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Costruzioni Meccaniche Luigi Bandera S.p.A., the biggest Italian manufacturer of extrusion machinery and equipment for the plastic materials industry, worldwide leader, realistically shows the whole sector that the use of sustainable raw materials is a viable solution.
The use of plastics, an essential component of our contemporary economy, has increased twenty times over the past fifty years and a growing trend of double that quantity is the forecast for the next twenty years. The concern grows for sustainability for the industries of the plastics sector, not only from the undeniably important ethical aspect, but also from the practical aspect of sustainability of the plastics sector itself. In fact, 15% of plastic packaging materials are recycled worldwide, versus the well over 35% of European countries.
The recent G7 Meeting in Canada focused on this issue from several different facets. Specifically speaking, they set to reach by 2030 the objective to recycle and reuse 55% of the plastic packaging materials produced.
Even more so, this percentage is subject to grow by 2040, by which time they foresee to reclaim 100% of all plastics produced. Conversely, on the side of research, innovation and new technologies, they committed to develop alternative solutions to cut down the environmental impact of plastics.
From this very concern stems Bandera's will to manifest the attitudes that have always characterized its actions, so much so for them to become a mission in time.
In fact, this company oriented towards innovation and sustainability of both processes and materials, has chosen to exteriorize this mission with its new communication campaign, PACKAGING FORWARD, focused exclusively on developing consciousness over the issue of the circular economy of plastic materials.
Innovation as an operating principle is the key of success for this company, known for its great tradition, operating in the sector of plastics for over 70 years to present.
Bandera has always manifested a very strong pioneering attitude, operating in favor of transforming biodegradable or recycled materials and striving to achieve always more lightweight packaging products. These are only a few of many more instances we could cite in this respect.
Bandera has designed and is manufacturing an industrial scale extrusion line – to be made available to packaging material manufacturers - dedicated to exploring and studying the productive capabilities of both, biological and recycled materials. This line will be operating, as of September 2018, at the Bandera R&D Centre so Bandera's efforts have gone well beyond laboratory studies.
During the BioPlastics 2018 Workshop, planned in cooperation with NatureWorks – global producer of biopolymers derived from natural sources – held on Tuesday, June 26, at the House of Extrusion®, the Research & Development Centre of Bandera - Busto Arsizio (VA), it was possible to view operating a flat die extrusion line dedicated to PLA processing.
"We are dealing with a polymer which is produced by 100% renewable sources and affords numerous advantages" explains Mark Vergauwen, Commercial Director for Europe at NatureWorks. "transparency and high rigidity which allow producing lightweight packaging materials".
"Consequently," asserts Andrea Rigliano, General Sales Director at Bandera, "the challenge of the years to come for Bandera is promoting research to reduce the demand for materials that are not renewable and operating in favor of a circular economy. The purpose of this to the improvement of the quality of life for consumers, and to the generation of new profits for packaging material manufacturers."
