TPE for Pet Products
In the form of its SOFT EST.® TPEs, ACTEGA offers a range of materials specifically for the manufacture of pet products, such as durable dog toys, thus meeting an ever-increasing demand arising in parallel to the growing pet sector. After all, almost half of all households currently have an animal family member.
These thermoplastic elastomers are a durable and sustainable alternative to the classic elastomers used in dog toys. They also impress with their performance and aesthetics.
Gone to the dogs
The pet market is booming. The number of pets has increased by more than 50 percent since 2010. And Corona has significantly strengthened this trend even more. According to statistics, the number of pets increased by one million in the first year of the pandemic alone. Probably also because working from home made it easier to opt for a pet. Through Corona – and this is already indicated by the trends emerging in the last decade – humans have not only come to love dogs.
Feelings, attention, petting, physical closeness – all of these fell short during the Corona pandemic. Many people sought friendship and comfort in pets. Since the first lockdown, there has been a run on pets, whether kittens, puppies or small animals. And not only cats and dogs need exercise, activity and fun. This also applies to rabbits, guinea pigs etc.
This is accompanied by an industry that is now worth billions: the pet economy. The German pet industry alone has a turnover of around 5.5 billion euros with ready-made food, products and accessories ranging from dog leashes to bird cages.
Hard-wearing products for the new addition to the family
Today, animals are regarded as real members of the family. As a result, a new world of goods and services for animals has developed, entirely in line with the trends for humans. Just as GMO-free, gluten-free, vitamin-enriched or even vegan food can now be found in pet bowls, the trend in commodities such as animal toys has also developed toward more sustainable materials.
Since, unlike elastomers, TPEs are recyclable, they represent a sustainable alternative for dog toys. Even the production of the granulate requires less energy than soft PVC and the potential for migration of undesirable substances is minimized. “Sustainability means that today’s generation must satisfy its needs in such a way that future generations can still meet their own needs. We are extremely aware of this and therefore we are committed to this obligation and consistently implementing measures to conserve resources,” says Florian Schindler, Head of Business Development at ACTEGA. “Therefore, on the one hand, our focus is on PVC substitution and freedom from questionable plasticizers, e.g. in the area of closures or in medical technology, but also on particularly durable materials, such as our SOFT EST. ® 1150 TP, which is much more durable compared to other material solutions. This is also an important contribution to the topic of sustainability.”
Transparency, purest raw materials, bite resistance
Only the purest, cleanest raw materials are used for SOFT EST.® TPEs, which are food-safe (according to EU 10/2011 and FDA regulations). The material is manufactured exclusively using food-safe ingredients and does not contain any PVC, BPA, latex, phthalates, or allergenic softeners.
The material is highly transparent. And this crystal-clear material offers a very high gloss level, which ensures the special aesthetic appearance of the end product. Transparency also simplifies cleaning after playing, as it is easier to see whether dirt is still adhering to the chew toy.
Particularly with dog toys, it is important to pay attention to their special bite resistance and tear resistance and thus durability. This is also an aspect of sustainability. For pet owners and pets, it is important that the toy does not chew up too quickly and that it remains aesthetically pleasing for a long time. This shows that the SOFT EST.®1150 TP material has a significantly higher bite resistance compared to other soft elastic plastics. Furthermore, the SOFT EST.®1150 TP TPE compound with Shore hardness A-50 convinces with its tear resistance.
SOFT EST.® materials are easy to injection-mold and have excellent flow properties. These materials also comply with the materials for use in children’s toys in accordance with the following standards: Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), European Product Safety Standard EN 71, and ASTM International’s Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety (F963).. The ProvaMed® formulations for tube materials can be sterilized and display outstanding processing characteristics.
Do you have any questions? Contact us and we will be happy to advise you on your individual requirements.
Our brands for pet products
SOFT EST®
TPE products specially tailored to the demands of manufacturers of consumer goods applications.