SWEDEN – Blue Ocean Closures is teaming up with Swed-jam and Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) to explore the production of bio-based fiber lids to replace metal jar lids for jams.
The project is funded by Vinnova’s BioInnovation program to research and develops packaging substitutes using bio-based materials.
With various product types lacking alternatives to metal screw lids, Blue Ocean Closures says recyclable paper lids could potentially decrease over 500,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalents every year.
As well as cutting down on the number of harmful materials entering the environment, fiber lids are expected to meet the increasing demand for more sustainable packaging solutions.
Per Edström, program manager at BioInnovation said: “BioInnovation funds projects that pave the way for a circular bioeconomy, and this project is well qualified by addressing a clear market need for biobased replacements of metal lids with a potential to global market scale-up.”
Lars Sandberg, CEO at Blue Ocean Closures says that despite metal’s high recycling rates, “half of the lids used today come from new metal. As fiber has a 10-20 times lower carbon footprint, the savings are significant.”
This move comes shortly after Sherwin-Williams released a white paper outlining the European metal packaging industry and how it is predicted to grow as recycling requirements are introduced.
Sherwin-Williams says its metal can coatings ensure food safety, extend shelf life and reduce food spoilage and waste.
Its newest valPure V70 is Bisphenol A (BPA) free. The company created the coating without BPA as legislation is expected to bar the use of the ingredient and consumers’ hesitance to the chemical is increasing.
CanTech International estimates that Europeans use up to 50 billion cans yearly for water, soft drinks, alcohol and beer.
Over 70% of all aluminum cans are recycled globally, making them one of the most recycled packaging types on the planet, says the paper.
As the EU strives to reach ambitious goals enshrined within the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan, “policymakers and regulators continue to push for the prioritization of a sustainable packaging industry,” writes the paper.
Europe has also set a mission to achieve a sustainable packaging supply chain in the proposed PPWR. Sherwin-Williams says the PPWR will significantly reduce packaging waste in Europe by 2040 by encouraging reuse and recycling.
Under the proposal, EU member states would be required to reduce all packaging waste by 5% by 2030, 10% by 2035 and 15% by 2040. EU legislators are working to finalize the legislation by early 2024.
By 2030, countries in the EU need to ensure that at least 60% of all aluminum packaging is recycled. Other unreleased targets are likely to be set for the following decades, culminating in the overall goal of a climate-neutral European economy by 2050.
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