Recyclable All-PP Barrier Pouch Goes Retortable

Toppan, Inc. of Japan (U.S. offices in Griffin, Ga., and Rolling Meadows, Ill.) announced two new recyclable GL Barrier products that consist of complete pouch-type packaging as expansions of a product line centered on transparent mono-material barrier films. Both new finished package products are mono-material products that extend Toppan’s GL Barrier range into high-heat sterilization of pouches containing liquid products. The first of these new packaging products is an all-PP composition that Toppan says “takes advantage of GL Barrier vapor-deposition and coating technologies to provide the heat and water resistance needed for retort sterilization, something that has proved challenging with conventional PP films.” Toppan further states that CO₂ emissions during manufacture can be reduced by around 26% with the new PP-based mono-material packaging in place of conventional multi-material packaging that uses aluminum foil. The absence of metal enables microwave heating and use of metal detectors to check for foreign objects.

The other new product is an all-PE pouch-type packaging suitable for liquid packaging and boiling sterilization. It boasts outstanding drop strength. Besides foods, it can be used for refill pouches containing detergents, shampoo and similar liquids. (By contrast, Toppan’s all-PE GL Film products have been designed for solid rather than liquid contents.) According to Toppan, this new all-PE GL Barrier packaging “takes advantage of proprietary GL Barrier technologies to overcome the difficulty of vapor deposition on PE and deliver barrier performance superior to that of existing PE mono-material packaging.” It utilizes “a high-grade vapor-deposition layer, original barrier coating and converting techniques based on GL Barrier technologies.” Samples of both new packaging products will be available globally next spring.

Toppan has not revealed the exact composition of the new GL Barrier packaging products, but notes that they are derived from technologies developed for its GL Film products. Those films consist of BOPP, PE or PET base layers with a thin, inorganic vapor-deposited aluminum oxide or silicon oxide barrier layer and a proprietary barrier coating that provides added protection as well as superior printability. When laminated to a sealing film of similar base resin, GL Film products are said to provide recyclable mono-material films as alternatives to aluminum foil and with better barrier performance than metallized films, PVDC coatings or nylon. Toppan says German recyclability assessment bodies have recognized the outstanding recyclability of GL Film products.