• The Advanced Materials Cluster and the Packaging Cluster came together on December 14 to offer a webinar with transversal knowledge, as a vehicle to open the mind to new value proposals for the packaging industry and advanced materials.

Currently, the existing offer of advanced materials for packaging is very wide and we see how companies in the sector are investing on R&D to be at the forefront of innovation in this area. The aim is to obtain new properties and characteristics that make the packaging more sustainable so that it has a place in the circular model paradigm, using the new technologies and available resources.

In the desire to deepen the needs on properties of new materials and current lines of research, the Packaging Cluster, together with the Advanced Materials Cluster, organized a specific webinar on December 14, 2020, aimed at manufacturers, researchers , distributors, brand owners and other stakeholders of the ecosystem.

During the seminar, we have the virtual presence of several professionals who are exploring the novelties in advanced materials that accompany the packaging sector in the transition towards greater safety, sustainability and functionality of packaging, such as Tais Arp, Technical Assessment Manager at Comindex.

The company, with 30 years of experience, distributes coatings for paper as a barrier element, as well as to modify the feel of the paper, for the formulation of materials. As Tais stated: "There is growing interest in using paper as a packaging material due to its recycling capabilities". The problem? Paper is porous, so it does not always meet the necessary safety requirements and needs a coating to ensure product quality. After many trials, they have achieved acrylic dispersions that comply with the different regulations for food contact, as a barrier to water, fat and moisture.

With Norman Masià, Business Developer of Hinojosa Packaging Solutions (Hinojosa Group), we were able to meet the solutions offered according to the current challenges in new materials, with packaging based on paper, cardboard and corrugated cardboard. In their 360 Green Packaging line, they use materials that are novel in their implantation in the market, due to their combination, with four options: Halopack, cardboard trays; Cartoskin, flat cardboard; Hiliner, thermoformable; and Sumbox, a cardboard box with a plastic sheet for fresh fish or dry ice.

The SUMBOX packaging is the result of a project promoted by the cluster in collaboration with market AAD, the LEITAT technology center and Hinojosa, and stands as an alternative to porex in the food distribution of fresh produce, a 100% recyclable, waterproof and easy container transport.

Next, Eva Minguella, Director of the Master in Packaging Design at ELISAVA, explained the research methodology with which they study how to design edible, biodegradable and compostable packaging. Enter the strategies, it is worth mentioning that they apply the 3Rs during the ideation process, taking into account that the number of layers of the product, the number of materials used, the inks, the shelf life of the product and the minimum possible steps during the process.

From Elisava they proposed to combine design and creativity with technical indications, and to search in other categories for new methodologies that could serve as an example for our project, as there are solutions that can be replicated in different sectors.

The Director of Packaging Development at the member company Food Sourcing Specialists, Emma Candido, presented the Metamorphosis project, an initiative that proposes the industrialization of energy gels for athletes seeking a sustainable solution.

In the research, thanks to the principles of ecodesign, they have managed to develop a cap and a pouch with compostable materials at home to facilitate decomposition in an uncontrolled process, with a more resistant packaging and a longer shelf life, of 12 months more concretely.

From Smart Packaging we spoke with Xavier Marin, CEO of Dan*na, who talked about the future of packaging through the development of bioplastics for organic waste. Xavier assured that packaging must provide added value to the consumer while allowing companies a certain economic margin, which is not always easy to balance.

Activated packaging was considered during the presentation, where a packaging that not only takes care of the product, but also interacts with it and helps it develop. This smart packaging is controlled at the community level from the beginning of the chain to its final distribution, with labels that give more information, such as RFID and NFC.

Finally, German Pérez, Technical Researcher at the Eurecat Technological Center, updated us on the project that they have in hand with the Packaging Cluster, where they are looking for biodegradable polymers compatible with products from Industrias Plásticas Triana, a member company of the cluster.

Why? Because of the latent problem in the management of plastic waste and single-use products. On the way to the circular transition, bioplastics offer a biodegradable solution, which comes from renewable sources. The results will reduce the environmental impact of badly managed plastic and Industrias Plásticas Triana will be able to offer biodegradable packaging to contribute to the change.