Innovia Films is launching a new family of recyclable biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films it has dubbed Encore.
The films are manufactured from renewable, non-food-based raw materials, which the company says helps to reduce the use of fossil-based virgin raw materials.
Innovia says the Encore packaging and labelling film range will have exactly the same properties as equivalent fossil-based BOPP film: high clarity and gloss, high stiffness, excellent water vapour barrier, and printability.
Encore has already been assessed by Interseroh, an independent German recycling and consulting company. It received the company’s highest rating, confirming the films are fully recyclable.
Steve Langstaff, business manager, packaging at Innovia, said, “We have calculated, using our in-house life cycle analysis (LCA) programme, that by using renewable polymer we can determine that Encore films offer reductions in [cradle to gate] carbon footprint. The Encore film range has an International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) using a mass balance approach. They are suitable for use in all market segments currently using BOPP films.”
The first two grades of Encore film to be launched will be announced in the coming weeks, one will be a low temperature heat seal film for packaging and one for pressure sensitive labelling applications.
Langstaff said, “This represents the first step in our journey to produce more sustainable films, with the next step being products that contain recycled post-consumer content. We have agreements in place and hope to be able to launch the first of these in 2022.”
