Flexible packaging firms highlight changing views on sustainability

For many packaging firms, gone are the times when sustainability was just sliver of thought operating on the fringes of an overall larger operation. Companies and consumers alike are increasingly making their buying choices based on the recyclability of packaging as well as recycled content.

TC Transcontinental Packaging highlighted the company's work in sustainable packaging development and talked about the firm's corporate social responsibility, or CSR, efforts leading up to Pack Expo in Las Vegas.

"Corporate social responsibility is no longer a siloed initiative, separated from corporate strategy," said Alex Hayden, TC Transcontinental Packaging's senior vice president of research and development, sustainability and ESG, in a statement.

"CSR is part of our strategy, mobilizes all our teams and creates a solid bond of trust with our customers, our investors and our communities," Hayden said.

As CEO of parent company TC Transcontinental of Montreal, which also includes printing operations in addition to the company's flexible packaging operations, Thomas Morin had this to say in a statement about sustainability: "As we work to help our customers meet their sustainability goals, we will continue on our path of innovation, advancing sustainable options, including sustainable film development supported by investments in technology, R&D, and the dedication and insight of our employees," he said.

Morin said a "driving force" behind the company's growth is creation of sustainable and innovative packaging.

TC Transcontinental Packaging, based in Chicago, recently unveiled plans for a US$60 million (C$80 million) project to expand the production of recyclable flexible film at an existing facility in Spartanburg, S.C. The project includes a new film line to produce biaxially oriented polyethylene film, ancillary equipment and a 120,000-square-foot expansion.

TC Transcontinental Packaging operates a network of 28 manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Offerings include extrusion, lamination printing, converting and recycling. It is No. 33 in the new Plastics News ranking of North American film and sheet manufacturers with US$265 million in sales in the region.

Work already has begun on the project, and TC Transcontinental Packaging expects completion in fiscal year 2024. The company, which is using Brückner equipment for the new film line, is in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023.

As part of the company's publicity surrounding Pack Expo, TC Transcontinental Packaging talked about the new vieVerte product line, which features products that are recyclable, compostable and include post-consumer recycled content.

"This new offering will be a game-changer in TC Transcontinental's recyclability journey, demonstrating our commitment to distinguish ourselves and gain market share with innovative sustainable solutions for our customers," Morin said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Inteplast Group — the largest film and sheet manufacturer in North America according to PN data with nearly $3.7 billion in sales — highlighted its own new monomaterial flexible packaging project involving biaxially oriented polyethylene films and low-seal initiation temperature (SIT) sealant webs.

"There is a growing demand for monomaterial flexible packaging solutions, which stand as a foundation for sustainable packaging and facilitate downstream recycling efforts. We are responding to the evolving needs of our customers and the market," said Paul Marquard, assistant general manager and vice president of sales and marketing at Inteplast's BOPP Films division, in a statement.

"Through our partnership with Inteplast Engineered Films, we've drawn upon our collective wealth of expertise in film development. We look forward to introducing our range of BOPE films to the marketplace. Our partnership will offer a comprehensive solution that addresses a multitude of challenges," Marquard said in the statement.

When used together, the BOPE films and low-SIT sealant webs "support the industrywide shift toward flexible packaging that is recycle-ready and circular-economy-friendly," the company said.

Low-SIT sealant webs improve processability by lowering the melt point of a PE sealant layer.

"These films provide an improved temperature differential between the outer skin and sealant to allow monomaterial laminates, such as PE/BOPE, to be processed on existing pouching lines without negatively impacting throughput. Without a low-SIT film, the monolaminated structure is likely to require much lower line speeds," the company said.

Low-SIT sealants also reduce the chance of curl, helping to ensure a consistently flat pouch, Inteplast said.