The Smurfit Kappa Bag-in-Box Ibi facility in Spain has started the production of bags with a new thermo-laminated metallised film, M-Compact 77, which the company says is a more sustainable option.
According to the company, the thermo-lamination technology bonds individual films together through exposure to heat without using the adhesives that are required for classic lamination. This reportedly makes the production of M-Compact 77 more resource efficient.
Smurfit Kappa claims that, with the M-Compact 77, it has achieved a 12% bag weight reduction and 7% less CO2 emissions.
Victor Juan, film manager at Smurfit Kappa Ibi, comments: “We have been developing this film for more than two years; challenging our suppliers, analysing our own film structures and applying our strictest testing protocols.
“Having full control of the manufacturing processes on all steps, we can guarantee excellent performance of our new metal bags on production lines, supply security and efficient traceability for our customers, and good product preservation during transport, on shelf and at home.”
Pascual Martinez, General Manager of Smurfit Kappa Ibi, adds: “Sustainability is embedded into all our business operations.
Today, Smurfit Kappa Bag-in-Box cannot imagine a single product development that does not involve reducing the carbon footprint of the lifecycle of our bags.
“Our integrated production model, big investment in advanced technologies and research and development have already enabled us to make significant progress towards our environmental goals.”
M-Compact 77 will add to Smurfit Kappa’s portfolio of bag-in-box solutions for different market applications and supply chain requirements.
Earlier this year, the company released Vitop Renew, which is made from bio-based PP resins using chemical recycling. Its Bag-in-Box packaging design was also the first generic packaging design to be awarded Amazon’s ‘Frustration-Free Packaging’ (FFP) certification.
