Berry Global has supplied dry mortar specialist Marlon with its 30% post-consumer recycled NorDiVent Form-Fill-Seal (FFS) film to support its goals of reducing its carbon footprint, boosting energy efficiency, and encouraging responsible sourcing.
Marlon Dry Mortar only requires the application of water to be used on construction sites, but this requires complete protection against water and moisture in the transport, logistics, and storage stages. As such, Marlon utilizes Berry’s patented NorDiVent film, which releases air in a dust-free manner while achieving moisture protection and enabling outdoor storage.
Now the partners have worked together to transition away from NorDiVent bags made from 100% virgin plastic and into a 30% post-consumer recycled version. In doing so, they claim to have successfully downgauged by 7% without sacrificing the pack’s strength characteristics.
Marlon and Berry report that trials to include more recyclate and downgauge further have been successful, and they plan to achieve higher recycled content rates in the future.
Berry’s recycled polymers have been independently verified to trace and confirm its chain-of-custody claims. At the same time, the NorDiVent film is said to maintain its consistency, quality, and technical performance.
The company adds that increasing the use of circularity-minded polymers contributes to its commitment to sustainability, in which it also seeks to improve recyclability, reduce its products’ carbon footprint, and make use of reuse and refill, as well as utilizing renewable resources.
“The ongoing reduction in virgin material usage and incorporation of recycled plastic are critical elements in improving the sustainability of our packaging,” said Søren Hammer, production manager at Marlon. “Nevertheless, specialist products such as ours also need the best packaging in terms of protection and convenience to ensure the highest quality and user experience for our customers.
“Through our partnership with Berry and thanks to the company’s technical know-how, we have been able to ensure that both requirements have been achieved with no compromise.”
“Berry and Marlon share an ongoing commitment to sustainability in all areas of our operations,” added Neal Geryl, business development director at Berry Global Flexible Films. “It is very pleasing when partnerships like ours can achieve positive results that deliver real benefits for ourselves and our customers.”
Back in 2023, Berry upgraded its NorDiVent FFS film to incorporate up to 50% recycled plastic in response to customer and consumer demand for increased recycled content. It has since applied the 50% recycled film to Schomburg’s construction chemical powder products, aiming to reduce its carbon footprint and product losses.
Meanwhile, Mondi has also sought to provide alternative packaging for the construction industry. It has packaged Baumit’s dry mix mortar in the one-ply, water-soluble SolmixBag, with the paper dissolving during the mixing process in order to cut down on waste.
Furthermore, it has launched its certified recyclable IntegoBag, set to reduce plastic by up to 50% while preserving product shelf life; and it has co-founded the twelve-company alliance Paper Sacks Go Circular Spain, which aims to improve the overall business model of the construction industry – finding synergies between construction and demolition waste streams, then increasing circularity for cement, plaster, and insulation packaging.
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