG Reference: Nylons, PET, PE, PP: Plastics Europe PLA: NatureWorks LLC Cellophane: Cirfs Process Water Cooling Water Irrigation Water Definitions: PLA 6 PLA resin produced from 2006 (including wind power energy) PLA NG next generation, applying new fermentation technology from 2010

16 Polymer Conversion Technical Permance The following chart gives an indication on the technical permance of rigid films based on different polymers the more outward, the better Density (g/cm 3 ) Barrier to Aromas Barrier to Oxygen Yield (m 2 /kg) Transparency APE PVC PLA PS PP Barrier to Water Vapour Tensile Strength Denestability Ease of Forming Stiffness Ease of Cutting Printability Ease of Gluing

17 Polymer Physical and Mechanical Properties Density (g/cm 3 ) Tensile Strength (Mpa) Comparable Thickness (µm) Barrier Properties (related to comparable thickness) Temperature Resistance Usage Temperature Range Chemical Resistance (related to stiffness of 500µm PVC) O (*) 2 H 2 O (**) Highest Temp. C Lowest Temp. C Acids Alkaline Organic Solvents PVC 1,32-1, ,2 2, (modified) Good Good No APET 1,34-1, ,6 3, Ltd. No Ltd. PP 0, ,5 0, Good Good Good PS 1,05-1, (crystalline) ,6 5, Ltd. Good No PLA 1,24-1, Ltd. No Ltd. (*) Permeability O 2 : cm 3 /m 2 x 24h 23 +/- 0,5 C, 0% HR ASTM D 3985 (**) Permeability H 2 O: g/cm 3 x 24h 38 +/- 1 C, 90% HR ASTM E 96

18 Polymer Comparison Example a Based on annual consumption of clamshells, each 7,8 x 37,15 x 0,020 inches, calculated using resin density and package volume b Source: Franklin Associates, Ltd. as derived from PlasticsEurope Eco-profiles of the European Plastics Industry c Assumption PETG is same APET and adjusted specific gravity difference

19 Conclusions The use of plastics in packaging is sustainable. The environmental impact of the package is inextricably linked to the product it contains and the actual needs of the customer. The design of the package should take into account the whole life cycle of the product, including the packaging and distribution chain. When comparing packaging materials there are rarely clear cut winners. Reducing packaging weight offers significant opportunities to minimize discards, conserve materials and energy, while reducing generation of greenhouse gases. The product-to-package weight ratio is an excellent rule of thumb to use when making top-line decisions about packaging efficiencies. In general, the weight reduction benefits of lightweight materials more than offsets the far higher recycling rates of heavier packaging materials. Renewable materials offer benefits, but they are not necessarily more sustainable than packaging made from non-renewable resources.