Periodic Reporting for period 3 - PULPACKTION (Optimised moulded pulp for renewable packaging solutions)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2019-10-01 do 2021-09-30
Packaging materials are used more increasingly in our current society, driven by an increased consumption of foods outside of the home, convenience for consumers, smaller households and as a result more packaging in relation to food. The majority of nowadays packaging are made from finite, fossile based sources, different types of plastics. Multilayer plastic packaging are difficult to recycle, and if they end up in the environment through unintended littering or leakage from landfills and logistics, cause major problems in the environment due to the their inherent property of being very difficult or have a very slow degradation. This causes accelerating problems in wildlife, plants, and eventually also the humans through the consumption of food.
The base of PULPACKTION innovation, lies in the use of renewable, bio-based, bio-degradable and carbon-neutral cellulose fibers, coupled with bio-based and bio-degradable bio-polymers for barrier properties.
Using raw materials from Europe, cellulose and starches from both agri- and forest culture, we are reducing dependence on imported crude oil, contributing positively to development of local, sustainable economies inside Europe.
The project benefits Europes ambitions to develop sustainable and innovative technologies and economies in a green-tech sector.
Five main specific objectives were identified on the DoA, and are listed below:
Objective 1: Improvement of existing wood pulp wet moulded materials for the development of tailored-to-purpose pulps. (WP2)
In this objective we have analyzed 12 different kinds of pulp, both mechanical pulp, sulphite pulp and sulphate pulp. Once evaluated, these formulations were upscaled as trays.
Objective 2: Improvement of current technology of cellulose wet moulded productions. (WP3)
Wet moulded process technology enhancements were focused to reach forming and pressing speeds more competitive than currents, reduce cycle and drying time and consequently improving final package industrial process and product characteristics.
Objective 3: To produce specific bio-based plastics materials to reach final product packaging and shelf-life requirements (WP4)
To fulfil final product’s packaging requirements by improving the properties of existing bio- based materials, leading to the substitution of current fossil-based packaging for 100% bio- based alternatives.
Objective 4: To develop sustainable final packaging materials able to reach targeted renewability criteria’s cited as sustainability indicators (WP1, WP5, WP8)
The reduction of 50% of CO2 emissions will be tackled in PULPACKTION project from several ways.The objective of reducing the overall carbon emission of more than 50% compared to current trays was demonstrated in the project.
Objective 5: To validate final packages in an industrial environment. (WP1, WP6, WP7))
Final demonstrators were obtained and validated at Dafgards and Angulas. The interaction between product-package and the distribution conditions simulation were performed in order to guarantee the industrial upscale at the end of the project. These validation was considered as positive against conventional packaging.
The base of PULPACKTION innovation, lies in the use of renewable, bio-based, bio-degradable and carbon-neutral cellulose fibers, coupled with bio-based and bio-degradable bio-polymers for barrier properties.
Using raw materials from Europe, cellulose and starches from both agri- and forest culture, we are reducing dependence on imported crude oil, contributing positively to development of local, sustainable economies inside Europe.
The project benefits Europes ambitions to develop sustainable and innovative technologies and economies in a green-tech sector.
Five main specific objectives were identified on the DoA, and are listed below:
Objective 1: Improvement of existing wood pulp wet moulded materials for the development of tailored-to-purpose pulps. (WP2)
In this objective we have analyzed 12 different kinds of pulp, both mechanical pulp, sulphite pulp and sulphate pulp. Once evaluated, these formulations were upscaled as trays.
Objective 2: Improvement of current technology of cellulose wet moulded productions. (WP3)
Wet moulded process technology enhancements were focused to reach forming and pressing speeds more competitive than currents, reduce cycle and drying time and consequently improving final package industrial process and product characteristics.
Objective 3: To produce specific bio-based plastics materials to reach final product packaging and shelf-life requirements (WP4)
To fulfil final product’s packaging requirements by improving the properties of existing bio- based materials, leading to the substitution of current fossil-based packaging for 100% bio- based alternatives.
Objective 4: To develop sustainable final packaging materials able to reach targeted renewability criteria’s cited as sustainability indicators (WP1, WP5, WP8)
The reduction of 50% of CO2 emissions will be tackled in PULPACKTION project from several ways.The objective of reducing the overall carbon emission of more than 50% compared to current trays was demonstrated in the project.
Objective 5: To validate final packages in an industrial environment. (WP1, WP6, WP7))
Final demonstrators were obtained and validated at Dafgards and Angulas. The interaction between product-package and the distribution conditions simulation were performed in order to guarantee the industrial upscale at the end of the project. These validation was considered as positive against conventional packaging.
During the final period work was concentrated on merging the results from the WP:s 1 (design), 2 (pulp formulations), 3 (moulding process) ,4 (coating and films) and 5 (QR code printing and camera) and bringing them together industrially in WP6, and thereafter evaluation and analyzing the results of this in WP:s 7 and 8, as well as working parallellt on the dissemination in WP9. WP10 is the work package that worked on the communication and administration of the entire project.
Work in WP4 was still fine tuned within the last period to find the optimal properties and process conditions for the bio-based coating and films.
Work in QP1 was also active in organizing consumer panels to evaluate the consumer response to the proposed demonstrators.
The results from WP8 regarding found good and expected results regarding the LCA. Carbon foot print is substantially lower than for conventional plastic packaging alternatives. However, compostability according to EAN-standard was not reached during the measuring period. Degradation does take place but at slower speed than the standard allows, but an acceptable compromise to meet other important objectives of the project.
Two brand owners were active in analyzing the proposed demonstrators at industrial scale. The results from the brand owners were encouraging, demonstrating that the packages fulfill the requirements of the market in terms of process, quality, hygiene and barrier characteristics.
The results of the project benefit the individual consortium members that can commercialise various innovations and validations of materials.
Dissemination has been done by individual companies on web pages, LinkedIn, news articles and releases as well on social media.
Work in WP4 was still fine tuned within the last period to find the optimal properties and process conditions for the bio-based coating and films.
Work in QP1 was also active in organizing consumer panels to evaluate the consumer response to the proposed demonstrators.
The results from WP8 regarding found good and expected results regarding the LCA. Carbon foot print is substantially lower than for conventional plastic packaging alternatives. However, compostability according to EAN-standard was not reached during the measuring period. Degradation does take place but at slower speed than the standard allows, but an acceptable compromise to meet other important objectives of the project.
Two brand owners were active in analyzing the proposed demonstrators at industrial scale. The results from the brand owners were encouraging, demonstrating that the packages fulfill the requirements of the market in terms of process, quality, hygiene and barrier characteristics.
The results of the project benefit the individual consortium members that can commercialise various innovations and validations of materials.
Dissemination has been done by individual companies on web pages, LinkedIn, news articles and releases as well on social media.
Driven by the positive momentum of the market demanding new packaging alternatives, legislation on national and EU level in Europe for banning single use plastic packaging and products, improved more efficient machinery and tooling as well as the PULPACKTION project, Rottneros Packaging took a decision to build a new factory in Sweden. Todays capacity is fully utilized and moulded pulp trays can be found today at 4.700 retail outlets in seven countries from different brand owners. An announcement of a new factory in Poland as a joint venture with Arctic Paper. This new factory will build on the new industrial platform that Rottneros has developed during the last years and have a significantly larger capacity.
The demonstrator proves that bio-based moulded fibre packaging for food products can be a part of the solution for the environmental issues that we are facing globally, with plastic pollution, CO2 emissions and dependance on fossile raw materials. As we currently can see, the industry is rapidly evolving in Europe with many new start up enterprises investing into this industry. With the gained knowledge and demonstrated options, we believe that the consortium members are in a position to support and assist in the growth of this market and industry going forward.
As moulded pulp production increases in Europe, it increases the domestic production in Europe, and thus decreases the import of similar products with long supply chains. This is sustainable and increases the industrial know-how in Europe. European based production is also more sustainable as strict health & safety procedures are in place in Europe. There are also limitations and recommendations and wide public interest for use of various chemicals (such as PFAS) in the production process, which cover health and environment aspects, that benefit the consumer and society at large too.
The demonstrator proves that bio-based moulded fibre packaging for food products can be a part of the solution for the environmental issues that we are facing globally, with plastic pollution, CO2 emissions and dependance on fossile raw materials. As we currently can see, the industry is rapidly evolving in Europe with many new start up enterprises investing into this industry. With the gained knowledge and demonstrated options, we believe that the consortium members are in a position to support and assist in the growth of this market and industry going forward.
As moulded pulp production increases in Europe, it increases the domestic production in Europe, and thus decreases the import of similar products with long supply chains. This is sustainable and increases the industrial know-how in Europe. European based production is also more sustainable as strict health & safety procedures are in place in Europe. There are also limitations and recommendations and wide public interest for use of various chemicals (such as PFAS) in the production process, which cover health and environment aspects, that benefit the consumer and society at large too.