Why brands don’t need to compromise the consumer experience for recyclable packaging
By Arthur Lenoir, Global Marketing Director – Elastomeric Flow Control at Aptar Closures
The role of food packaging in improving resource circularity has become more vital than ever as the emphasis on sustainability increases across the globe, especially in Europe. With that, many brands are facing the challenge of providing more sustainable packaging solutions without compromising consumers’ convenience and product safety.
Consumer and market expertise are critical to staying up to date with new and upcoming sustainability requirements and having the ability to leverage breakthrough innovations to incorporate them in the development of new solutions.
At Aptar Closures, we leverage multiple decades of experience revolutionizing markets worldwide with breakthrough solutions and solid expertise and commitments to improve plastic circularity, in line with the Ellen MacArthur New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. Our mission is to help brands innovate sustainably, meet new market demands, achieve bold environmental goals and become even more competitive – all with packaging solutions that do not sacrifice the consumer dispensing experience.
Aptar’s SimpliCycle, a fully recyclable valve for use in dispensing closures, is a recent demonstration of Aptar’s commitment to sustainability without compromising performance. Like other flow control valves that we have brought to market over the past 30 years, the SimpliCycle valve results in a clean and controlled product dispensing throughout the life of the package. With SimpliCycle, consumers get a cleaner and more convenient product squeeze while brand owners benefit from a fully recyclable closure.
Since its introduction to the market in 2022, the SimpliCycle fully recyclable valve technology has been met with enthusiasm from the European marketplace. Multiple brands have already incorporated SimpliCycle in their food dispensing packaging, especially for sauces, condiments, honey, spreads and functional drinks. This not only takes them one step closer to achieving full packaging recyclability but also allows them to stand out by offering a clean dispensing experience to their end consumers.
Recyclability Assurance
Made from a low-density thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material, the valve floats when being processed in the recycling stream which allows it to be easily separated from the PET stream and then recycled right along with the PP/PE olefin stream. When assembled into an Aptar closure, SimpliCycle creates a fully recyclable solution for use with PET, PE or PP containers.
In 2022, SimpliCycle was assessed by third parties, such as Cyclos and Recyclass, confirming its compatibility with the readily available sorting and recycling sectors in Europe. Furthermore, SimpliCycle received Critical Guidance Recognition from the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) in North America in 2022, a recognition that acknowledges technologies or packaging components that aim to solve long-standing problems in sustainable package design.
Convenience and Cleanliness Throughout the Packages Lifecycle
SimpliCycle was made for brands that want to differentiate from competitors with a high-performance dispensing system that is fully recyclable and benefits consumers with a convenient and hygienic dispensing experience. An effective flow control valve ensures a consistent product flow rate while reducing messy spills and leakage during transport and usage. It also allows packages to be positioned inverted, making the product ready to dispense. This also improves product evacuation so consumers can get that last bit of product out of the container.
SimpliCycle was developed to deliver clean dispensing throughout the package’s life. To highlight its value in terms of cleanliness, hygiene and consumer experience, we completed a side-by-side dispense test between SimpliCycle and a traditional baffled orifice with ketchup. A photo was taken after each squeeze until the package was empty. The image below shows the result after thirty-three consecutive product evacuations were made, indicating that SimpliCycle provides a cleaner product cut-off while the traditional baffle option often results in a “product tail” accumulating on the closure lid over time.
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