The Future of Mono-Material Plastic Packaging Film to 2025 report points out that from 2015 to 2019, the annual average growth rate of the global mono-material plastic packaging film consumption was 3.5%. In 2019, the global market scale of mono-material plastic packaging film was 20.44 million tons (the US $55.9 billion), and it may reach 26.03 million tons (US $70.9 billion) in 2025, with an annual average growth rate of 3.9% from 2020 to 2025.
At present, the vast majority of packaging uses composite plastic. Before recycling, different material films need to be taken apart and then treated separately. With rising demands of sustainable development, many countries have implemented a number of renewable resources policies, and major global leading companies have made the commitment to using mono-material plastic. PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), and other mono-material plastics have gradually become the “new favorite” of brand owners, which are not only applied to flexible packaging such as food packaging and skincare packaging but also hard packaging such as bottle caps/lids.
L’Oreal PE Shampoo Refill Packaging: 100% Recyclable Packaging
Recently, L’Oreal Elvive cooperated with Arcade Beauty, a well-known multinational cosmetics and care products packaging manufacturer, to develop a new shampoo supplement. It is reported that the material of this flexible packaging is completely made of polyethylene (PE). Compared with other 250ml shampoo bottles, this flexible packaging reduces at least 75% of the material and can be recycled in the PE recycling system. Arcade Beauty chooses to make this flexible packaging with mono-material such as PP or PE which is also being used to make caps. Arcade Beauty has launched a variety of packaging with different mono-materials, aiming to achieve the goal of 100% recyclable packaging or improving the recycled content of the packaging.
Dow: High Barrier PE Food Packaging
Dow has launched an innovative high barrier PE food bag/pouch. In addition to improving the recyclability of polyethylene, it also achieved innovation in functionality, which can be comparable to that of multi-materials packaging.
For example, the high barrier PE food packaging has high performances in oxygen and moisture barrier, printability, toughness, hardness, gloss, and transparency, which will not affect the recyclability of packaging materials. This packaging is made of high-performance biaxially-oriented polyethylene (TF-BOPE) material film combined with the reinforced barrier laminated film produced by Dow in its Spanish innovation center.
Albéa: Mono-material Recyclable PE Bottle Cap
Albéa, a global cosmetics packaging supplier, launched a product packaging for oral care in the first half of 2021. mono-material polyethylene is used to make the bottle cap for the first time in the oral care market, which can be recycled. The PE bottle cap is a screw cap with a smooth surface, which is compatible with all plastic laminated tubes of Albéa in 28 mm in diameter.
Originally, the bottle cap used by Albéa was the one made from traditional polypropylene, which was different from the material of the bottle tube. However, the innovative bottle cap launched this time completely uses mono-material of PE, so the whole packaging can end at the existing HDPE recycling facilities after use. Albéa promises that by 2025, the company will achieve that 100% of its packaging are recyclable, reusable, or compostable.
Influenced by the global rising demands of sustainability, mono-material packaging has gradually become the main trend, especially in the application of beauty packaging, skincare packaging, and food packaging.
