Zotefoams’ sustainable alternative to beverage cartons wins award
Beverage cartons produced from Zotefoams’ ReZorce barrier material have been named a winner in the Sustainability (Overall Concept) category of the highly regarded German Packaging Award.
Announcing the decision, the judges described how packaging made of mono-material HDPE using a patented technology enables a layer to be created during extrusion. This provides barrier properties that can even allow the use of 30-70% mechanically recycled HDPE.
“ReZorce has been proven to reduce environmental impacts such as water and energy consumption by around 50% compared to conventional composite beverage cartons,” the judges concluded. “This makes this new packaging worthy of an award in the area of sustainability.”
Oliver Berndt, head of organisation of the German Packaging Award, notes how the traditional core functions of packaging are constantly being innovated and improved.
“At the same time, added value is created and new functions are added,” he continues. “This always happens with the customer’s requirements in mind and with remarkable gains in efficiency, safety, ecology, value for money, branding and convenience.”
The news comes in the same week that ReZorce is shortlisted in the Product Innovation Award category at the Reuters Sustainability Awards 2024, the winners of which will be announced at a ceremony in London on 1 October.
ReZorce beverage cartons, currently the subject of a Joint Development Agreement between Zotefoams and Refresco, perform the same as, or better than, standard composite liquid packaging board cartons, with the added distinction of delivering a significantly lower environmental impact. To ensure a straightforward transition for retailers, brand owners, manufacturers and consumers, it is compatible with all existing infrastructure in packaging technology, waste collection and sorting. Its patented multi-layer structure also enables recycled plastic to be incorporated within its core, in line with targets set out in the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations (EU PPWR).
Zotefoams, in partnership with Refresco, expects to conduct in-market trials of ReZorce for a major European retailer in the coming months, as a precursor to full commercialisation.
Neil Court-Johnston, president of Zotefoams’ MuCell Extrusion business unit, said: “Our team’s mission has been to develop a more sustainable, circular beverage carton as an alternative to the existing composite material and we are absolutely delighted that the judges of the German Packaging Award have recognised this.
“Achieving circularity – where products are recycled back into the same or similar items – is key to the sustainability of consumer packaging and we have been able to demonstrate that this is achievable at scale with ReZorce.”
The German Packaging Award is an international, cross-industry and cross-material competition and widely hailed one of the top awards of the packaging industry. Every year, the German Packaging Institute (dvi) honours innovative and creative packaging ideas, via a jury of experts from business, research, education and the media. The award ceremony and announcement of the Gold Award winners will take place at Fachpack on 24 September 2024.
