bioplasticsMAGAZINE_0703

Special
Thermoformed trays
Biodegradable
Article contributed by
Cesare Vannini, Packaging
System R&D
Coopbox Europe s.p.a.,
Bibbiano, Italy
Cross-section of foam
Expanding film
Coopbox S.p.A., headquartered in Reggio Emilia,
Italy, is a producer of innovative packaging solutions
for fresh foods. Coopbox has a very long
history in the packaging industry. Founded in 1972, the
company, always focused on innovation, recently became
very active in the steady development of innovative
and environmental friendly packaging solutions for
retailers and the modern packaging industry.
The idea of developing biodegradable foam
packaging for fresh food started in 2003 and the first
step was the selection of a material from the different
biopolymers available on the market: starch, biopolyesters,
polylactide, etc. Finally PLA was the chosen material,
first of all for the good mechanical properties and
the possibility to process the material with standard
equipment. Not only has PLA a better mechanical performance
than alternative traditional polymers used for
rigid packaging (PET, PS, PP) but it is 100% produced
from annually renewable resources such as corn. From
this base a development project started with the involvement
of the universities of Naples, Rome and Reggio
Emilia, and the important collaboration of NatureWorks,
the raw material supplier, all along the way.
The basic idea was to use a foam solution because
it allows a significant weight reduction of the pack. In
general with traditional polymers, depending on the
application, the foam tray is 30-50% lighter than rigid
material. It is immediately evident that a biodegradable
foam is a double environmentally friendly solution:
firstly because it uses raw material from a renewable
resource and secondly because of the weight reduction
of up to 50% that is possible to obtain with the use of a
foam instead of a rigid foil.
Today Naturalbox ® is the first foamed PLA tray on the
market with worldwide patent pending. Its first public
presentation was at Interpack 2005, in the “Innovationparc
Bioplastics in Packaging”. Naturalbox is recognised
as a true innovation on the market, and has received
several awards: the “Italian Oscar Dell’Imballaggio
2005”, the “UK Meat Industry Award 2006”, and the
22 bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/07] Vol. 2