Mespack and Amcor have developed a ‘recycle-ready’ stand-up pouch designed for home care products such as soaps, cleaners, and laundry detergent, aiming to overcome the challenges of scaling up larger flexible packaging formats using recycle-ready materials.
The companies say that until now, the largest formats for pouches using ‘more sustainable materials’ were limited to volumes between 1 and 1.5 litres, and extending capacity to 2 litres was important for consumers but presented new challenges. Durability was a key concern for in the home care industry, particularly in ensuring drop resistance and leak prevention.
Amcor and Mespack’s R&D teams collaborated to adjust machine parameters and film structures to produce the new 2L pouch, said to meet performance expectations in terms of sustainability, durability, and functionality.
Trials were conducted on Mespack’s H570 machine, which apparently uses a newly developed metal alloy and precise temperature control, with the exact temperature required for sealing recyclable materials. Mespack says the H570 also produces leak-proof packaging in several ways, including adjustments to achieve ‘perfect seals’ across all jaws and spout preheating technology to ensure the quality and integrity of the spout seal.
Amcor states the new pouches are made using its AmPrima ‘recycle-ready’ solutions, aiming to provide a ‘more sustainable’ packaging option that offers quality, durability, performance and speed on brands’ filling machines. AmPrima is also said to meet the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) requirements for recycling design, with the option to include post-consumer recycled (PCR) content.
Geoffrey Gendebien, marketing manager for home and personal care at Amcor, adds: “Flexible spouted pouches use less plastic than containers and bottles. They also enable consumers to [repeatedly] refill the bottles they already have, resulting in a lower packaging carbon footprint. Refill pouches can also appeal to cost-conscious consumers looking to offset inflation.”
The new 2L stand-up pouch will be available to customers from November 2024.
In June, Mespack and Fuji Seal announced their intentions to replace plastic bottles, reduce plastic consumption and boost efficiency by signing a collaboration agreement to develop an all-inclusive sales contract for filling pre-made spouted pouches. The two companies intend to commercialize the pouches, equipment, and equipment maintenance in a bid to reduce the complexity of synchronization.
Last month, Amcor revealed its Clear-Tite 40 shrink bag solution for fresh and processed meat, said to achieve a 19% reduction in weight when compared to standard 50µ shrink bags. The solution is said to have high shrink performance and be printable, aiming to assist brands with catching consumers’ attention with ‘wrinkle-free’ packaging.
If you liked this story, you might also enjoy:
The ultimate guide to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation in 2024
How are the top brands progressing on packaging sustainability?
Sustainable Innovation Report 2024: Current trends and future priorities
Everything you need to know about global plastic sustainability regulation
No comments yet