Austrian packaging solutions firm Alpla has developed a new sustainable plastic packaging solution, known as EBM PET, which combines the benefits of extrusion blow molding (EBM) and PET.
Image: Alpla’s EBM PET sustainable plastic packaging. Photo: courtesy of ALPLA.
The packaging company said that the new EBM PET is in line with its sustainability strategy to make all packaging solutions recyclable and achieve the usage of 25% recycled materials in all materials. Alpla has joined New Plastics Economy initiative in October 2018.
EBM is the production technology that provides more flexibility for the designing of packaging solutions.
It enables to design bottles with or without a handle, large or small volumes, oval, round or angular forms with variable neck diameters.
Alpla said that its new EMB PET packaging solutions can be fully recycled in a stable circular economy.
With EBM PET, the company provides a comprehensive system solution, which allows using PET regranulate in EBM technology.
Alpla has made necessary changes to its machine platform to support the production of EBM PET packaging. The firm stated that it can install them in the form of an in-house solution directly at the clients’ locations.
Furthermore, the company said that it can integrate the production of bottles into its clients’ production process to save cost on transport and packaging.
Alpla is already engaged in the production of packaging completely using recycled PET. The company has developed new special semi-crystalline PET virgin materials that will be used for EBM, which, unlike commonly used amorphous co-polyesters such as PETG, are compatible with the recycling of PET.
The experts from the company also suggested that the PET regranulate can be modified and is suitable for extrusion blow molding.
In July this year, Alpla has collaborated with Switzerland-based Fromm for PET recycling in Germany.
The companies have collaborated to further optimize the high recycling rates for PET and significantly reduce CO2 emissions through saved transport.
With around 19,300 employees, Alpla is involved in the production of custom-made packaging systems, bottles, closures and molded parts. The company operates 176 facilities in 45 countries.