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ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT
/
25
2008
Thickness - µm
year
20
25
30
35
40
45
2009 2010 2011
2005 2006
2004
2003
2002
2007
ELD FILM AVERAGE THICKNESS
Average thickness trend of ELD film from 2002 to 2011
in
ice cream
and confectionery packaging, confirms that
the average thickness has been reduced in 10 years by
more than 10%,
moving from 40 µm to 35 µm
. Another
recent example is the thickness reduction implemented
in the potato chips bags, where several brand owners
are moving from 20+20 microns to 15+15 microns clear
– metallised laminates, especially for the smaller packs.
Density reduction
In BoPP terms,
reducing the density means replacing plastic
with air.
This is possible thanks to the cavitation technology, which
created vacuoles within the film. The final result is a white pearl-
kind of effect. These low-density cavitated BoPP films are commonly
used for confectionery, ice cream, bakery and labels. In the early
stages, the
typical density
was in the range of
0.75 g/cm³
. Thanks to
recent developments
in masterbatches and extrusion technology,
0.62 g/cm³ density has become a standard
, and
0.55 g/cm³
is just
behind the corner:
one more step in the direction of doing more
with less
.
Improved Performance
A very important function of packaging is preservation of the product. When it comes to food
packaging, this means providing the conditions which allow the longest shelf life. Such conditions
depend largely on the kind of food we are packing: it can be moisture barrier, gas barrier, light
protection, aroma barrier, seal integrity, or a mix of these: each food has its own requirements.
Improving shelf life means optimizing distribution and minimizing food waste. Once again, it’s all
about finding the
right balance between environmental costs of packaging versus the benefits
of the longer shelf life.
The first steps taken into this direction by Taghleef
Industries S.p.A. have been the development of high
barrier metallised films and improved seal integrity for
tight seals. More recently, Ti has invested into multilayer
extrusion, to achieve clear, white and metallised
heat sealable films with high gas barrier for modified
atmosphere packaging. This innovative range of film,
named
, allows Ti’s customers to replace thick
laminates with monowebs, and create fully-recyclable
monomaterial structures.