Plastic bottles are actually highly recyclable – if we have discipline as consumers and if a processor like China has an appetite for them. Unfortunately both tend not to be the case today. Now what? “Paper bottles” might be a big part of the answer. They are made from wood pulp, molded into bottle shapes and treated so that they can hold liquids safely and reliably without a plastic liner. At the end of life, they can be recycled like other paper products. But that’s not to say paper bottles don’t face a lot of remaining R&D, especially when it comes to their use for low-cost, mass-market beverages.

Innovia Films is launching a new film in its Propafilm™ range of transparent speciality packaging films. CHS offers improved thermal resistance and shrinkage properties compared to conventional polypropylene films. It has been designed to substitute traditional outer web films in laminates for applications such as pouches and lidding in various food markets.

Dutch biotech company Parx Materials has partnered with Norwegian-based hygiene specialist ZincIn to develop an antibacterial food tray made from recycled fishing industry waste. Through a combination of Parx’s Saniconcentrate antimicrobial additive and ZincIn’s self-cleaning technology, the tray is said to offer an over 99.9% reduction in bacteria when compared with a typical food tray, according to a report in Plastics in Packaging.

Michelman recently expanded its suite of high-performance label solutions, used with UV overprint varnishes (OPVs), permitting HP Indigo digitally-printed labels to endure harsh environments, including extreme heat, chemicals, water, or friction during packing and transport. These solutions allow press owners to increase their addressable market size and produce more with their HP Indigo digital label presses in applications such as packaging for personal care & cosmetics, household cleaners, automotive oils & fluids, wine & beer bottles, and industrial & electronic equipment.

Coca-Cola in Western Europe today takes another step forward in removing virgin fossil-based plastic as Coca-Cola in Germany announces it will achieve a share of recycled material of around 70 per cent for PET non-refillable bottles in 2021 as part of its journey towards 100% rPET for its entire locally produced portfolio.