Clariant Masterbatches business unit’s packaging market segment has undertaken an initiative to make plastic packaging more sustainable.
Image: Clariant Masterbatches business initiative seeks to help make plastics packaging more sustainable. Photo: courtesy of Clariant.
The company’s packaging market unit is assisting brand owners and packaging producers to frame their objectives for creating packaging, which is more environmentally friendly.
Clariant’s portfolio of additive masterbatches, along with in-house expertise and collaboration with other industry organisations, enables the firm to produce sustainable solutions in four areas.
The areas comprise include: developing recyclable packaging, making reusable plastics packaging, supporting use of bio-based polymers and increasing acceptance of compostable packaging.
Clariant is working in various to overcome major challenges for increased use of post-consumer resin (PCR).
The new oxygen-scavenging additive masterbatches helped to decrease the dependence on multi-layer and multi-material packaging to expand shelf-life of packaged goods.
CESA-IR additive masterbatches are developed to make dark-coloured plastics visible to the near-infrared (NIR) sensors used in the polymer sorting systems, helping in effective recycling.
Clariant also produces advanced liquid masterbatches, which will help reduce the carbon footprint of complex logistic and heavy inventories.
Its chain extenders, odour control technology, colour brighteners and other additives will help enhance the quality and marketability of plastic materials that are recycled.
The company’s additives enable to increase the durability and scratch resistance of plastics, decrease the tendency of materials to yellow over time, resist degradation due to washing and sterilisation, prevent colour fading and other aesthetic losses, as well as control stress cracking and brittleness.
In addition, Clariant will develop and test material with customers specialised labs under simulated aging conditions to confirm life-cycle timelines.
Clariant Masterbatches packaging head Alessandro Dulli said: “Plastics packaging is a vital resource for brand owners and represents a safe way to deliver products to the consumer in optimal condition.
“Packaging also plays an important role in brand differentiation and brand identity. We must not forget that it is important that industry and consumers work to create a more sustainable packaging model. No single player can achieve these goals alone.”