Materials maker Ampacet has launched its R3 Sustainable Solutions line of masterbatch concentrates and additives for the North American market.
Tarrytown, N.Y.-based Ampacet also recently appointed industry veteran Doreen Becker to lead its sustainability efforts. Becker joined Ampacet in 2017 and was named director of sustainability in March. She has more than 20 years of industry experience.
The R3 portfolio "is intended to inspire and educate customers and employees about the value of plastics," Becker said in a recent phone interview. "We want to sell sustainable products and create new ones."
R3 is part of the company's recently launched extensive sustainability plan. The new materials allow customers to use more recycled and recyclable materials in both rigid and flexible applications, officials said. The products also help to increase product shelf life, reduce waste and offer compostability for single-use applications.
Recent R3 product introductions from Ampacet include:
• REC-NIR-Black: a masterbatch concentrate for black plastics that enables scanning by NIR technology for automated sorting at recycling facilities. The material was named 2019 Product Innovation of the Year at Plastics Recycling Awards Europe.
• Blue Edge and Green Edge: additives that counteract the yellowish/discoloration found with some post-consumer recycled materials. The additives enable increased use of post-consumer recycled content.
• ReVive Multifunctional Compatibilizer: enables recycling of polyolefin and barrier materials for post-industrial and post-consumer applications. The material also reduces the volume of material sent to landfills.
"We're working with our suppliers to make sure these products are available," Becker said. "We're playing around with the resins so that we can keep effects like Paper 2.0 and FauxFoil while lowering our carbon footprint."
She added that although it can be a challenge for Ampacet and other suppliers to source recycled material, they're making the effort because of increased attention and interest in those products from customers.
"Ten years ago, we'd talk about our hot new colors or additives with customers, but when we'd bring up recycled content, there'd be a stigma about it because it was looked at as dirty or not as good," Becker said. "Now, it's a different story."
Becker also pointed out that Ampacet has a long history of using recycled material. During World War II, the firm reclaimed nylon from hosiery for use in military parachutes.
"We're still following the market and the needs of our customers," she said.
Other products in the Ampacet R3 Sustainable Solutions line include antioxidants to maintain the integrity of post-consumer resin and UV absorbers to increase shelf life and reduce food waste. The Ampacet R3 Sustainable Solutions line also features odor scavengers to neutralize odors and support increased use of recycled content.
Ampacet employs more than 2,000 at 25 manufacturing sites worldwide. The firm has annual sales of more than $1 billion.