A WORLD OF PACKAGING SOLUTIONS. 5 t

Transcription

1 A WORLD OF PACKAGING SOLUTIONS 9' F 2 5 t

2 Vinyl is eminently compatible with an integrated approach to the management of packaging waste. An ever-growing number of people have access to vinyl recycling facilities. Vinyl can also be safely burned in modern incinerators, and it remains stable and inert in landfills: In fact, because of its stability and resistance to attack, vinyl often is used to manufacture liners and leachate collection systems for landfill sites. Industrial vinyl scrap has been recovered for years, and the recycling of pre- and post-consumer vinyl is expanding. A wide variety of products made of recycled vinyl are now available, including my1 bottles and rigid vinyl film for packaging applications. Vinyl packaging is also one of the leading success stories in source reduction. A number of companies have reduced the volume of packaging materials they use by converting from some other type of package to lightweight vinyl film. And vinyl s versatility enables designers to create packages that are easier to recycle because they are made of a single material. Vinyl has some other important advantages. It requires less hydrocarbon-based raw materials to produce than other plastics. And lifc-cycle studies show that, compared with most competing packaging materials, production of vinyl requires less energy and creates substantially less carbon dioxide. For all these reasons, vinyl is part of the environmental solution. Y

3 The popularity of thermoformed blister packs, clamshells and other such packages has been a major trend in recent years in both consumer and industrial electronics applications. And conversions to this type of packaging continue. The leading material for these applications? Rigid vinyl film. Vinyl offers a host of advantages: excellent forming characteristics, high impact strength, brilliant clarity, high yields, remarkably accurate thickness control, and the option of radio frequency sealing or heat sealing. In general applications, clear, thermoformed vinyl packages offer 100% product visibility for greater pointof-purchase appeal. For food products such as cheese, pasta and baked goods, vinyl film offers excellent barrier properties, exceptionally low moisture and gas transmission rates and a brilliant substrate for highbarrier laminates. In pharmaceutical applications, vinyl blister packs provide safe, tamper-evident packaging for all types of over-the-counter or prescription products in blister pack form- tablets, pills, caplets and liquids. And of course my1 film meets or exceeds all FDA requirements for food and pharmaceutical applications. With all these advantages, it s little wonder why most packagers specify vinyl when the job calls for rigid plastic film. like cameras and radios. c d. -7 c 0) I e J

4 From soap to bottled water, vinyl meets the demands of today's packagers. When it comes to bottles, vinyl's versatile physical properties. fivorable economics and premium appearance have long made it the choice for a wide variety of packaging applications. Vinyl's economics and processing technology are well- known. Designers prize vinyl for the endless variety of shapes and S i that can be molded - handled containers, drip-free spouts, wide-mouth jars and more. And vinyl's favorable properties are enhanced by inexpensive mold costs and the ability to get a package quickly fmm the design stage to the retail shelf. Vinyl bottles provide a good barrier to moisture, oxygen and carbon dioxide, and they are resistant to acids, alcohol, alkalies and oil. Food and beverage packagers appreciate vinyl's neutral effect on taste and odor and its hot-fill capability. Vi1 offers packagers the choice of a clear, frosted or glossy opaque appearance. Its glass-lie clarity makes vinyl the perfect material for such products as bottled water, mouthwash and window cleaner, while the lustrous color of opaque or frosted vinyl gives products a desirable premium look. with molded-in handles.

5 ^" ~ widely used for tamper-evident seals, Flexible vinyl film is Flexible vinyl film is well-established as a versatile, dependable packaging material. Thirty years ago, clear vinyl film revolutionized in-store wrapping of fresh meat and produce, and it is now the dominant film for this application. Vinyl film's oxygen-permeability maintains the consumer-preferred red meat color and extends the life of fresh fruits and vegetables. Vinyl food wrap also discourages tampering and has valuable hygiene benefits. Compound modifications and a variety of production processes adapt flexible PVC film to a range of packaging uses. Clear and opaque vinyl films are widely used as label stock, shrii sleeves and monolayer film pouches. Where tamper-resistant packaging is required, he.:- shrink vinyl neck-bands set the standard. They meet FDA requirements that such devices be tight-fitting and impossible to remove and reapply. Vinyl film's graphics characteristics are another important advantage of the material. Colors reproduce beautifully even the smallest print is undistorted, and any printing method is suitable. With vinyl film, you can even specify

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8 Institute A division of SPI.The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. 155 Route 46 West Wayne Interchange Plaza I1 Wayne, NJ (201) Fax: (201) The information presented here IS believed to be reliable, but no representations or guarantees are made as to its accuracy. The Vinyl Institute and its member companies make no warranties, express or implied, to the fitness of the product for any particular use.