Neopac unveils circular mono-material barrier tubes in line with HDPE recycling

11 Dec 2020 --- Hoffmann Neopac is launching a line of mono-material barrier (MMB) tubes touted as providing high product protection, while being fully compatible with High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) recycling processes.

Polyfoil MMB tubes are the first tube solution in Europe to receive full RecyClass technology, says the company. In addition, the solution has received product approval per the organization’s “Recyclability Evaluation Protocol for HDPE Containers” standards. 

The tubes are particularly relevant to the oral care and pharmaceutical sectors, as they responsibly house both consumer items like toothpastes and cosmetics and pharma products in the dermatological or pain-relief sectors.

“Combining the RecyClass-approved, lightweight Polyfoil MMB tubes with our available HDPE closure options creates a new platform of tube solutions unsurpassed in their eco-friendliness,” says Dr. Philippe Kern, director of R&D and quality management at Neopac. 

“Producing mono-material-based tube solutions with advanced thin film barrier options that maintain high performance barriers, provide product protection and extend shelf life has been a goal we’ve been moving toward for years.”

Mono-material film tech
Incorporating a mono-directional-oriented (MDO) barrier film technology, Neopac’s Polyfoil MMB tubes can reduce the tubes’ weight by as much as 50 percent, compared to the company’s conventional Polyfoil technology. 

The mono-material tubes are particularly relevant to the oral care and pharmaceutical sectors.They are also the first tubes incorporating HDPE caps with low-melt index HDPE, which is what specifically allows them to receive full technology approval from RecyClass. 

The testing of polyethylene caps is a big step forward for the packaging industry, as this advanced technology was not tested before in tubes, the company supports.

Notably, the Polyfoil MMB tubes are the first such solutions approved by RecyClass that incorporate a thin film metallization option protected within the tube body structure for chemical decoration stability. 

This facet provides improved water vapor transmission rate barrier and enhanced metallization optics similar to aluminum barrier laminate tubes, which currently are not considered recyclable with HDPE recycling streams per RecyClass criteria. All tests were performed with fully printed tubes.

Simplifying sustainability
Independently from RecyClass testing, fully printed Polyfoil MMB tubes with HDPE caps have also obtained the AAA rating from Germany-based testing lab cyclos-HTP, Institute of Recyclability and Product Responsibility, which certifies that the product has a recyclability rate of more than 95 percent.

Neopac’s goal is to create tubes that simplify recycling – an important aspect of next-level sustainability practices. 

Today, multi-layer, aluminum foil-containing barrier packaging is particularly problematic for recyclers as, among other challenges, it is incompatible with existing mechanical sorting techniques. Therefore, eco-conscious advancements in the ways plastics are designed and produced are a must in the nearer term.

The Polyfoil Mono-Material Barrier tubes comprise tube bodies made of HDPE-based adhesive laminated barrier structures, containing less than 5 percent of foreign materials (barrier material, inks, adhesives, etc.) to avoid disruptions in existing recycling processes. 

Due to the application of combined barrier technologies, as well as pharma grade contact layers, the tubes provide product compatibility and maintain product protection while keeping the known aesthetic characteristics of Neopac’s conventional tubes.

Edited by Kristiana Lalou