This is how ACTEGA makes a Difference
ACTEGA’s vision is rooted in a deep understanding of the evolving landscape of consumer expectations, regulatory frameworks, and technological advancements. The company recognizes that the future of packaging is not only about meeting market demands but also about fostering a culture of environmental stewardship. Undoubtedly, the shift towards eco-friendly consumption is transforming the packaging industry, especially in Europe, where consumers are increasingly assessing the environmental impact of their purchasing choices.
One significant challenge is the lack of harmonized global regulations on recycling and circularity. The approach varies regionally, making it complicated for manufacturers to design universally sustainable solutions. ACTEGA addresses this challenge by monitoring global regulations and adapting the product portfolio to meet these requirements.
An example is the Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) that promises to reshape the landscape of packaging and its materials. This ambitious regulation is poised to have profound implications across various packaging types and their associated materials, making it one of the most impactful regulations in this domain. As the PPWR leads the way in reducing packaging pollution and promoting a circular economy for packaging that covers the entire life cycle of packaging, companies must consider how they can adapt and evolve to meet the changing landscape of the packaging industry.
See examples of how ACTEGA makes the difference by successfully addressing PPWR with solutions for different packaging types.
Material Reduction
The PPWR aims to minimize packaging weight and volume while maintaining functionality.
ACTEGA's Low-Gauge Compound Solution reduces the thickness of crown corks by up to 0.3 grams, potentially saving around 90,000 tons of metal per year. This also improves the carbon footprint by reducing steel usage, energy consumption and emissions from transportation.
Optimizing the Packaging Design
The PPWR aims to improve recycling, starting with a better packaging design and the right choice of materials. This includes favoring mono-materials over multi-layer or multi-material designs to facilitate sorting and recycling processes.
ACTEGA's heat-seal coatings for menu trays eliminate the need for extrusion and film lamination and enable a mono-material structure. This not only makes the packaging more sustainable but also reduces EPR fees.
Good to know
Assessing recyclability by performance: From 2030, a new classification of material recyclability will be introduced, dividing packaging into classes A-C. While Class A packaging is characterized by easy recyclability and materials that are easy to handle in the recycling process (recyclability above 95%), Class C packaging is difficult to recycle or can only be recycled with specialized technologies and contains high levels of contaminants (recyclability below 70%). Class C packaging will be banned from 2035.
Less Packaging Waste
The PPWR aims to avoid packaging waste and optimize resources.
ACTEGA’s ECOLEAF on-demand metallization has reinvented the metallization process for labels. Because ECOLEAF only places metal flakes exactly where they are needed, it eliminates the need for PET carrier film and therefore foil reels. This significantly reduces waste and plastic consumption while enabling eye-catching metallic embellishments. Compared to traditional method, ECOLEAF currently achieves a carbon footprint reduction of more than 80%.
Improving Recycling
The PPWR aims to promote the reuse of packaging materials and to ensure that they are easy to recycle.
For packaging that requires a barrier effect, the industry often uses solutions such as multi-layer substrates. However, due to their poor recyclability, these materials represent a major drawback in terms of sustainability. ACTEGA’s ACTGreen® Barrier Coatings offer a more sustainable alternative. This product line includes both water-based barrier coatings and aqueous TPE dispersions (YUNICO®), that can be applied in the packaging, printing and paper industries.
The future of packaging is looking increasingly regulated, and companies that want to succeed will need to stay ahead of the curve.
Global Head of Sustainability
Replacing Substances of Concern
The PPWR aims to minimize or eliminate substances of concern, which means avoiding risks to human health and the environment. This also means replacing CMR and hazardous substances in product formulations.
ACTEGA’s PROVALIN® sealing compounds used for metal vacuum closures are the only existing PVC-free alternative to conventional PVC-materials. Neither PVC nor plasticizers are used in the production of PROVALIN® compounds. This prevents the migration of harmful substances - such as plasticizers - into the foodstuff.