Baerlocher, a Germany-based provider of additives for polyolefins and thermoplastics, is showcasing its expertise in sustainable packaging solutions at the Plastics Recycling Show Europe (PRSE).
With tightening regulations such as the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), the packaging industry faces increasing demands to incorporate higher recycled content in flexible and rigid packaging. Baerlocher’s additive solutions are designed to help recyclers and converters overcome these challenges by enhancing the performance and processability of recycled materials.
Baerlocher has developed a proprietary resin stabilisation technology that prevents the thermal and oxidative degradation of polyolefins during mechanical recycling and moulding processes.
The company’s Baeropol portfolio is a range of customisable additive blends that work synergistically with phenolic antioxidants to stabilise polyolefin resins. As a result, these additives can help increase the amount of cost-effective recycled content incorporated in resin and film without impacting performance and appearance.
The company also works directly with recyclers to stabilise post-consumer resins. They can stabilise low-value consumer film waste during high-temperature melt filtration, enabling the film to be upcycled into a product suitable for reuse in blown film, and they can improve the colour of recycled content.
Solutions for flexible and rigid packaging
Baerlocher’s Baeropol product ranges offer high-performance, fully formulated additive packages. Unlike masterbatch additives, these products are supplied in a dust-free pastille form with 100% active content, making them easy to handle and highly efficient for recyclers.
As brands increase their use of recycled high-density polyethylene for detergent and personal care packaging, securing high-quality recyclate remains a challenge. Some converters have successfully addressed processing difficulties by incorporating Baeropol T-Blends, which enable the use of lower-quality feedstock while maintaining performance standards. This not only improves recyclate usability but also reduces production costs.
Film recyclers face significant challenges related to gel formation and degradation, which impact film integrity and production efficiency. Baeropol T-Blends, when introduced directly into the cutter-compactor unit using cost-effective volumetric feeders, enhance the quality of recycled polyethylene. The result is reduced gelling, fewer defects, and improved mechanical properties in blown film applications.
Source: sustainableplastics.com
