Raepak now offers a Biopolymer alternative to help combat climate change. These new bottles are manufactured from sugarcane waste and have huge benefits for the environment.
The benefits of using Biopolymer plastic is helping with several climate issues. These include:
1. Lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduced carbon footprint
2. Made from renewable raw materials
3. Derived from sugarcane waste not from oil
4. No deforestation
5. No atmospheric CO2
6. Fits back into the recycling chain
7. No difference in performance or colour
8. The manufacturing process is the same
9. Can be combined with PCR material.
As Raepak is a global supplier of plastic packaging products they feel highly responsible in offering up an immediate alternative. These new biopolymer bottles are totally recyclable and provide a genuine direct replacement for standard HDPE and PET fossil-based plastics.
This gives the packaging industry more choice when considering a plastic bottle for domestic and commercial liquid contents.
“Until we develop a new biodegradable product that has the same benefits as BIOPOLYMER, HDPE or PET we need to work with what actually works for our target market. Investment is going into looking at alternative biodegradable options, however these need more time to make sure they can store products safely and have a sufficient shelf life,” says Andrew Paterson, Owner of Raepak Ltd.
Raepak offer two biopolymer options which include a 100% Bio made bottle or a 50% PCR (Post Consumer Regrind) Bottle. PCR is plastic that has been reprocessed to be used in manufacturing new plastic products such as bottles or jars. PRC also conserves energy and non-renewable resources as recycling replaces the need for extraction of new materials.
The future is on the horizon.
Biodegradable product options have been successfully trialed with blowmoulded HDPE, PP bottles, jars, caps and polyethylene tubes. A blend of oxo-biodegradable ingredients is mixed with the polymer in the manufacturing process. This breaks down the product by making it brittle, which shortens the overall degradability time. Instead of hundreds of years, the plastic can start to break down in 5 years. This is a great alternative for plastic products that are unlikely to be recycled.
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