Presentation of the first juice packaging prototype made with a bioplastic material obtained from the wastewater of the juice industry  

The companies Tetra Pak (Sweden) and Avantium (the Netherlands) will also present their developments in more sustainable packaging for juices. The former, a carton packaging made of renewable materials (Tetra Rex) and the latter, the new bottles made with a bioplastic (PEF) that has better performance than conventional petroleum-based plastics (PET).

Brusells, April 14, 2016 – The results of the European project PHBOTTLE will be presented at an international workshop organized by AINIA Technological Centre and the European Fruit Juice Association (AIJN). The project developed the first prototype of packaging for juices made from PHB, a biodegradable bioplastic material obtained from organic residues of the wastewater from the juice industry.

This packaging is the result of four years of R&D work in the framework of the European project PHBOTTLE, pioneer in its field in the development of the concept of "Circular Economy" that drives the EU in its commitment to innovation and sustainable technological development, under the 7^th Framework Program. The prototype packaging PHBOTTLE was obtained from the transformation of organic matter (mainly sugars) present in the wastewater of the juice industry into a bioplastic material. This material was enhanced with antioxidants to increase the shelf life of the juice, as well as its resistance characteristic. Progress has been made possible by combining the latest advances in biotechnology, packaging and microencapsulation technologies, to demonstrate the value of organic waste from the juice industries as raw material to produce packaging for their products.

PHBOTTLE, a project coordinated by AINIA, brought together an international consortium composed of the European Fruit Juice Association (AIJN), the companies Citresa (part of Suntory multinational), Logoplaste Innovation Lab (Portugal), Logoplaste (Brazil), Omniform (Belgium), Sivel Ltd (Bulgaria), and Mega Empack (Mexico), as well as the technology centres TNO (the Netherlands), Aimplas (Spain), and INTI (National Institute of Industrial Technology, Argentina).

Latest innovation in packaging materials made with biopolymers

The present and future of bioplastics in the juice industry in Europe will be debated in the workshop: the latest in bioplastic materials (those obtained from alternative sources to petrochemicals) and some of their applications in packaging for fruit juices will be presented.

Reflecting on the value of using renewable sources to obtain new packaging materials and learning how to apply these new materials in juice packaging, their development, production processes, limitations and potentials..., from cases and experiences of the companies in the sector who are pioneers in this field will be other objectives of the workshop.

In addition, the Swedish multinational Tetra Pak will present Tetra Rex, a new type of package that is made of fully renewable materials. And the Dutch multinational Avantium will explain the development of bottles made of PEF, a bioplastic with improved properties compared to conventional PET (plastic).

The momentum of bioplastics and a commitment to more sustainable packaging

The EU produces annually more than 67 million tonnes of packaging waste, of which about one-third is municipal solid waste. In developed countries, food packaging accounts for 60% of all packaging, becoming the main generator of waste.

With this workshop, the PHBOTTLE project partners, well as the other participants in the event, aim to transfer to the sector the knowledge generated and demonstrate how innovative and sustainable solutions can be incorporated in food packaging, through discussion and assessment of the opportunities offered by new technologies and the development of new packaging materials obtained from organic sources alternative to petrochemicals.

WORKSHOP:

Biopolymers: Present and Future Direction

DATE: 18 April 2016

TIME: 09h00 – 14h30

PLACE: Silken Berlaymont Hotel, Boulevard Charlemagne 11, 1000, Brussels

This is a free entry event

For reporters and bloggers interested in information, interviews and/or participation in the event, contact: Lurdes Soares: [email protected]; Eva Sánchez [email protected]