Winners of German Packaging Award take sustainability to next level

Solution: ElifProLite – A Recyclable High Barrier Laminate
Company: Elif Plastik Ambalaj San. Ve Tic. A.Ş

Even packaging with very high barrier requirements needs to be 100% recyclable by 2025. This is a common challenge. Elif is meeting this challenge with ElifProLite, a PP mono-material structure for high-speed packaging applications.

The solution has been developed to ensure a long minimum shelf life and high aroma protection with its high barrier. The high water vapor barrier of 0.5 g/m²/24h, oxygen barrier of 0.1 cc/m²/24h and light barrier is achieved with metallization and without further barriers such as EVOH or PVDC. The packaging is confirmed in independent tests to have good recyclability.

Solution: suPErtube
Company: LINHARDT GmbH & Co. KG

suPErtube is made with over 25% reduction in material. Significantly increased recyclability is achieved due to a mono-material solution made of HDPE for both the tube body and the closure, and all this using up to 100% PCR for the tube body.

Solution: SPQ (Sustainable Print Quality)
Companies: SÜDPACK Verpackungen GmbH & Co. KG, Goldsteig

Fast-moving, smaller batch sizes, higher flexibility combined with high quality and sustainability are the big challenges in packaging printing. SÜDPACK has transferred the advantages of digital technology to the flexographic printing process.

Consistent standardization throughout the process chain and end-to-end color management have made it possible to meet stringent demands of brand owners with this fixed 7-colour system.

By eliminating special colors and reducing the number of printing plates, this could reduce the production waste and carbon footprint typical of the process without compromising on print quality.

Solution: ReCo3 – Bottles Made From Recycled Material
Submitted by: W. Müller GmbH

The sustainable bottles from W. Müller GmbH are produced using a 3-layer co-extrusion process, with a middle layer of PCR and a thin inner and outer layer each of virgin material.

The jury specifically recognized the consistent use of grey PCR plastic (up to 70%), which is a by-product of recycling but is used less in FMCG packaging than the lighter grades.

The inner and outer layers of the bottles are made of virgin plastic, making them suitable for cosmetic packaging for rinse-off and leave-on products.

Solution: PP Mono Blister
Company: Etimex Primary Packaging GmbH

Thermoformed tablet/capsule blisters are traditionally sealed with aluminum foil where this material mix obviously impedes recyclability.

The new single-material design of blister and sealing foil made of PP makes the blister completely recyclable. The PP sealing film retains the functionality (opening) of the previous aluminum sealing film, making it an impressive packaging system with higher sustainability.

Solution: hvb HiPack Multifood Packaging System
Company: hvb Innova AG

This intelligent packaging system combines a conventional cardboard tray with a lid made of transparent PET. This provides good product protection and presentation. The stable, stackable packaging can be easily integrated into automated logistics processes.

The two individual parts can be stacked inside each other to save space and can simply be recycled separately after use. The connection feature of the two components means it can be resealed over and over again.

It can easily be adapted to a wide variety of formats and carton qualities, and meet different requirements such as moisture resistance, microwave-suitability or heat resistance.

Solution: EcoStretch – A Circular Solution For Stretch Sleeves
Company: CCL Label

Stretch sleeves in the main are a lost component in the recycling process. CCL Label has developed a closed-loop system that allows the sleeves of returnable PET containers to be fully recycled.

The bottler removes the sleeves from the return bottles. Then, CCL Label takes back the removed sleeves, removes the ink and recycles a very high proportion of the substrate (approximately 98%) into new sleeve films.