Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics partnered with French company Leygapack (subsidiary of Leygatech) for marketing PacXpert packaging technology on the French, British, Irish and Belgian markets.
It comes in 1-20 litres, offers fitment closure and integrated dual handles, for pouring, reclosing and carrying.
Market opportunities
Jean-Matthieu Brouillat, development and purchasing at Leygatech, said he was optimistic for the packaging in the food market.
“Dow came to us because we were purchasing resin from them and they were presenting this new packaging, they took the global licence and we collaborate for the French, UK and Ireland markets because we think it’s a great packaging,” he told FoodProductionDaily at Emballage 2014, Paris.
“We invested in the equipment and we make the film and have supporters for the filling and labelling and for the main global player like Nestlé or Unilever, they can be interested in working with Dow as it’s a big name.
“We make the film in co-extrusion, the spout and the cap are sourced outside and then we seal the film and the spout. So we developed this packaging designed for all flowable products.”
The package claims to bring storage savings of over 25 times compared to rigid packaging and up to 40% optimized volume when filled due to its cubic shape.
Dow Packaging told us the flexible stand-up pouch is being promoted as an alternative to rigid containers during the Interpack trade show.
Replacing rigid packaging
Brouillat said the major benefit of replacing rigid with flexible packaging is to save space.
“Also it is practical to use, when you have a truck of jerry cans in 5L its 7,000 in our case its 80,000 so there is a lot of savings in transport in the storage, instead of a full truck you have only one pallet with the same volume,” he said.
“When it’s packed you save 20-30% because of the cubic shape and there is less material used so the carbon impact is less.”
The material is recyclable but there can be a problem when packaging contains leftover product, meaning it could be more expensive to clean it.
Brouillat said it is working on a solution which is easier to recycle.
“Of course the problem is what’s inside will always be leftover even if it is 99% off there is always this small contamination but if it is all polyolefin it can be recycled in the recycling bin and re-used clean.
“If the recycling can be optimised at the end it will be even better and after that it is society’s choice.”
Dow has also signed partnerships with Darplas, in Latin America, O. KLEINER in Switzerland and Ampac in North America for the packaging format.