FINAT and Packaging Europe have partnered to announce the winners of the FINAT Sustainability Awards at this year’s Sustainable Packaging Summit, on 12th November 2024 in Amsterdam.
The FINAT awards focus on recognizing outstanding work to advance sustainability through labelling. Ahead of the awards ceremony at the Summit, we spoke to the finalists in the ‘Reduction of environmental impact’ and ‘Optimization of recycling’ categories.
What is the name of your successful submission? STARDIRECT.
In which category has it been shortlisted? Reduction of environmental impact.
Please tell us about your submission. What are the key features of the product, what makes it innovative, and what is the sustainability impact?
STARDIRECT is an innovative “no-label-look” patented solution that promotes recycling efforts by eliminating printing substrates for a more sustainable future of packaging. It utilizes a reusable and recyclable carrier film for transferring reverse printed decorations onto glass, aluminum, and plastic containers.
Supported by an LCA study, STARDIRECT shows up to a 32% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to other labelling methods and maximizes design flexibility, empowering brands to differentiate themselves, especially in the wine & spirits, personal & homecare, beer & beverages and food markets.
What is the name of your successful submission? ECOLEAF Mindful Metallization.
In which category has it been shortlisted? Reduction of environmental impact.
Please tell us about your submission. What are the key features of the product, what makes it innovative, and what is the sustainability impact?
With ECOLEAF, ACTEGA has reinvented the metallization process by using “on-demand” metallization, enabling the production of eye-catching metallic label embellishments with a significantly improved environmental profile. Compared to hot and cold foils, the technology currently achieves a reduction in carbon footprint of more than 50 percent.
In addition, ECOLEAF is compatible with a range of printing technologies, so that a wide range of metallic embellishment options can be realized depending on the printing technology used.
What is the name of your successful submission? Collection of intense natural pigments.
In which category has it been shortlisted? Reduction of environmental impact.
Please tell us about your submission. What are the key features of the product, what makes it innovative, and what is the sustainability impact?
This new collection of 18 colours, made from at least 80% natural pigments, has a real environmental impact as their manufacturing process requires less chemistry in its preparation and the inks are more natural and respectful of natural resources, while meeting the needs of the market for intense and vibrant colours. Our objective is that this new collection becomes a standard in printing as a replacement for synthetic pigments.
What is the name of your successful submission? Carbon Action plastic labels.
In which category has it been shortlisted? Reduction of environmental impact.
Please tell us about your submission. What are the key features of the product, what makes it innovative, and what is the sustainability impact?
Carbon Action labels enable the next step in packaging carbon footprint reduction, including Scope 3 emission reduction for printers and brand owners. The impact is quantified by an externally validated LCA calculation process. Carbon Action PP UCO is an ISCC PLUS certified bio-circular face film made with 30% renewable content, offering an alternative to fossil-based film.
It is expected to smoothly replace traditional options while maintaining quality and performance and is compatible with specified recycling streams, supporting packaging circularity.
What is the name of your successful submission? Recycling of label matrix material and returning it into film product.
In which category has it been shortlisted? Optimization of recycling.
Please tell us about your submission. What are the key features of the product, what makes it innovative, and what is the sustainability impact?
POLIFILM has introduced matrix waste back into filmic applications for the first time in the industry. So far it has not been possible to use the mechanically recycled material, due to migrating glue and the resulting blocking of the resin.
It is now possible to incorporate this waste stream into the core layer of certain coextruded film solutions. The Fluff-to-Film technology, which replaces the standard mechanical recycling process, directly reintegrates the waste stream into the coextrusion process of PE films – in this case, waste bags – and with this the matrix can be kept in the filmic circular process. This innovation also saves up to 40% of energy and a substantial amount of CO2 emissions.
What is the name of your successful submission? NextCycle IML for rigid PP packaging.
In which category has it been shortlisted? Optimization of recycling.
Please tell us about your submission. What are the key features of the product, what makes it innovative, and what is the sustainability impact?
NextCycle IML is developed to maximize the availability of high-purity rPP through mechanical recycling, resulting in circular packaging and meeting the growing demand for recycled content.
NextCycle IML, which is compliant with PPWR criteria, is uniquely designed to separate from the container during mechanical recycling, while staying fastened with no impairment to its adhesive properties during its lifecycle. White NextCycle IML decorated containers recycle into white rPP and transparent containers into transparent rPP.
What is the name of your successful submission? Assessing the releasability of Avery Dennison’s Pressure Sensitive Labels during the full HDPE recycling process, and the quality of recycled flakes.
In which category has it been shortlisted? Optimization of recycling.
Please tell us about your submission. What are the key features of the product, what makes it innovative, and what is the sustainability impact?
Avery Dennison conducted a semi-industrial trial with the National Test Centre Circular Plastics (NTCP) to evaluate how their label solutions for FMCG applications perform during the rigid HDPE recycling process.
The study assessed the releasability of their filmic labels and the cleanliness of the resulting recycled HDPE flakes. Results showed that current requirements for label adhesives washing off in hot or cold temperatures have little impact on recycling, suggesting that existing design guidelines for HDPE decoration could be updated.
What is the name of your successful submission? Wash-off PSA labels - AQUENCE PS 3017 RE.
In which category has it been shortlisted? Optimization of recycling.
Please tell us about your submission. What are the key features of the product, what makes it innovative, and what is the sustainability impact?
Henkel’s AQUENCE PS 3017 RE is a water based acrylic pressure sensitive adhesive, designed for olefinic filmic labels used for PET bottles. It enables PSA labels for recycling processes and has excellent wash-off efficiency for BOPP & PE labels. It also promotes circular economy packaging and increases the purity and value of PET recyclate, with an official recycling compatibility certificate by the independent cyclos-HTP Institute.
The adhesive provides excellent water whitening resistance and energy saving by reducing wash-off temperatures to 65°C for selected label constructions, such as PE labels.
The Sustainable Packaging Summit will be taking place in Amsterdam on 12-13 November. The Summit mobilizes leaders of the FMCG value chain, policymakers, NGOs, recyclers and investors to collaborate, remove barriers and identify opportunities on the road to sustainable transformation.
To learn more or register, visit: https://www.packagingsummit.earth/2024
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