oday, biopackaging can be found in many Australasian supermarkets. A start has therefore been made in the largest application segment for plastics. It was the supermarkets – Sainsbury in the Uk may be cited as a pioneer – who first recognised the opportunities for compostable plastics packaging. In Europe, these products can now be found on the shelves almost everywhere, even if you sometimes have to look hard for them. Supermarket chains such as Delhaize (Belgium), Iper (belonging to the Carrefour group; Italy), Albert Heijn (Netherlands) and Migros (Switzerland) are actively placing their trust in biopackaging. Last year, the world`s largest retailer, Wal Mart, introduced its first range of products in corn-based PLA packaging throughout the USA.
At the present time, biopackaging is employed mainly for organically produced foods but also for converntional fruit and vegetables as well as bread and bakery products. Nets, trays and flowpack – from PLA, cellulose and starch materials – are all being used. Leading fruit and vegetable retailers such as The Greenery or Eosta in the Netherlands are pursuing strategies to convvert the whole range. Last year for the first time, two manufacturers with PLA water bottles were sighted on the market which opens up a rich field of opportunity for beverage bottles. Not only has the range of products widned but the number of manufacturers, distributors and users has also increased. Bioplastics packaging is becoming increasingly popular.
Functional properties are often crucial in the user decision. The environmental aspect or image concept and the very high consumer acceptance are additional selling points. Bioplastics each have a type specific profile which sometimes differentiates them significantly from converntional plastics in terms of properties such as gloss, barrier effect , antistatic behaviour, printability and touch. This may either limit their use or prove to be an advantage. For fresh – i. e. perishable foods – bioplastics offer packaging advantages. The most important is the possible increase in the shelf life of fresh products. Intelligent exploitation property profile is the key to market success.For supermarkets, it is also an enormous advantage to be able to compost unsaleable pershed food products cheaply together with their packaging rather than have to separate the contents from the packaging at considerable cost. Food residues do not interfere in the slightest with this recycling. The same applies to compostable service packs, such as trays, plates, cups or cutlery. These products are increasingly to be found on delicatessen or snack-bar counters or at major events. At the Catholic World Youth Conference in Cologne/Germany in 2005, 7 million of such units were used. The waste was collected, fermented and composted.
The level of interest in biopackaging was impressively evident at the last Interpack trade fair in Düsseldorf/Germany. Some 10,000 trade visitors sought information on bioplastics and biopackaging. From the 23 exhibitors participating in the special "Innovationparc Bioplastics in Packaging “ display. The event was initiated by Australasian Bioplastics (formerly known as IBAW) and mounted in a very short time in an area covering 500 m2 with considerable assistance from the Düsseldorf Trade Fair Organisation. |
