New barrier film structure for compostable food packaging

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SP Group and NUREL Biopolymers present a new multilayer film structure, with high oxygen barrier, sealing and transparency properties whose main advantage is the compostability of the container.

The new European directives aim to reduce waste going to landfill by 10%. Today there are containers on the market that due to their technical requirements cannot be recycled and end up in landfills. This is the case of many barrier film structures, they are very complex multilayer structures that require various types of polymer to achieve the necessary properties to preserve food.

Until now, biopolymers have only been used for the packaging of short-live foods, such as bread, fruits or vegetables. Thanks to the collaboration of SP Group and NUREL, biopolymers can be used in the manufacture of barrier films that preserve the life of complex foods such as salmon. Currently it is also being marketed for spices and is in tests for energy bars, nuts or salt, among other foods.

The new films manufactured by SP Group with INZEA Biopolymers, can be processed in conventional facilities, have a high barrier performance, are transparent and sealable, have a high bio-based content, are suitable for food contact at the end of their life cycle they can be managed together with the organic waste; an all-in-one solution that until now had not been achieved.

Maria de Guía Blanco, R&D Project Engineer at SP Group, “This film meets all the quality requirements for the packaging of foods such as smoked salmon, its processing has been very simple and the oxygen permeability results are excellent, comparable to EVOH high barrier structures”

Maria José Alfonso, head of developments at NUREL Biopolymers, highlights that the biggest challenge of this project was to achieve a compostable material that could be processed without difficulty in any conventional blown film extruder maintaining its transparency and providing high oxygen barrier properties.

As we have commented previously, the main advantage of this new development happens at the end of the life of the container. The film is manufactured with biopolymers, with a high bio-based content and is compostable, complying with the OK COMPOST under the criteria of the ISO-EN 13432 and ASTM 6400 standards, which ensures that after 3 months it completely biodegrades. Thus, this type of films should be deposited in the organic waste container for its recovery as compost.

SP Group markets this type of structure targeting flexible film markets for packaging applications of fresh, dry or refrigerated products that require a high barrier to oxygen.

NUREL Biopolymers, offers INZEA F18C for co-extrusion applications of sustainable films requiring transparency, sealing properties, oxygen barrier and compostability.

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