100 % recycled materials

Sustainable materials for sustainable packaging

Environmental considerations have never been as relevant as they are today, especially in the packaging industry. Good manufacturers are aware of the packaging carbon footprint and for this reason are constantly looking at sustainable packaging solutions, that do not get lost in the environment, but are instead recycled. SMI has constantly been investing in R&D in order to test innovative packaging materials, capable of combining functionality and sustainability, and above all to develop cutting-edge solutions for processing them. Some examples are represented by rPET (the preforms made of this material are processed by SMI stretch-blow moulders and integrated blowing-filling and capping systems), ARCWISE® cardboard (worked by SMI WP and MP packers) and 100 % recycled film (processed by SMI shrink wrappers).

rPET

The three Rs (Reduce – Reuse - Recycle) are making the difference and can no longer be considered only as a trend; they are instead a need expressed by beverage and food manufacturers, as well as by consumers. The latter are paying more and more attention to environmental issues and that's why they tend to prefer companies that show awareness and attention to sustainability. RPET is the most common way to significantly contribute to the creation of a green packaging and to actively adhere to the circular economy approach.
Here are the main reasons for it:

• rPET products can be reused and recycled over and over again. Therefore, the need to create virgin PET is reduced
• rPET is lightweight compared to other packaging material, so transportation costs are cut and carbon footprint is reduced
• rPET bottles are transparent and shatter-proof
• rPET plastics is safe for food and beverage packaging
• the creation of rPET needs 75 % less energy than PET

SMI has been investing in R&D and made its blow moulding machines suitable for processing rPET containers.
Find out the solutions for manufacturing rPET bottles SMI has recently supplied and discover the machine that best fits your needs (link).

ARCWISE® cardboard

“Future is round”: that's the slogan of the Swedish company SCA, manufacturer and inventor of the famous Arcwise® technology, that enables to create curved packaging and to comply with circular economy. Arcwise® technology enables the design of curved packaging with unique appearance, making products stand out on the shelf. The choice of this packaging is an advantage in terms not only of brand strengthening , but also environmental sustainability. In particular:

• Arcwise® packaging is renewable and biodegradable
• By using Arcwise® technology, it is possible to achieve material savings of up to 30 %
• Box weight is up to 30 % lower, with great advantages during the transport phase
• Carbon footprint is reduced up to 30 %

In addition to advantages in terms of design and sustainability, Arcwise® packaging also provides extra protection to the goods: in particular packs feature high stability, are easy to stack and therefore deformation risk and stretching damage are considerably reduced. SMI case packers and multipack packers can process Arcwise® cardboard in order to create wrap-around boxes or cardboard clusters, that represent an advantageous choice for those companies that want to improve their environmental compatibility standards in their production.

100 % recycled film

With the focus on sustainable issues, many good manufacturers have opted for cardboard packaging solutions, preferring them over film packaging solutions, for sustainable reasons. However, with SMI, if you are looking for eco-friendly packaging, you will have a double choice: cardboard packaging or 100 % recycled film packaging.
100 % recycled film is suitable for all secondary packaging applications and can be processed by all SMI shrink wrappers.
Its quality is as high as the one of non-recyclable film; moreover it can be printed, thus giving brand high visibility and acting as a marketing tool. As a result, the high quality of the pack is ensured.