ILLIG and SÜDPACK present certified compostable, bio-based food containers

In a cooperative project, SÜDPACK Verpackungen and ILLIG Maschinenbau have developed thermoformed food packaging with components that are certified compostable and predominantly bio-based. The tray with heat-sealable lid can be used to package vegetarian and vegan foods, as well as dairy products such as yogurt or cheese. It is made of a certified compostable (DIN EN 13432) and partially bio-based plastic ecovio®, which was dyed green for this application. SÜDPACK produced the film in an extrusion process and developed the laminate lidding film, which is also industrially compostable. ILLIG designed the thermoforming tool, thermoformed the trays from the film and sealed the lid. The result is a thin-walled food container that replicates the mold's shape in detail and can be produced at the same speed as similar packaging made from conventional plastics.

This collaborative project demonstrates that thermoformed packaging based on certified compostable materials is possible under current market conditions. It follows the increasing trend and demand for compostable and bio-based packaging solutions in more and more countries. In particular, food packaging with organic remnants is difficult to process in conventional mechanical recycling processes. In such applications, industrially compostable containers are a viable alternative where the appropriate infrastructure for composting exists. In this way, the food scraps, including the packaging, can be sent for organic recycling instead of thermal recycling. The ecovio® bioplastic used for this case study has been specially optimized for film extrusion with subsequent thermoforming. It can be processed on standard mono- or co-extrusion machines into films with or without an additional oxygen barrier. The bioplastic has a high heat deflection temperature up to 95° C, is approved for contact with foodstuffs and has mechanical properties similar to those of polypropylene (PP).

Technically flawless solution
"Together with ILLIG, a leading global manufacturer of thermoforming and tooling systems, we were able to demonstrate that films made from ecovio® material can not only be produced effectively on common extrusion lines, but also show excellent properties when processed on thermoforming lines," says Dr. Jürgen Betz, responsible for R&D Extrusion at SÜDPACK. The flexible film developed by SÜDPACK for the lid consists of a multilayer, partially transparent laminate based on polylactic acid (PLA) and brown paper.All components are industrially compostable according to DIN EN 13432. The film is heat-sealable with other PLA-based materials and can also be optionally equipped with a barrier layer. "With our joint project approach, we demonstrate how certified compostable and bio-based plastics can be easily thermoformed and further processed on standard machines," says Sven Engelmann, head of the ILLIG Technology Center ITC and packaging development at ILLIG in Heilbronn. "We were able to run the same machine speed as with polypropylene. In particular, our thermoforming tool reproduces the lettering 'Vegan Burger' embedded in the bottom of the tray with great detail. This opens up numerous design possibilities for thermoformed, industrially compostable packaging." With the cooperation project, ILLIG and SÜDPACK are demonstrating ecologically interesting solutions for packaging manufacturers and thus shaping the future sustainably.