Long Distance Food Packaging Bag Eliminates Metal to Facilitate Recycling

Aran Group announced the launch of the second-generation Bag-In-Box (BIB) Premium Flex 2.0, the successor to the Premium Flex BIB.

In early 2021, Aran Group introduced Premium Flex BIB, engineered to prevent flex crack, an issue frequently encountered in long-distance liquid food transportation. By preventing cracking, the product enabled much greater logistical distances, according to the company.

Building on the success of this predecessor product, Aran Group is planning  to launch, in the beginning of 2024, the Premium Flex 2.0, a fully recyclable solution for long-distance transportation of liquid foods.

The most significant innovation in the Premium Flex 2.0 is the elimination of metalized layers. This high barrier packaging solution relies solely on a thin layer of ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) for the barrier, less than 5%, with other layers composed of various polyethylenes. From a recycling perspective, this makes it effectively a monomaterial packaging that can be fully recycled in a PE recycling stream. It supports logistical transport according to the internal lab test distances of up to 8,000 km (4,971 miles), whether by sea, land or air, compared with other bags that allow only 2,000 km (1243 miles).

Traditional solutions for preventing flex cracks require additional materials and packaging operations to fill the empty space in the barrels. However, those solutions do not completely solve the problem. Moreover, the extra packaging materials, such as foamed PS, carry other disadvantages.

Premium Flex 2.0 addresses this challenge, eliminating the need for extra packaging and reducing waste. Weighing less than 500 grams per 220-liter bag and composed of four distinct layers, Premium Flex 2.0 offers a composition that ensures flexibility and durability for the entire package.