As part of our Finalist Interview series ahead of the Sustainability Awards, we spoke to Aeroflexx about its AeroFlexx Pak, a flexible package designed to act like a rigid bottle and incorporating up to 50% recycled content, nominated in the Commercialized Recyclable Packaging category.
You’re a finalist in the Sustainability Awards 2024. Congratulations! To start off, could you summarise your entry, in less than 50 words?
AeroFlexx (“AFX”) has manufactured a flexible package designed to act like a rigid bottle (the “Pak”). Its proprietary integrated valve eliminates the need for caps and closures while its air frame technology provides structural rigidity throughout the entire packaging lifecycle, including end of life collection and sortation.
Why do you think the judges were impressed with your entry? Tell us about what is innovative about your project and/or about its impact on packaging sustainability.
AeroFlexx is a revolutionary packaging solution delivering the best attributes of flexible bottles (less plastic, reduced shipping) and rigid bottles (retaining its shape throughout use, durability) in an entirely new format for liquid packaging. The package eliminates 50%-70% of plastic used - potentially up to 85% less virgin plastic through incorporating recycled content - and can be curbside recyclable where all plastic bottles are accepted.
Prior to filling, the package is shipped in a freight efficient flat pak format that reduces supply chain cost and complexity. Our airframe technology protects the liquid and ensures the AeroFlexx Pak keeps its structural rigidity, incorporating air instead of plastic to create this structure.
AeroFlexx Paks are made of flexible material, making it easy to squeeze and reducing the amount of plastic used upfront. The package has the lightness and durability of flexible packaging while functioning like rigid packaging. The airframe technology is built into the packaging, protecting products while ensuring the Pak keeps its shape, durability, and rigidity throughout the packaging lifecycle.
The self-sealing valve provides leak resistance: if the packaging is turned upside down or falls to the ground, the airframe and valve secure it, resulting in less mess and less waste. The package’s contents can be released with one hand for controlled precision dispensing.
AeroFlexx’s source reduction yields up to 83% less waste to landfills, 73% less water use, and 69% GHG reduction. This approach not only can combat packaging waste, but also ensures the remaining resources can contribute to a closed loop system to shrink the packaging footprint.
With projections of 2.5B units of market adoption, at the global level, the package would save 599.4 million kilowatt-hours of energy and 65.3 million gallons of gas. Furthermore, CO2 emissions would be reduced by 256.8 million pounds, and landfills would be spared from 980.8 million pounds of waste.
Finally, can you tell us about the ongoing development of your project, e.g. how your innovation/initiative has been received by the industry, or what the next steps are in commercialization/product development?
We just announced a strategic partnership with Chemipack, a company that supplies liquid products and innovative production solutions in Poland, as well as our latest joint-venture with Dynapack, a leading packaging supplier in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.
By sharing advancements in packaging and the latest transformative technologies, we hope to inform brands globally. Now commercializing, we’re able to impact outcomes that facilitate sustainability on a global scale with immediate impact.
By integrating environmentally friendly practices and developing packaging technologies engineered for full recyclability, we’ll continue exploring how we can actively contribute to a circular future.
The winners of the Sustainability Awards 2024 will be announced at the Sustainable Packaging Summit, 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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