DISAPPEARING ACT: NEW PROTECTIVE PACKAGE USES

WATER-SOLUBLE FILM BARRIER TO OFFER RECYCLABILITY     

            A new recyclable protective packages marrying a water-soluble film with recycled corrugated board could answer the need for a reusable shipping container at low cost.

            Monosol, a Merrillville, IN-based film maker best known for its unit-dose, dissolving packaging for laundry and dishwasher detergent, partnered with Chicago-based packaging supplier ADE Inc. to produce a novel protective package. The corrugated box is lined with the water-soluble, polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) film, a thicker material substrate that is repulpable during recycling and will dissolve at 140 degrees F, said Monosol ceo P. Scott Bening.

            The companies are launching the CareNSol product for the shipment of fragile items to replace polystyrene (EPS) and polyurethane (PU) foam, two materials that can be difficult to recycle and reuse. The PVOH film offers at least similar moisture and humidity barrier properties as polyethylene or PU film without the problem of extracting the film before recycling, Bening said. The system was also designed to fold flat to save storage space compared to bulky plastic alternatives

            “The beauty now is that the entire package is curbside recyclable,” Bening said during an interview with Packaging Strategies. “There’s no separation of plastic needed, and there can be a multiple-use lifecycle for it as well.”          

            The package is being launched by TechTurn, an Austin, TX-based brand owner selling refurbished computer equipment. Techturn president Jeff Ziegler said the company helped design and test the new protective package. In the CareNSol package, the product sits in a protective hammock enclosed by a dust cover. The film also has anti-static properties, making it considerably less expensive than the use of anti-static film, Ziegler added.

            ADE and Monosol are considering other uses for the new packaging, including glass wine bottles that can be shipped overseas or flat-rate shipping boxes for consumer applications.

            The companies went to Western Michigan University to test for repulpabiity of the CareNSol package and ensure the film would not dissolve during shipments, Bening said.