ExxonMobil and Thanh Phu Collaborate to Push the Boundaries for PE/PE Laminated Flexible Packaging Solutions
ExxonMobil and Thanh Phu, a leading Vietnamese manufacturer of flexible packaging, have collaborated to push the boundaries for a 100 percent polyethylene (PE) solution to address the market’s demand for a more recyclable solution for laminated packaging.
Recycling of laminated packaging has been a long-standing challenge for the packaging industry because of the mix of materials that make up its structure. The cost and effort required to separate the polyolefin layer from its laminates, like polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) or oriented polypropylene (OPP), are complex and is an issue for packaging recycling companies.
The ability to replace conventional laminated packaging with packaging that can be recycled will allow the industry to take a significant step towards developing solutions with more benefits that consumers are demanding.
“Our collaboration with Thanh Phu has resulted in a solution for a laminated flexible package that can be recycled in the same collection stream as PE by using our Exceed™ XP – when eXtreme Performance matters --, Exceed™ and Enable™ performance polymers and their proprietary film conversion technology,” said Haridass Kalidas, Asia Pacific performance polyethylene marketing manager, ExxonMobil Chemical.
Flexible films with outstanding mechanical properties and superior optics, such as high gloss and transparency, with good thickness variation control are possible with these polymers, compared to conventional polyethylene films.
“This is a true synergy between material science and conversion technology innovation. We have changed the cradle-to-grave cycle into a more responsible cradle-to-cradle concept,” said Alex Dam, executive vice president, Thanh Phu. “Our aim is to have a full PE alternative to conventional laminated solutions without compromising performance, while maintaining an attractive cost-efficiency ratio.”
