Using Recyclable Materials for Food and Beverage Packaging

Integrated liquid container system for storing and transporting liquids like edible oil that has a corrugated cardboard housing to reduce weight and cost compared to fully plastic containers. The liquid container inside is made of recycled or virgin thermoplastic like PET. The cardboard housing has apertures for the container neck to seal in. This allows using a lighter cardboard outer shell with the same volume container. It also allows recyclability of the container by separating the cardboard from the plastic. The cardboard reduces weight compared to a fully plastic container. The cardboard is also more recyclable than plastic.

Food package with improved recyclability by using a single polyester material throughout. The package has a base and a peelable lid that are sealed together. The lid is fixedly attached to the base around part of the edge. The entire package is made of mono polyester material, with at least 95% being polyester. This allows easier recycling since the base and lid are both made of the same material. The lid can be peeled off and recycled with the base since they're both polyester.

Recyclable high-performance packaging films suitable for thermoforming into packaging components like trays and cups. The films are made from layers of polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, and a hydrocarbon resin. The middle layer between the polyethylene layers has a density range of 0.92-0.97 g/cm3. This allows wider temperature windows for thermoforming without sagging. The films are free from polyester, EVOH, and nucleating agents to improve recyclability. The thermoformed components made from these films can be recycled alongside HDPE containers, unlike multilayer films. The packaged products formed from these components can also be recycled.

Coating composition for light-blocking containers like milk bottles that allows better recycling compared to existing light-blocking coatings. The composition contains a blend of a white pigment and a filler, a binder like nitrocellulose, and optionally an organic solvent. The white pigment and filler absorb/reflect light in the UV/VIS range to block it. This allows using less opaque containers that can be recycled with like-color containers. The composition is deinkable in alkaline solutions to enable post-consumer recycling.

Recyclable paper-based packaging material with high barrier properties that can be recycled in the paper stream. The packaging structure has multiple layers, starting from an outer polymer coating, followed by a paperboard layer, an adhesive layer, a barrier metallized paper layer, and an inner polymer coating. The barrier metallized paper layer has a thin metallic coating on a paper substrate. The paperboard, adhesive, and inner/outer polymer coatings allow recycling the structure in the paper stream. The barrier properties come from the metallized paper layer and the inner/outer polymer coatings.

Hot fill container design with improved strength and shape stability for hot-filling beverages in containers with high recycled content. The container has sidewall ribs that resist longitudinal stretching during filling and compression during cooling. The ribs also provide resistance to deformation from internal pressure and vacuum forces. The ribs extend around the circumference and have recessed channels that prevent paneling. This allows using more recycled PET without compromising shape. The base structure has features to resist longitudinal expansion during filling. The container design mitigates distortion issues with lightweight, high recycled content containers that are common in hot filling.

A method of producing containers like beverage bottles with a simple, environmentally friendly process that avoids complex multi-layer laminates. The method involves shaping a container blank made of a single-layer fiber composite material. The blank is moistened with water to soften the fibers and then pressed between molds to form the container shape. The moisture content of the blank is lower than the final container wall. This reduces the blank thickness during shaping and prevents wrinkles or burrs on the container opening. The resulting container has a single-layer wall made of a molded fiber composite material. It avoids complex multi-layer laminates with different polymers and aluminum barriers. The molded fiber composite material can be made from recycled fiber sources like chemical or mechanical pulp. The containers are lightweight, dimensionally stable, and have minimal environmental impact. The molded fiber composite material can also be used to line

Recyclable, all-polyethylene laminate films for flexible packaging with improved gas barrier properties. The films have an ethylene-based barrier adhesive layer between two ethylene-based film layers. The barrier adhesive allows gas barrier without needing non-recyclable materials like metal or PET. The ethylene-only films provide recyclability. The barrier adhesive can be solvent-based, water-based, or solventless. The adhesive can contain isocyanate and an isocyanate-reactive component like a hydroxyl-terminated polyester. This allows gas barrier without adding non-recyclable materials. The ethylene-only films can have different densities and melting points to optimize properties.

A method to produce sealed vessels for storing moisture-sensitive materials like powdered food that can be recycled easily. The method involves using a vessel closure with a sealing element made from a polymer composition having a maximum Shore A hardness of 80. The sealing element is applied to the vessel mouth at a temperature of 80°C or less. This allows recycling of the vessel and closure without issues. The vessel can also be filled with an inert gas like nitrogen before closing to prevent oxygen ingress. The method enables better recycling of sealed vessels compared to traditional closures with films, as the closure material can be easily recycled along with the vessel.

A method to produce hermetically sealable paper packaging for food products that can be fully recycled and uses existing packaging machinery with minimal modifications. The method involves folding a flat paper sheet into a tube shape, sealing the longitudinal seam, filling it with product, then sealing the transverse seams. Glue is applied at the intersection points of the seams to prevent gaps. The glue dries before sealing. This allows recyclable paper packaging that can be produced on existing machines with simple modifications like a glue applicator.

Recyclable, insulated shipping containers for temperature-sensitive items like food and pharmaceuticals that are fully recyclable and reusable. The containers are made of materials like cardboard, corrugated cardboard, and recycled paper pulp insulation that can be curbside recycled. The insulation is applied by filling equipment to inject or spray it into gaps between the boxes. This eliminates the need for foam-based insulation that is not recyclable. The containers can have an "box within a box" configuration or insulated panels inserted into an external box. The insulation fills the gaps between the boxes to provide insulation. The containers can be filled with loose-fill insulation after insertion to surround the inner box. The insulation prevents temperature loss during shipping.

Sheet member container for products like food and beverages that can be easily recycled by separating and washing the components. The container has a main body made of laminated sheet members with attached and non-attached regions. A protective cover surrounds the main body. By separating the cover and washing the laminated sheets, the components can be recycled independently. This avoids contamination and allows reusing the main body sheets without the cover material. The container also has a marking part on the main body for identifying the product.

Molded pulp containers with integral linings to reduce plastic waste and make biodegradable drink bottles. The containers have a molded pulp shell with a cavity and an expandable lining made of thermoplastic material. The lining is inserted into the shell and expanded to fill the cavity. This provides an integral lining without needing separate attachment steps. The expandable lining conforms to the shell shape for better sealing and shock absorption compared to separate liners. The lining can be made from biodegradable materials like PLA. The molded pulp shell can be made from recycled paper pulp.

Food storage containers made from multilayer materials that contain post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. The containers have a multilayer structure with an inner barrier layer between the PCR layer and the food cavity. This isolates the PCR plastic from the food to prevent contaminants from migrating into the food. The barrier layer restricts gas transfer from the PCR plastic to the food. The containers can be thermoformed from coextruded multilayer sheets containing varying amounts of PCR plastic.

Recyclable packaging films that can be easily recycled like regular polyethylene plastics but have the performance of non-recyclable high-performance packaging films. The films have an outer layer made of oriented polar polymers like polyamide, an inner sealant layer, and a layer of compatibilizer between them. This allows the polar polymers to be recycled with polyethylene without requiring incompatible materials in close proximity. The outer layer orientation and annealing provide heat resistance and appearance. The recyclable films can be used in high-performance packaging applications like food and pharmaceutical products.

Sustainable packaging made from post-consumer recycled plastic that aims to bring waste colored and black plastic into new packaging while using Near infrared (NIR) detectable pigment in the colorant masterbatch. The packaging is made from a multilayer of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. The outer layer is made from natural PCR, like milk bottles, while the inner layer contains at least 50% colored PCR, like waste colored bottles. The outer and inner layers can both have NIR detectable pigments to make the packaging recyclable and sortable using NIR sorting systems. This allows recycling the colored PCR from waste bottles into new packaging.

An insulated bag for packaging temperature sensitive items like food, medicine, or electronics that is collapsible, recyclable, and biodegradable. The bag has an insulated insert made of cardboard with repulpable insulation between two sheets. The insert folds into a box for storage. The outer box is also cardboard. The insulation can be made of repulpable materials that decompose like paper. This allows the entire bag to be recycled or biodegrade compared to traditional foam-filled bags that end up in landfills. The collapsible design reduces storage space.

Packaging design for liquid food products that allows easy opening, resealing, and complete emptying while improving shelf life and recyclability. The packaging has an inner bag made of a material that can be easily opened and sealed without tools, unlike screw caps. The inner bag is filled separately from the outer packaging, preventing air from entering the product. After use, the inner bag can be removed and recycled separately. The outer packaging is made of uncoated cardboard that can be fully recycled. This eliminates the need for coated packaging that can't be easily recycled. The inner bag also reduces the amount of air inside the packaging during storage, improving shelf life.

Laminated film structure with improved barrier properties and recyclability using a polyethylene (PE) base. The structure has a PE first film with a thin ceramic or metal layer on one side. This is laminated to a PE second film. The PE films can have different structures, like bimodal LLDPE, but the ceramic/metal layer prevents PE-to-PE adhesion. The ceramic/metal layer provides barrier properties without adding non-PE layers. The PE films are also oriented and have specific densities and melt flow rates.

Laminated film for packaging foods, pharmaceuticals, and industrial products that maintains barrier properties and adhesiveness after severe wet heat treatment like retort sterilization. The film has a unique composition and structure. It uses a recycled polyester resin from PET bottles as the substrate film, sandwiched between two thin coating layers and an inorganic thin film layer. The coating layers have flexibility and adhesion. The coating on the substrate improves barrier properties. The protective layer on the inorganic film prevents whitening after retorting. The recycled resin from PET bottles provides lower haze and whitening compared to virgin resins.