Dairy Processing - March/April 2023 - 45

Carroll said there is currently work being done to
see if dairy byproducts can be used to create packaging.
Additionally, he said the efforts to boost the availability
of post-recycled content are important as more states are
creating laws requiring a certain level of such content in
various products.
" It's much better if we are ahead of it, " Carroll said.
Leaders in the recycling industry also agree on the
importance of such preventive action and forward thinking.
" We are seeing more packaging shift to recyclable
materials such as high-density plastics and polypropylene, "
said Brent Bell, vice president of recycling for Waste
Management. " These are materials that have really good
end markets and make the recyclability easier. With
minimum content regulation in certain states, we know the
demand for these types of materials will grow and the dairy
industry utilizing recyclable packaging is critical for the
circular economy. "
Carbon reduction and recyclability take
center stage in packaging development
SIG, a packaging supplier based
in Neuhausen, Switzerland, is focusing
on three key pillars of circularity
in packaging development.
The pillars include sourcing
post-consumer recycled polymers,
designing products for recycling,
and encouraging post-consumer
collection and recycling, said Ryan
Balock, director of global marketing
and communications for SIGowned
Scholle IPN, Northlake, Ill.
SIG now produces all its aseptic
carton packs with FSC-certified
paperboard and 100% ASI-certified
aluminum, and the production process
involves using 100% renewable
electricity along with certified offsets
for all non-renewable energy.
Materials in the company's SIGNATURE
portfolio also reduce carbon
by up to 58% compared with their
standard aseptic cartons, and the
packaging is designed to be fully
recyclable. SIGNATURE EVO packaging
contains no aluminum layer
while still functioning as a full-barrier
solution for aseptic cartons.
A large portion of SIG's foodservice
dairy bag-in-box bags are
already mono-material and recycle-ready.
In 2020 they launched
SIGNATURE CIRCULAR as aseptic
cartons linked to post-consumer recycled
polymer content, and in 2022
they launched a bag-in-box linked
to post-consumer recycled content.
" As regulations for post-consumer
recycled plastics in food-grade
packaging begin to evolve and
production of this type of polymer
increases, we expect costs to reduce
to a point where the financial
barriers of incorporating circular
polymers into our aseptic carton,
bag-in-box and spouted pouch
packaging are lower, " Balock said.
Their SIG NEO filling line can
help customers cut overall water
use by up to 60% and greenhouse
gas emissions per filled carton
pack by 25%, Ballock said.
By collaborating with industry
associations including 4evergreen
and the Consumer Goods Forum,
SIG is working to increase recycling
rates. The fiber that makes up their
cartons can be separated and easily
recycled at paper mills, and they
are working to increase recycling
capacity for the remaining polymer
and aluminum. They also support
a stronger regulatory framework
backing recycling, including
measures that increase producer
responsibility. Raising consumer
awareness and supporting the development
of innovative models for
collection are also a focus.
" We are committed not just to
increasing collection and recycling
rates for carton packs as they are
designed today, but to designing
our carton packs to support increased
circularity in the future, "
Balock said. " Our solutions without
aluminum layer play an important
role in this, as they offer
the potential to simplify the recycling
process for beverage cartons
- with just two materials to separate
rather than three, and to enhance
the quality of the recycled
polymers recovered, ultimately
helping to turn more used packs
into valuable resources that can be
used again. "
DAIRYPROCESSING.COM | MAR-APR 2023 45
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