PET Packaging Research Articles

Material Use Efficiency of Primary Packaging of Fast‐Moving Consumer Goods

AbstractTo make different packages with various filling quantities better comparable for their packaging material use, in this study the packaging material use efficiency was defined as the ratio of fill good amount to the packaging weight. Several hundred rigid packages (tubes, bottles, cans, and carton packages) for liquid and higher‐viscous fast‐moving consumer goods, e.g., beverages and personal care products, were analyzed (weight) and more than >1000 data sets were taken from packaging suppliers of glass and PET packaging. As expected, glass packaging is heavier than PET packaging by a factor of around 10, and with a higher filling volume less packaging per amount of food is required. The material use efficiency of glass and PET bottles can differ by up to a factor of 3 within one filling quantity. The results are relevant for calculating life cycle assessments (LCAs) and selection of material efficient packaging.

Recycled PET Packaging Materials of Improved Toughness— Importance of Devitrification of the Rigid Amorphous Fraction

AbstractDegradation, a common problem faced during the processing of recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), leads to significant embrittlement of the products, as a result of which the material loses its applicability. Increased crystallization rate of the short chains of recycled PET and obstructed mobility of the amorphous phase are the main causes of enhanced brittleness. In this research, a straightforward method is proposed for improving the toughness of recycled PET products, namely the devitrification of the rigid amorphous phase by thermal annealing, which results in enhanced molecular mobility in the amorphous fraction, thereby promoting ductile deformation. The effects of thermal annealing conditions are comprehensively evaluated on the microstructure and macroscopic properties, i.e., impact resistance, of recycled PET films. The perforation energy value of the recycled PET film is found to increase to its threefold, reaching a value higher than 18 J mm−1, as a result of 10 s thermal treatment at 120 °C. Differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analyses, and thermally stimulated depolarization current measurements provide evidence for the devitrification of the rigid amorphous fraction under these conditions, which is the key to efficient enhancement in toughness.

Utilization of Alternative Fibres Manufactured from Recycled PET Bottles in Concrete Technology for the Improvement of Fire Resistance.

This article addresses the potential use of secondary polymer fibres in the field of structural concrete as a replacement for primary polymer fibres (mainly polypropylene/PP/), which are used in concrete to enhance its resistance when exposed to high temperatures (especially in the case of fire). Research has shown that, in addition to PP fibres, polyethylene terephthalate/PET/fibres, produced by recycling packaging materials (mainly PET bottles), can also be used as an alternative. These fibres are industrially produced in similar dimensions as PP fibres and exhibit similar behaviour when added to fresh and hardened concrete. In terms of their effect on increasing resistance to extreme heat loads, it has been found that despite a higher melting point (Tm), concrete with these fibres demonstrates comparable fire resistance. Therefore, it can be concluded that secondary PET fibres represent an interesting alternative to primary PP fibres from the perspective of a circular economy, and their use in construction represents a potentially valuable application for PET obtained through the collection and recycling of PET packaging materials.

MICROBIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF THE QUALITY OF PACKAGED WATER – WITH ADDED SALTS – IN 20 L PET AND PP BOTTLES IN THE STATE OF CEARÁ (A CASE STUDY)

In this study, microbiological analyses were performed with the aim of researching the following microorganisms described in Normative Instruction No. 161 of ANVISA, Total Coliforms, E. coli, Pseudonomonas aeruginosas and Enterococcus spp in water added with salts packaged in PET and PP bottles with a capacity of 20 L. Under the same analysis conditions, the results for the PP bottles were unsatisfactory with 100% presence of Total Coliforms and Pseudonomonas aeruginosas, while in the 20-liter PET packaging all the results were satisfactory, that is, with the absence of all microorganisms of IN No. 161 of ANVISA.

Postharvest conservation of coquinho-azedo fruits under modified atmosphere

Coquinho-azedo (Butia capitata) fruits are highly valued for their rich content of fiber, minerals, vitamin C, and pro-vitamin A carotenoids. They are consumed in their natural state and used in various products, offering an alternative income source for rural communities. This study aimed to assess the postharvest characteristics of coquinho-azedo fruits stored under different modified atmosphere conditions. The fruits were stored at 13°C using PVC, PP, PET, and a Control group without packaging. Over 17 days, the fruits' physicochemical characteristics were evaluated. Packaging significantly improved senescence scores and reduced the loss of fresh mass, soluble solids, vitamin C, and firmness compared to the Control group. PVC packaging showed superior color and firmness performance, while PP packaging maintained consistent fruit color. PET packaging had the highest levels of soluble solids, vitamin C, and titratable acidity. Utilizing modified atmosphere packaging, particularly PVC, effectively preserved the quality of coquinho-azedo fruits during postharvest storage. These findings contribute to enhancing shelf life and marketability, benefiting both producers and consumers.

The Effects of Preharvest Silicon Treatment and Passive MAP on Quality and Shelf Life of White Button Mushrooms in Thermoformed Recycled PET Packaging System

The Effects of Preharvest Silicon Treatment and Passive MAP on Quality and Shelf Life of White Button Mushrooms in Thermoformed Recycled PET Packaging System

The Effect of Temperature and Packaging on the Characteristics of Black Garlic During Storage

Abstract The transformation of garlic into black garlic is a simple process that yields products beneficial to human health. The curing process, conducted at a temperature of 60-90°C for 14 days in a rice cooker, alters the garlic’s physicochemical properties. The aim of this research was to study changes in physicochemical properties during storage using various packaging types and to determine optimal storage conditions. Two different types of packaging (PET jar and Aluminium pouch were used, at different temperatures (10, 25, and 30°C). The experimental results revealed that both temperature and packaging significantly influenced moisture content. Over the course of 42 days, the average increase in water content ranged from 13% to 22% for all treatments. During storage, the biological phenomenon still occurred, and it caused changes in chemical properties. It suggests that a biological process converting sugars into acids was underway, although the changes were insignificant when using PET jar packaging at a temperature of 10°C. In conclusion, this study found that moisture content, hardness, levels of reducing sugars, and acidity total, all changed during seven weeks of storage, and the content of reducing sugars decreased, whilst acidity total increased. The best storage conditions were determined to be at 10°C using PET packaging.

Optimization of Pressurized Alkaline Hydrolysis for Chemical Recycling of Post-Consumer PET Waste.

Addressing the environmental impact of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) disposal highlights the need for efficient recycling methods. Chemical recycling, specifically alkaline hydrolysis, presents a promising avenue for PET waste management by depolymerizing PET into its constituent monomers. This study focuses on optimizing the pressurized alkaline hydrolysis process for post-consumer PET residues obtained from packaging materials. Post-consumer PET packaging waste was chemically recycled by means of an alkaline hydrolysis reaction in a 2 L pressurized reactor under varying conditions of the NaOH/PET ratio and temperature. The reaction's progress was monitored by sampling the liquid phase hourly over a four-hour period. The obtained products were purified, with a focus on isolating terephthalic acid (TPA). Higher temperatures (150 °C) resulted in superior TPA yields (>95%) compared to lower temperatures (120 °C). The NaOH/PET ratio showed minimal influence on the TPA yield. The optimal conditions (T = 150 °C; NaOH:PET = 2) were identified based on TPA yield and reaction cost considerations. This study demonstrates the feasibility of pressurized alkaline hydrolysis for PET recycling, with optimized conditions yielding high TPA purity and efficiency.

Rumpke and Eastman join forces to expand recycling of PET waste

On February 8, 2024, Rumpke Waste & Recycling (Rumpke) and Eastman announced a partnership to help address the global plastic waste crisis. Later this year, Rumpke will begin collecting and sorting hard-to-recycle and colored PET packaging waste, materials that are reportedly largely unaddressed in today's recycling ecosystem and will provide 100 percent of this waste stream as feedstock to Eastman's molecular recycling process. Eastman will then turn this waste stream into virgin quality polyesters with its molecular recycling technology to be used across a range of packaging applications and to expand the circular economy for polyesters.

Implementation of LCA in the Circular Economy context: methodological issues for application in PET packaging

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is nowadays one of the most applied methodologies for evaluating the potential environmental impacts of products and systems related to the plastic packaging sector. Nevertheless, the recent increasing interest on Circular Economy principles introduces challenges in its application, addressing towards adjustments to system boundaries and functional units. This research paper underscores the need for LCA models that are both dynamic, adaptable and capable of capturing both (i) the environmental performances of end-of-life processes and (ii) the quality of the materials obtained from them. To this aim, the main literature is taken as reference to compare chemical and mechanical recycling applied to PET. From the outcomes, the need of considering potential quality degradation resulting from increased recycling and reuse operations applied to the input material is well recognized. The study highlights the potential role of LCA to provide comprehensive information, thereby facilitating comparative assertions and offering valuable insights for informed decision-making and the development of sustainable policies within the plastic packaging industry.

Synthesis of sodium alginate composite bioplastic films

In recent years, plastic pollution has reached high levels; eight million metric tons of plastic waste leaked into the oceans in 2010, with estimates predicting 53 million metric tons of emissions annually by 2030. The increasing use of single-use plastics accounts for much of this mismanaged plastic. Aside from harming marine ecosystems, burning plastic waste in landfills may release toxic chemicals that cause illnesses. Bioplastic, a plastic derived from biological sources, has emerged as a sustainable alternative to mitigate this issue. However, their lack of biodegradability and high costs restrict widespread adoption. We investigated the development of alginate-based bioplastic films as a sustainable plastic alternative. We hypothesized a sodium alginate-based bioplastic film synthesized in ambient conditions would demonstrate higher biodegradability, higher tensile strength, higher solubility in water, lower oxygen permeability, and lower water vapor permeability compared to PET plastic packaging films. We synthesized the films in ambient conditions with glycerol and calcium chloride as an added plasticizer. The material displayed transparency and flexibility. Additionally, the film was able to dissolve in water after 180 minutes and biodegrade in microbial conditions (i.e., environments that can sustain microbes and other decomposers) within seven days. Ultimately, our research supports sodium alginate composite films as a biodegradable bioplastic film that exhibits higher solubility in water, and greater biodegradability compared to PET plastic films. However, contrary to our hypothesis, sodium alginate composite films also demonstrated lower tensile strength and higher water vapor permeability. This suggests sodium alginate composite films are not ready to replace PET packaging films in the industry.

Development of a color-code sorting machine operating with a pneumatic and programmable logic control

In recent decades, all production processes have become increasingly automated. As a result, one of our primary objectives is to reduce the amount of money, time, and effort that individuals invest. The primary difficulty in the production sector for small firms is the sorting of mass numbers of goods having the same sizes but varied color, such as pet bottles, soft balls, and packaging. The best outcomes in the fields come from these sorts of industrials obtaining more workers and their effects on industry profitability. This work has prompted to the development of a “Color Sensing Punching Machine” that met the aforementioned criteria while being reasonably priced. This research looks into the potential cost and space savings from using a single conveyor equipped with a color sensor instead of many conveyors of varying hues. The entirety of the procedure is comprised of a number of stages, the first of which is the creation of a concept sketch, which is then followed by the simulation of PLC programme elements in WPL (World Programming Limited) software, the construction of PLC, the addition of supplementary safety features (like lights), testing, and the achievement of final approval. Programmable logic controllers (PLC) make the work easier, and a pick-and-place robot makes sure that finished goods are sorted and packed correctly. This attempt not only speeds up the manufacturing process but also enhances its precision.

Comparative life cycle assessment for the manufacture of bio-detergents

The increasing consumption of cleaning products deteriorates water resources due to harmful components such as phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) compounds, oils, bleach, and acids, typical compounds in traditional detergents. The use of biodegradable detergents as an environmentally friendly alternative has been proposed in different regions. In Colombia, resolution 1770/2018 sets a minimum biodegradability rate of 60% for the surfactants present in liquid detergents, which would reduce to a similar extent the impacts on water after their use. However, the environmental impacts of the supply chain of these detergents and their raw materials have not been evaluated so far. This study presents an environmental life cycle assessment of petroleum-based liquid detergents and a comparison to traditional solid detergents, based on the ISO 14040 standard and the ReCiPe-2016 impacts assessment method. A novel bio-detergent containing anionic plant-based surfactants was proposed in this analysis. The impacts of packaging and the distribution of the product to consumers were also considered. Raw materials contributed to 91% of the total of 314 g of CO2 eq generated per liter of liquid detergent, where the production of fatty alcohol sulfate and PET packaging shared 78.8% and 12.2% of the total impact, respectively. It was also determined that 5.4 L of water are consumed and 0.09 g of P eq and 0.1 g of N eq are emitted per liter of detergent. This liquid detergent presented better environmental performance than traditional detergents in all the impact categories, except for the fossil resource scarcity category. The evaluated detergent would significantly mitigate the generation of negative effects on ecosystems. Moreover, the substitution of PET for HDPE packaging could reduce the impacts on freshwater eutrophication by 10%, although the carbon footprint can slightly increase, which could be compensated due to its higher recyclability rate. In contrast, the proposed bio-detergent would not have significant benefits and would negatively affect water consumption and land use in its supply chain.

Economical Chemical Recycling of Complex PET Waste in the Form of Active Packaging Material

Since millions of tons of packaging material cannot be recycled in conventional ways, most of it ends up in landfills or even dumped into the natural environment. The researched methods of chemical depolymerization therefore open a new perspective for the recycling of various PET materials, which are especially important for packaging. Food preservative packaging materials made from PET plastics are complex, and their wastes are often contaminated, so there are no sophisticated solutions for them in the recycling industry. After integrating the biopolymer chitosan, which is derived from natural chitin, as an active surface additive in PET materials, we discovered that it not only enriches the packaging material as a microbial inhibitor to reduce the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, thus extending the shelf life of the contained food, but also enables economical chemical recycling by alkaline or neutral hydrolysis, which is an environmentally friendly process. Alkaline hydrolysis at a high temperature and pressure completely depolymerizes chitosan-coated PET packaging materials into pure terephthalic acid and charcoal. The products were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The resulting reusable material represents raw materials in chemical, plastic, textile, and other industries, in addition to the antimicrobial function and recyclability itself.

Release of Selected Non-Intentionally Added Substances (NIAS) from PET Food Contact Materials: A New Online SPE-UHPLC-MS/MS Multiresidue Method

Food contact materials (FCMs) are an underestimated source of food chemical contaminants and a potentially relevant route of human exposure to chemicals that are harmful to the endocrine system. Foods and water are the main sources of exposure due to contact with the packaging materials, often of polymeric nature. European Regulation 10/2011 requires migration tests on FCMs and foodstuffs to evaluate the presence of listed substances (authorized monomers and additives) and non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) not listed in the regulation and not subjected to restrictions. The tests are required to ensure the compliance of packaging materials for the contained foods. NIAS are a heterogeneous group of substances classified with a potential estrogenic or androgenic activity. Subsequently, the evaluation of the presence of these molecules in foods and water is significant. Here we present an online SPE/UHPLC-tandem MS method to quantify trace levels of NIAS in food simulants (A: aqueous 3% acetic acid; B: aqueous 20% ethanol) contained in PET preformed bottles. The use of online SPE reduces systemic errors thanks to the automation of the technique. For the developed analytical method, we evaluate the limit of detection (LOD), the limit of quantitation (LOQ), selectivity, RSD% and BIAS% for LLOQ for a total of twelve NIAS, including monomers, antioxidants, UV-filters and additives. LOD ranged between 0.002 µg/L for bisphenol S and 13.6 µg/L for 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT). LOQs are comprised between 0.01 µg/L for bisphenol S and 42.2 µg/L for BHT. The online-SPE/UHPLC-tandem MS method is applied to the food simulants contained in several types of PET packaging materials to evaluate the migration of the selected NIAS. The results show the presence (µg/L) of NIAS in the tested samples, underlining the need for a new regulation for these potentially toxic molecules.

Enhanced liquid retention capacity within plastic food packaging through modified capillary recesses

A novel approach is proposed to isolate meat exudate in plastic packaging trays. This exudate is responsible for limiting meat shelf life, increasing meat loss and non-recycling plastic waste. This study explores the use of specially designed capillary recesses with integrated raised rims as a means of improving liquid retention capacity in thermoformed meat trays. The presence of raised recess rims is used to enhance the valving functionality of the recesses and restrict liquid drainage during and after recess inclination. This resulted in a considerable increase in liquid retention capabilities. For pork exudate, the retention capacity of recess samples (recess diameter: 9 mm) significantly increased ( p < 0.05) from 0.79 g for recesses with no rims to 2.12 g for rim-integrated recesses. The corresponding retention capacity of a recess array after introducing these rims was 2921 ± 63 mL/m 2 . These recesses have comparable liquid scavenging performance to absorbent meat pads (3000 mL/m 2 ) yet are integrated within the tray material. This proves the practicality of using rim-integrated recesses in plastic meat packaging to retain exudate away and ensure fully recyclable plastic packaging. The manufacturing of these recesses is integrated into the thermoforming process for the tray body. • Rim-integrated recesses is a new technology for exudate management in PET packaging for food applications. • Developed rims considerably improve liquid pinning and restrict liquid drainage, improving retention capacity of recesses. • PET packaging film with rim-integrated recesses allow to avoid use of absorbing materials for confining exudate in packaging. • Fully recyclable PET packaging film can be achieved with rim-integrated recesses.

Development of New Recycled Materials from Multilayer PET Packaging Waste for Footwear, Toy and Building Applications

Polymer Science: Peer Review Journal Development of New Recycled Materials from Multilayer PET Packaging Waste for Footwear, Toy and Building Applications Josefa Galvañ Gisbert*, Asunción Martínez García, Juan López Martínez, Ana Ibáñez García and María Dolores Samper Madrigal Avda De la Industria, 23, 03440 Ibi, Alicante, Spain *Corresponding author: Josefa Galvañ Gisbert, Avda De la Industria, 23, 03440 Ibi, Alicante, Spain Submission: April 14, 2022;Published: May 20, 2022 DOI: 10.31031/PSPRJ.2022.03.000569 ISSN: 2770-6613 Volume3 Issue4

A salicylate-functionalized PET packaging to counteract blue discoloration on mozzarella cheese under cold storage

In this work we tested a new technological solution to extend the shelf-life of Mozzarella cheese using a salicylate-functionalized PET packaging. To this aim, we inoculated ready-to-sell Mozzarella cheeses with Pseudomonas lactis ITEM 17298 strain, responsible for blue discoloration; mozzarella cheeses packed in treated or untreated trays were stored at 4 °C and monitored up to blue discoloration occurred. Results from microbiological analyses showed inhibitory effect against the pigmenting strain up to 8 days of cold storage in Mozzarella cheese packed in treated trays compared to the control samples. Likewise, CIELab values of b* and hue did not differ from those found on the uninoculated Mozzarella cheeses, delaying the appearance of bluish spots by approximately 2 days. Furthermore, the use of treated trays unpaired the formation of the biofilm by significantly reducing the amount deposited inside the treated trays compared to the control ones. For the first time, therefore, the use of an antimicrobial packaging with high technology readiness level has delayed the blue mozzarella occurrence specially contaminated samples. Further trials will have to be undertaken to optimize the salicylate concentration released in the tray in order to abate the risk of this fresh dairy product withdrawal from the market.

Cover Feature: Low Carbon Footprint Recycling of Post‐Consumer PET Plastic with a Metagenomic Polyester Hydrolase (ChemSusChem 9/2022)

The Cover Feature shows the direct enzymatic degradation of post-consumer PET packaging by a novel metagenomic polyester hydrolase. The monomers can be recovered and used for the production of virgin PET, thereby achieving a closed-loop plastic recycling process with a low carbon footprint. More information can be found in the Full Paper by C. Sonnendecker et al.

Evaluation of packaging systems with O2-absorbers on quality of minimally processed soybean sprouts.

This study evaluated the influence of O2-absorbing sachets into different packages polyethylene terephthalate (PET - E1), low density polyethylene (LDPE - E2), and PET/LDPE (E3) on the quality of minimally processed soybean sprouts (MP-sprouts). The MP-sprouts were stored up to 12 days and characterized for physicochemical, microbiological and sensory attributes. The O2-absorbing sachet showed changes during exposure to the environment by the formation of amorphous iron hydroxide, which was observed by the analysis of functional groups and XRD. The packaging used in the study showed high transmittance and clarity, and low Haze, being a good feature for storing the MP product. All packaging systems showed an increase in the volume of absorbed oxygen (cm3) up to 9 days of storage. The physic-chemical characteristics of the MP-sprouts stored for 12 days were preserved in the different packages, showing no difference regarding the use of the O2-absorbing sachet. The O2-absorbing sachet not influenced the quality of MP-sprouts during the stored (12 days). The best visual aspect was observed in PET package (with and without O2-absorbing sachet) being classified as excellent, without color change. The MP-sprouts also fulfilled the microbiological quality standards and presented 75.11% acceptability and 72.40% purchase intention.