Packaging
New Record for Packaging Technologies
In 2023, the Italian packaging machinery and equipment industry achieved a historic milestone, surpassing 9 billion euros in turnover for the first time. The industry reached 9.229 billion euros, marking an 8% increase from 2022. This achievement represents the third consecutive record year, driven primarily by robust export performance.
Exports accounted for 7.26 billion euros, over 78% of the total turnover, with a 10.5% growth compared to 2022. Packaging
In contrast, domestic sales remained stagnant at 1.9 billion euros. The sector comprises 594 companies employing over 38,000 people, with significant concentrations in the Via Emilia region, Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto, and Tuscany.
The food and beverage industry was the largest customer, contributing 57% of the total turnover, with food alone accounting for 2.85 billion euros, 83% of which was exported. Other significant markets included tissue and other products (1.7 billion euros), pharmaceuticals (1.5 billion euros), cosmetics, and chemicals. Packaging
Primary packaging led the applications with 52.4% of the turnover, followed by end-of-line, labeling, and auxiliary equipment (27.2%), and secondary packaging (20.4%). Ucima President Riccardo Cavanna highlighted the industry’s continuous growth and innovation, emphasizing the potential impact of the Industry 5.0 decree on future domestic investments. Packaging
Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL) has joined the T-REX (Textile Recycling Excellence) Project, an EU-funded initiative aimed at creating a harmonized blueprint for recycling household textile waste
This project seeks to support the fashion industry’s transition to a circular and sustainable future by bringing together key stakeholders across the value chain.
As the designated spinning partner, Indorama Ventures will process chemically recycled feedstock into polyester yarns and fibers, ensuring impurity elimination through the extrusion process. Packaging
This aligns with the company’s goals of promoting the circular economy and circular fashion through PET recycling and the supply of recycled materials.
Diego Boeri, Executive President of Indorama Ventures’ Fibers business, emphasized the company’s commitment to sustainable solutions and the use of circular feedstock. He highlighted their extensive experience in manmade-fibers processes, particularly polyester, and their dedication to helping partners achieve sustainability goals. Packaging
The T-REX Project aims to create a circular system for post-consumer textile waste in Europe. It involves a consortium of 13 major players from across the value chain and research institutes, working together to transform end-of-use textiles into valuable feedstock and new business models that can be scaled up.
TOMRA to showcase sensor-based sorting solutions at RWM Expo 2024
Visitors to RWM Expo 2024, which takes place on 11-12 September at the NEC in Birmingham, will have the opportunity to find out about TOMRA Recycling Sorting’s GAINnext applications to separate food-grade from non-food-grade plastics, as well as other world-class sensor-based sorting solutions for waste and metals on Stand ME-E200. Packaging
Directly behind Stand ME-E200, the team from TOMRA Collection will be on Stand ME-E203 to showcase its latest reverse vending machine solutions for clean loop recycling of aluminium, plastic and glass beverage containers. With approximately 85,000 installations across more than 60 markets, particularly in regions with deposit return systems, TOMRA reverse vending machines capture over 46 billion used bottles and cans each year.
A key focus for TOMRA’s Recycling Sorting division at this year’s show will be three new applications to separate food-grade from non-food-grade plastics for PET, PP and HDPE. GAINnext is a deep learning-based sorting add-on for TOMRA’s world-renowned AUTOSORT units. Packaging
By combining sensor-based material identification and deep learning object recognition, TOMRA is the first in the industry to be able to quickly and efficiently separate food-grade from non-food-grade plastics for PET, PP and HDPE on a large scale. GAINnext has made food-grade sorting a reality – and has made it possible to achieve higher than 95% purity rPET, rPP and rHDPE – the level EU regulation requires to fulfil food safety standards.
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Bio-Fed Expands Bio-Attributes Range
Bio-Fed, a division of the German Akro-Plastic (Feddersen Group), has launched the M Biobase series, featuring compounds with renewable content attributed by certified mass balance. This innovation reduces the carbon footprint by replacing fossil-based feedstock with biobased and biomass materials during production. The ISCC Plus certification ensures the origin and traceability of these materials. Packaging
The M Biobase series includes compounds like bio-attributed polypropylene, derived from residues of vegetable oil refining or exhausted cooking oils instead of fossil raw materials. Other grades incorporate organic fillers such as wood or lignin from wood processing. These materials are designed for injection molding and extrusion, with plans to expand the variety over time.
In addition to the M Biobase portfolio, Bio-Fed offers other bio-attributed materials, including colored masterbatches (AF-CirColor), carbon-black concentrates (AF-CirCarbon), and additive masterbatches (AF-CirComplex). The M Vera compounds are biodegradable, while those with recycled content are branded as M Cyclose. Packaging
The global economy is facing $197bn (£153bn) of economic damage by 2030 and up to $434bn by 2050 if plastic waste continues to flow into oceans at its current rate
That is according to a new report by financial services firm Allianz, which warns that marine wildlife, fishing and aquaculture, coastal tourism and the shipping industry are all facing risks from ocean plastic waste. Packaging
Indeed, if the world’s oceans were an economy, it would be the seventh largest in the world, with the total value of its goods and services projected at $2.5trn every year.
If plastic production increases over the next few decades without new waste mitigation measures, the report claims that the economic cost could hit $229bn by 2030, and as much as $731bn by 2050.
“The ocean’s capacity to regulate our climate, provide food, and support livelihoods is being eroded by unsustainable practices and short-term thinking,” said Barbara Karuth-Zelle, member of Allianz’s board of management. Packaging
“This report serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for action. It is a call to arms for governments, businesses, and individuals to recognise the critical role the ocean plays in our lives and to take decisive steps to safeguard its health and vitality.”
Production processes of the energy, industrial and consumer staples sectors have the most damaging effects on ocean ecosystem services, according to the report, creating a “vicious cycle” that poses risks to industrial production itself. Packaging
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Advanced Drainage Systems has reported flat consumption of recycled plastics over the past few years, but in fiscal 2024 the company increased the share of recycled materials to 50% of its total resin purchases, according to its most recent ESG report.
ADS – one of the largest plastics recycling companies in North America – bought 540 million pounds of recycled plastics in fiscal 2024, which ended March 31, 2024, according to the report. This was the same volume the company reported in 2023 but represents about 50% of the plastic resin ADS bought in the year, compared to 48% in the previous year and 45% in 2022. Packaging
ADS purchases accounted for one-third of the total North American volumes of color HDPE bottle bales, the report said.
In FY24, recycled HDPE comprised 34% of the ADS materials and recycled PP 12%, with other recycled plastic totaling 4%. Virgin HDPE was at 30%, while virgin PP was at 16% and other was at 4%.
Investing in supply and processing capacity
ADS continues to establish partnerships to help improve access to recycled materials and to develop end use markets, Nicole Voss, director of sustainability at ADS, told Plastics Recycling Update. Packaging
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PCR Plastics – Eastman is set to revolutionize plastic recycling by building the world’s largest molecular recycling plant in Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine, Normandy, France 02-08-2024
Packaging
