Mono Material Packaging and Its Recyclability Benefits
News 06 Apr 2022
What are Mono Materials?
A mono-material in its simplest form is a product that is only made of a single type of material. This is in direct contrast to multi-material packaging which is made out of various materials such as paper, fabric, metal, plastic and glass. As mono materials only consist of a single material, they are typically easier to recycle than products that are made from multiple materials.
Why are Mono Material Types of Packaging on the Rise?
When referring to flexible packaging as a whole, the types of resins, polymers and formats used to create flexible packaging broadly differs. As consumers become more environmentally savvy, they are making more eco-friendly purchasing decisions to reduce their carbon footprint. Due to this shift in purchasing behaviour by consumers, brand owners are increasingly looking to switch to mono-materials for their packaging in a bid to:
- Maximise the recyclability of their packaging materials
- Reduce their carbon footprint & impact on the environment
- Avoid plastic taxes
- Encourage purchases from the more environmentally savvy modern consumer
- Improve their brand’s perception
Currently, multi-material packaging is widely used in FMCG as it combines the functionalities of distinct materials. These packaging structures can enhance properties, such as resource-use efficiency and barrier performance leading to benefits such as prolonged shelf-life. However, these materials represent a challenge for existing recycling systems, confronting circular economy principles. Due to this, there is a large shift in brands switching from multi-material to mono-material packaging. This is evident in recent changes in major supermarkets, such as the Co-op, which has introduced packaging made of one polymer type to help increase recyclability amongst their consumers. Furthermore, Unilever has also launched a recyclable PP mono-material packaging solution in Turkey for Knorr dry soup powder. This is part of Unilever’s commitment that 100% of the plastic packaging used in its products are reusable, recyclable and compostable by 2025. Read more about why Mono Material Packaging is on the rise in our previous article.
Key Features of Mono Material Packaging
More and more regulators, retailers and consumers are demanding packaging that is both sustainable and also ensures optimal product preservation. As packaging serves a necessary function, it is vital the mono-material packaging you choose includes key barrier characteristics & technical functionalities to satisfy the product it contains. In our previous blog, we outlined the main characteristics of barrier packaging and detailed MVT and oxygen transfer rates and how these crucial elements must be able to satisfy the product packaging needs – not impacting the taste, smell or texture of the produce.
What are the Recyclability Benefits of Mono Materials?
As previously mentioned, it’s easier to recycle material made out of a single material than multiple materials, this is because there is no need to separate materials and attempt to recycle them individually. This is highlighted as most recycling centres are equipped for PE, PP and PET therefore the use of mono-material packaging makes the collecting, sorting and recycling of these materials more efficient. The recycling process for mono materials typically demand less energy and are more cost-effective than mixed materials, enabling recycling centres to also reduce their C02 emissions.
Our Mono Material Packaging Solution
Our EcoPack product is a mono-material flexible packaging paper that provides a one-side coated heat seal and moisture barrier FSC® certified paper. FSC® License Code C002557. If you are looking for a mono-material packaging solution that offers incredible oxygen and moisture vapour transmission rates, contact us to discuss switching to our premium EcoPack solution.