bioplasticsMAGAZINE_0905
bioplasticsMAGAZINE_0905
bioplasticsMAGAZINE_0905
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Application News<br />
Green Packaging Line<br />
A new ‘Green Packaging Line‘ of products has been<br />
recently developed by Smurfit Kappa, Orsenigo, Italy, a<br />
leading company specialised in the sector of innovative<br />
cardboard based packaging.<br />
It has adopted a new technology offered by Novamont,<br />
Italy and Iggesund Paperboard, a leading company active<br />
in the sector of high quality coated boards, headquartered<br />
in Iggesund, Sweden.<br />
World’s First<br />
Bioplastic Eyeglasses<br />
Japanese Companies Teijin Limited and Teijin Chemicals<br />
Limited announced the development of eyeglass frames<br />
made from plant-based, heat-resistant PLA BIOFRONT,<br />
the world’s first bioplastic to be used for all plastic parts<br />
of eyeglass frames, including the temples. The frames<br />
were developed in collaboration with Tanaka Foresight<br />
Inc., Higashi-Sabae City, Japan, which manufactures and<br />
sells approximately 60% of all plastic eyeglass parts in<br />
Japan.<br />
The new Biofront frames will be exhibited at the Tanaka<br />
Foresight booth during the International Optical Fair<br />
Tokyo (IOFT 2009) at Tokyo Big Sight from October 27 to<br />
29. Tanaka Foresight eventually expects to sell between<br />
50,000 and 100,000 pairs of PLA eyeglasses per year.<br />
Although acetate is commonly used for the plastic<br />
parts of eyeglasses, contact with cosmetics or hairstyling<br />
products can result in bleaching. Acetate also<br />
tends to warp under high heat and can cause skin rashes.<br />
PLA (polylactide) has been used for eyeglass nose pads<br />
because its antibacterial properties help to avoid rashes,<br />
but conventional PLA has not been used for other parts<br />
such as frames and temples because of insufficient heat<br />
resistance.<br />
Biofront, however, is an advanced polylactide that offers<br />
enhanced heat resistance. Its melting point of 210 °C puts<br />
it on par with PBT, a leading engineering plastic. Biofront<br />
also is highly resistant to bleaching and bacteria, making<br />
it ideal for the plastic parts of eyeglasses.<br />
This new rigid packaging line, which comprises trays,<br />
punnets and containers for fresh and frozen food, bakery,<br />
confectionary and others, is based on the virgin fibre<br />
paperboard Invercote, coated through extrusion coating<br />
technology with a compostable Mater-Bi polymer.<br />
This special coating brings various technical properties<br />
to the cardboard, like an excellent sealability, good thermal<br />
stability and water, oil and fat protection.<br />
Given these properties, Smurfit Kappa Orsenigo is able<br />
to supply a wide range of products for cold and hot, dry and<br />
wet food packaging applications, in the retail, catering and<br />
Ho.Re.Ca. (=Hotel/Restaurant/Café) areas, like:<br />
Deep frozen packaging, trays and punnets for ready cut<br />
salad or fresh fruits or vegetables, ready meals and take<br />
away containers, fresh cheese and dairy products, sweets,<br />
chocolate, bakery.<br />
Moreover, several non food applications can be taken<br />
into consideration, like agro-floricultural ones, customised<br />
gifts, wear packaging.<br />
Besides being food contact approved, biodegradable and<br />
compostable (according to EN13432), the ‘Green Packaging<br />
Line’ products may also be disposed in the paper stream,<br />
because the Mater-Bi coating has been designed as<br />
well in order to meet the paper and cardboard recycling<br />
requirements.<br />
The result is an extremely versatile and sustainable range<br />
of products, because of its multiple end of life options.<br />
www.smurfitkappa.it<br />
www.novamont.com<br />
www.iggesund.com<br />
www.teijin.co.jp<br />
24 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/09] Vol. 4
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