Tipa, an Israeli-headquartered manufacturer of compostable packaging solutions for the food and fashion industries, announced June 28 that it has entered into a partnership with U.S. packaging manufacturers PPC Flexible Packaging LLC and Clearview Packaging.
The two new partnership agreements will considerably expand Tipa’s activities in North America as both partners will now start using Tipa’s technology to produce compostable packaging for their own customers.
The agreements cut two ways: They allow Tipa to widen its global customer base and will enhance the capabilities of local manufacturers. Moreover, as less shipping will be required, global emissions will also be reduced.
Tipa’s portfolio includes both home compostable and industrially compostable materials. All films and laminates produced by the company are certified compostable by a number of internationally recognized bodies, including TüV Austria and BPI. They are compatible with existing plastic processing and packaging lines, Tatiana Castro, vice president of sales & marketing of Buffalo Grove, Ill.-based PPC says.
Calling the integration with its existing operations "seamless," she said that PPC Flexible Packaging has added Tipa’s compostable laminates to its manufacturing portfolio at its main U.S. facilities in Illinois and Utah to produce pouches for packaging baked goods, dry food, supplements, vitamins, and more.
New York-based Clearview Packaging will use Tipa’s compostable films to produce packaging applications ranging from open bags, wicketed bags, and resealable bags to zipper bags and mailers for fashion garments, accessories, fresh produce, baked goods and frozen food.
“Our decision to add Tipa’s compostable materials to our offerings for custom packaging comes from our mission to meet growing demand for sustainable packaging combined with Tipa's plug-and-play technology that makes the transition seamless,” said Trent Romer, sustainability operating partner of Clearview Packaging.
The two North American deals come after Tipa expanded its European activity earlier this year through the acquisition of German compostable packaging company Bio4Pack and entering the Australian market in 2021. Tipa also stated that more North American partnerships are expected to follow over the coming months.
More than 300 million metric tons of flexible packaging are produced every year. It accounts for an estimated 40 percent of packaging globally. Yet in the U.S., where it is primarily used for food and fashion, less than 1 percent is recycled.
“Following our acquisition of Bio4Pack, we have doubled down on our commitment to expand our operations in the most strategic markets for our business,” said Daphna Nissenbaum, CEO and co-founder of Tipa. “Our partnerships with PPC and Clearview represent an important milestone in the fight against plastic pollution and we admire the commitment of both companies to sustainable manufacturing processes.”