Dairy Processing - November/December 2023 - 50

PACKAGING
challenge moving from these formats to using mono materials
that are easier to recycle.
" There are good opportunities for high-density
polyethylene rigid packaging in the dairy industry, " Izquierdo
said. " It's relatively easy to separate and reprocess. "
Producing recyclable packaging materials at scale can
also be a challenge. Packaging lines are optimized to run with
traditional materials at high speed, and Izquierdo said lines
must often slow down when they switch to different types of
materials out of concern for maintaining the integrity of the
products. This means many companies need to modify their
lines or invest in new packaging equipment.
" In many cases, (companies are) doing retrofits just to be
able to work with different materials and hopefully keep those
machines running as fast as possible and as productive as
possible, " Izquierdo said.
Overall, this is creating a need for product manufacturers
to work closer with original equipment manufacturers and
material manufacturers.
" The expectation is that OEMs and materials
manufacturers can work ahead and share their experience on
the best ways to implement new materials in operations and
hopefully shorten the time required to optimize alignment, "
Izquierdo said.
Given the overall inflationary environment, reducing
the cost of recyclable materials is also of key importance.
Collecting large volumes of recyclable materials and creating
an economy that incentivizes recycling will be one of the most
effective ways to bring down the cost.
50 NOV-DEC 2023 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
" The majority of consumers are still relying heavily on the
brands and retailers to provide a sustainable solution without
passing the burden cost to them, " said Kim Detrick, marketing
manager for dairy and food specialty containers with Amcor
Rigid Packaging. " It continues to improve as more education,
regulations and adaptions to new processes and commitments
are provided and adhered in the consumers' daily lives. "
Working with brands, retailers and recyclers across
industries to see if it will be feasible to test product residue
with the goal of determining if a package can be classified
as " clean and dry " and eligible for a store drop-off label is
another initiative for Amcor, said Travis Klug, dairy marketing
manager at Amcor Flexibles North America. Achieving this
distinction is currently difficult for cheese packaging.
Amcor is also partnering with global and regional
groups to accelerate the growth of recycling infrastructure.
To this end, the company's recycling partnerships involve
collaboration with communities and recycling facilities,
including material recovery facilities, processors, and
secondary processors to improve opportunities, Klug said.
NEXT GENERATION OF PACKAGING
A range of new packaging products have been developed to
advance shelf-life and sustainability, and they also set the
stage for future innovations.
ProAmpac's ProActive Recyclable R-400 is a product
especially designed for cheeses, and the ProActive Recyclable
RP-1000 is a fiber-based packaging alternative.
" These options not only prioritize sustainability but
TetraPak
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Dairy Processing - November/December 2023

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