ExxonMobil and the Polish branch of Constantia Flexibles, Constantia Drukpol, have collaborated on a project for the French plant-based food brand Bonduelle, focusing on the development of a recyclable, non-laminated freezer film. The initiative sought to transition from traditional laminated metallized films to a mono-material polyethylene (PE) solution to enhance recyclability and reduce complexity. The collaboration leveraged ExxonMobil's advanced PE resin technology to produce packaging that offers sealability, mechanical strength, and puncture resistance, aligning with Bonduelle's goals for a circular economy.
The use of ExxonMobil's Exceed performance polyethylene has resulted in a film that exhibits improved puncture and tear resistance, which is particularly beneficial for packaging vegetables like spinach and broccoli that are challenging to pack. This innovation supports Bonduelle's ambition to achieve 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025 and marks a significant advancement in reducing plastic usage, achieving a 25% reduction in packaging material for their frozen product range in France.
Arnaud Warusfel, packaging development manager at Bonduelle Europe Long Life, stated, "For our retail Frozen Bag Category, we wanted to replace our historical multi-material metallized film since it was difficult to recycle." He further added, "We selected a mono-material PE solution without adhesives so it can be easier to recycle compared to multi-material solutions. We faced many challenges during the development process but managed to overcome them due to the technical expertise of Constantia Drukpol and ExxonMobil."
Source: packagingnews.co.uk
Image: Exxonmobilchemical.com