The companies Futamura, Repaq and GK Sondermaschinenbau have jointly developed a biodegradable packaging solution for small liquid pouches. The new structure is based on cellulose film, is home and industrially compostable and is intended to replace conventional multi-layer sachets.
Small, practical - and until now a problem for the circular economy: sachets for liquid products such as ketchup, sauces or hand cream often consist of multi-layer composite materials that are difficult or impossible to recycle. Futamura, manufacturer of compostable barrier films (NatureFlex), the packaging company Repaq and the mechanical engineering company GK Sondermaschinenbau have now jointly developed a solution to make this segment more sustainable.
The cellulose-based packaging structure combines a high-density barrier film with a bio-based sealing layer. It has been optimised for liquid, oily or moisture-sensitive contents and, according to the companies, is compostable both industrially and in home compost. Initial applications with typical sauces show a shelf life of up to twelve months, according to the press release.
Can be processed efficiently on standard machines
A special feature of the new packaging is that it can be processed on existing GK packaging machines - without any major adjustments. According to the manufacturer, tests have shown that production with the compostable structure is just as efficient as with conventional plastics. For brand owners, this means that the changeover does not require any new equipment and existing processes are largely retained.
„Our packaging offers outstanding product protection and significant ecological benefits at the same packaging speeds,“ said Sven Seevers, Technology Manager at Repaq. The oxygen permeability is less than 0.5 OTR under standard conditions - a value that is sufficient for many food applications.
GK Sondermaschinenbau was also satisfied with the result. Sales Manager Nico Merkel explained that the tests had shown „that almost no adjustments were required to use the solution supplied by Repaq“.
Sachet challenge: now also compostable
The background to this development is the large amount of waste generated by sachets worldwide. According to a market analysis, around 855 billion of these small packages were used in 2018 - mostly made from laminates that are difficult to separate. The new solution aims to offer a compostable alternative that is also accepted in ecologically sensitive markets.
Futamura manager Joachim Janz sees the material as a „perfect addition“ for brands that want to bring sophisticated products into sustainable packaging - especially for small bags, which previously had little chance of being recycled.
