PHARMACEUTICAL PACKAGING: FIRST COMPOSTABLE STICK PACK MADE OF BIO-BASED RAW MATERIALS
Mix-Me, the multivitamin and multimineral nutritional supplement produced by DSM Nutritional Products, designed to combat malnutrition in developing countries and already distributed for years in numerous countries reaching millions of consumers, now comes to the market in a compostable pack with high renewable raw material content and low environmental impact.
The packaging is the fruit of collaboration between Novamont and its production chain partners.
Düsseldorf – Novara, 19 October 2022 - K, the world’s leading trade fair for plastics and rubber, taking place in Düsseldorf from 19 to 26 October 2022, will see the launch of the first stick pack for a powdered multivitamin and multimineral supplement made of a paper laminate and Novamont Mater-Bi bioplastic film which is compostable and recyclable together with household food waste.
A highly innovative application, which arises from the will of DSM Nutritional products to offer a highly sustainable product without compromising the quality and stability of the product.
This packaging solution is the result of Novamont's collaboration with Ticinoplast, SAES Coated Films and Gualapack, an entirely Italian industrial chain that has been engaged in intensive joint research and development for years. This association is based on the companies’ respective expertise in biodegradable materials, functional materials and the transformation of these materials for the packaging sector, focusing in particular on regenerating resources and decarbonising production processes.
Unlike conventional packaging – employing PET, aluminium and PE – the new packaging is made of paper and film in Mater-Bi – the Novamont bioplastic produced from raw materials of agricultural origin. This means it is compostable in accordance with standard EN 13432, with a bio-based raw material content of over 65%.
The water-based biodegradable coating technology Coathink® from SAES Coated Films provides a high water vapour and oxygen barrier, necessary for optimum preservation of the powdered product and its micronutrient content throughout its shelf life. The pack is compatible with traditional automatic packaging lines thanks to its excellent sealability properties. The innovative pack not only guarantees shelf life and productivity similar to traditional laminates, but also solves the difficulties of recycling small packaging made from non-separable laminated materials.
About NOVAMONT
Novamont is a Benefit Company, certified B Corporation, world leader in the production of bioplastics and the development of biochemicals and bioproducts through the integration of chemistry, environment and agriculture. With 650 employees, the group has a turnover of approximately 414 million euros and constantly invests in research and innovation (50 million euros in 2021, employing 20% of staff); it holds approximately 1,400 patents and patent applications. It has headquarters in Novara, production plants in Terni, Bottrighe (Rovigo province) and Patrica (Frascati province) and research laboratories in Novara, Terni and Piana di Monte Verna (Caserta province). It has set up a joint venture with Versalis (Eni group) in Porto Torres (Sassari province) and a company for the development and distribution of agricultural solutions with Coldiretti. It is active abroad with offices in Germany, France, Spain and the United States. Through its distributors it has a presence in more than 40 countries on all continents. In 2021 it acquired BioBag International, a world leader in the development, production and marketing of certified biodegradable and compostable applications, with headquarters in Askim (Norway), a production plant in Dagö (Estonia) and a presence in 9 other countries worldwide.
About SAES COATED FILMS
SAES Coated Films is a SAES® Group company which designs, produces and deposits high barrier coatings on a wide range of plastic or bioplastic films for food and industrial flexible packaging. Through its innovative water-based coating technology, the company provides high barrier solutions that enable the eco-design of recyclable or compostable packaging. Building on the scientific expertise developed by SAES over almost 80 years, the company supports its customers in the process of developing and validating new packaging structures that meet their functionality and sustainability goals.
About TICINOPLAST
Headquartered in Pogliano Milanese for over 50 years, Ticinoplast extrudes blown polyethylene film for food, medical and industrial packaging. The company is among the sector’s technology leaders and is globally recognised as one of the most innovative on the flexible products market. It has a production capacity of over 15,000 tonnes/year, it sells both in Italy and internationally and is ISO9001, BRC GS Packaging Materials and ISCC PLUS certified.
About GUALAPACK
Gualapack is the world's leading manufacturer of pre-made pouches with spouts, and is a key player in the flexible packaging sector and in the production of laminates, caps and pouches for baby food, snacks, pharmaceuticals and countless other applications. The company is committed to sustainability, which in recent years has proven to be the most powerful driver of its growth and innovation.
For information:
Francesca De Sanctis - +39 340 1166426 francesca.desanctis@novamont.com