Plantic Technologies Ltd (plantic.com.au), an international supplier of performance biopolymers, introduces Plantic eco Plastic™ R the first ultra-high barrier packaging material that is both renewable and recyclable.

Building on the success of Plantic eco Plastic, this new material format combines PET and Plantic’s proprietary film technology to provide a packaging material with ultra-high gas barrier properties made from up to 60% renewable materials.  This ground-breaking innovation has an oxygen transmission rate so low it is virtually undetectable.  Remarkable barrier effectiveness like this makes down-gauging a real option for every application.  Plantic eco Plastic R has been proven to extend the shelf life and product freshness of meat, poultry, and fish from one to three days depending on the product. 

"Plantic eco Plastic R, unlike other barrier packaging formats, can be fully recycled with the PET recovered in the traditional recycling streams.  The renewable barrier material dissolves and biodegrades in the process," says Brendan Morris, Plantic Technologies CEO. “The combination of ultra-high barrier performance and renewable materials is truly unique in the packaging sector and brings together the best of both bioplastics and traditional materials.”

Plantic eco Plastic R is available in a number of formats from premade rigid trays to rigid and flexible thermoform roll stock. The material runs on industry standardthermoforming, vacuum forming, and form-fill-seal systems under specified processing conditions.  Trays and roll stock require no investment in new processing or packaging technology, and can be directly substituted for a range of

traditional plastics used in modified atmosphere and ultra high-barrier packaging.  The rigid trays and roll stock are offered in transparent form – unmatched in clarity – as well as a variety of colors and even multi-color formats.

The environmental impacts of using renewable and recyclable Plantic eco Plastic R, compared to traditional barrier plastics are compelling, with every 1,000 tonnes (MT) of eco Plastic saving:

Energy Savings:                 5.4 million Kwh of energy or the equivalent energy needed to power 850 homes per year, and

CO2 Savings:                      2,700 MT of CO2 the equivalent to planting 300,000 trees or removing 700 cars from the roads   

Landfill Savings:                 When recycled Plantic eco Plastic R saves 11,000 cubic meters of landfill the equivalent to 4.3 Olympic swimming pools each year