ITW is transitioning its SCRUBS-IN-A-BUCKET wet wipe range into recyclable plastic packaging – distinguished from its previous, reusable iteration by a new design – in a bid to avoid single-use plastic taxes.
SCRUBS’ pre-moistened hand and universal cleaning wipes claim to remove paints, lubricants, adhesives, inks, dyes, and more from hands, tools, and machines without using water. They are NSF E4 certified for use in the food and drink industry and on machines in the immediate vicinity of food production lines.
As environmentally conscious and resource-efficient packaging designs become increasingly popular for professional consumables and cleaning agents, a refill pack intended to save plastic was launched on the market last year. Containing 72 wipes, the pack sought to save over 90% of plastic when refilled.
In the coming weeks, ITW’s 72, 30, and 15-wipe packs are set to transition into the new, recycled buckets, as displayed at Interclean in Amsterdam. The refill pack is also compatible with the new bucket, ITW says.
By utilizing recycled plastic, the buckets aim to avoid taxes on single-use plastic packaging as mandated in Spain and the UK, with Italy introducing its own from 1st July.
Dr. Lisa Marholt, product manager at SCRUBS supplier ITW Industrial Solutions, comments: “For circular economy to work, three conditions must be met: firstly, the basic material must be recyclable, secondly, the recycled plastic must find buyers, and thirdly, the product made from recycled plastic must itself be recyclable again – we have taken all this into account with our new SCRUBS buckets. By converting our total production, we make it particularly easy for our customers, as everyone then automatically benefits from the increased sustainability.”
Back in 2022, French chemical and analytical consultancy Hitam applied a mono-polypropylene container developed by Berry Superfos to its wet wipe range. The 5.3 litre container sought to maintain freshness with resealable features, and was also refillable.
Shemesh Automation revealed two of its A-Z turnkey packaging line solutions at interpack 2023; these included the SAS-J Vertical Wipes Buckets Stuffer modification, which aspires to offer a smaller machine footprint while stuffing round nonwoven rolls into buckets before the wetting phase with both speed and accuracy.
More recently, Unilever has applied recyclable PET bottles containing 35% post-consumer recyclable content to its Wonder Wash laundry detergent. The development is said to expand the percentage of plastic packaging designed for recycling across its portfolio.
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