First bio-based tie layer for greener multilayer packaging launched

Yparex B.V. announced that it is the first supplier in the packaging industry to develop and commercialize an adhesive tie layer for multilayer packaging films that is bio-based (i.e. produced from plant- rather than petroleum-based raw materials). Since this tie-layer resin is derived from 95% annually renewable resources and is fully recyclable, yet meets the same performance specifications as non-renewable petroleum-based polymer of the same family, it offers packaging manufacturers the opportunity to make their products more sustainable because plant precursors sequestered greenhouse gases during their life cycle. However, it also helps protect the packaging industry’s supply chain from price spikes of materials closely tied to the cost of oil and natural gas.

There is currently significant debate about which direction the packaging industry should and ultimately will take to become more environmentally friendly, with many different initiatives being proposed. Producers are consistently designing thinner and lighter packaging that does more (offers higher functionality) while using less material; suppliers have found ways to source more environmentally benign raw materials; and still other companies have started numerous recycling initiatives to reduce post-consumer waste. As consumers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have increased pressure on the packaging industry to reduce its environmental impact, the packaging industry has naturally turned to its supply base and asked for help.

“There’s a lot of disagreement about how best to make the packaging industry more sustainable,” notes Wouter van den Berg, general manager, Yparex B.V. “ Some argue for glass, since it’s insert and recyclable. Others say paper is better, as it’s made of materials that grow back. Still others say lightweight plastics are greenest because they save significant transportation costs and energy, while increasing safety (since they’re unbreakable), and extending shelf life (reducing waste). Given the incredible size of the packaging industry, and the breadth of products involved—from food and beverages to car parts to industrial maintenance supplies and consumer electronics—I don’t believe there will be one easy answer that solves the sustainability question or a single approach that addresses the needs of all the segments that are involved. As an industry, we need to develop many parallel initiatives to help move packaging to the next level of sustainability. And as a producer of adhesive tie resins, Yparex management decided that the best way we could contribute was by formulating the greenest tie resin we could make.“

Yparex’s response was to develop a bio-based version of the company’s popular Yparex  brand adhesive tie-layer resin for multilayer barrier-packaging producers. Adhesive tie layers are special polymers used in very-popular multilayer films that bond together dissimilar resins that otherwise would not adhere to each other. Such films are then used in rigid or flexible barrier-packaging structurAir Jordan