Summary:

Enhancing recyclability in package design is a key strategy for reducing environmental impact and promoting sustainability. By adopting practices that improve the recyclability of products, manufacturers can make a difference. They can contribute to a more circular economy while meeting the growing demand for eco-friendly products. Through thoughtful design and material selection, manufacturers can create innovative products that pave the way to a more sustainable future.

Who should attend:

Designers, Engineers, OEMs, Brand Owners, Sustainability Managers, and Marketers Engaged in Package Development. 

What you will learn:

Increasing the usage of post-consumer recycled resin and reducing the amount of plastic are proven strategies for enhancing sustainability in packaging. However, both strategies present unique challenges to aesthetics, processing, and/or performance. This presentation will explore ways to address these challenges for brand owners, recyclers, and converters. 

1. Designing for Recyclability:
   • Understanding how to incorporate materials that are easily recyclable and compatible with existing recycling infrastructure, including mono-materials and recyclable additives.
   • How to implement design practices that enhance sorting within existing infrastructure.
2. Enhancing Recycled Material Properties or Increasing Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) Content:
   • Investigate technologies and additives that improve the mechanical and aesthetic properties of recycled materials.
   • Discuss methods to ensure consistent quality, processing efficiency, and performance of products made with recycled content.
   • Review strategies to achieve color consistency when using recycled plastics.
   • Lightweighting as a strategy to reduce carbon footprint.
3. Ways to Lower Carbon Footprint:
   • Extending shelf life and reducing food waste.
   • Reducing packaging waste.
   • Reducing transportation expenses.
4. Collaborating to Reach Sustainability Goals:
   • Review sustainability opportunities across the product's entire life cycle - from design to end-of-life.
   • Ways to increase consumer awareness of recyclability by embedding messages into product designs, such as symbols or text that indicate recyclable materials or parts.
   • Leveraging circular design principles by designing products that can be easily repaired, reused, or remanufactured.

How Avient can help:

These products and services can support each of the four recycling strategies.

1. Design for Recyclability:
   • Molded in color and metallic
   • APR-recognized NIR-detectable dark colorants
   • APR-recognized barriers and process aids
   • Special effect colorants
2. Enhancing Recycled Material Properties:
   • PCR Color Prediction Service: Tackles the color consistency issue for recycled plastics.
   • Compatibilizers
   • Thermal stabilizers
   • Process aids
   • Impact modifiers
   • Clarifiers and toners
   • Rheology modifiers
   • Chemical foaming agents: Smartheat™
   • Oxygen scavenging: Capture™ & Amosorb™