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Phthalate-free is the trend

Sustainable development is moving to the forefront of the petrochemicals market.

The theme featured prominently at the AMI Biax Film 2018 conference dedicated to the bi-oriented film industry. This year’s special conference in Vienna covered the state of the BOPP and BOPET markets, and BIAXPLEN – a major industry player – presented the Challenges and Opportunities for a Back-integrated BOPP producer report.

AMI Biax Film 2018 was attended by over 250 participants from 30 countries, including equipment and feedstock suppliers, as well as BOPP producers and consumers.

Most conference participants addressed the need to implement a sustainable development concept, which has become a major global trend as of late. The underlying idea of the concept is that the needs of the current generation should not compromise the opportunities of those who will come after. The term "sustainable development" was introduced in a 1987 report by the UN's World Commission on Environment and Development, which described it as an effort to ensure intergenerational balance and adequate quality of life.

With an increasing number of industries joining the cause of sustainable development, many prominent SMEs, social entrepreneurs and individuals are doing their part to achieve the concept's goals, making a difference in business communities across the globe.

Many corporations are boosting investments in circular economy, whose principles directly align with the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN back in the autumn of 2015. Companies have set up production based on renewable feedstock, chemical recycling and high purity of output. The world’s largest economies have confirmed plans to transition to 100% recyclable packaging, with global product brands launching their own recycling projects. In particular, Unilever and Mars target a transition to fully recyclable packaging by 2020 and 2025, respectively.

Unilever target a transition to fully recyclable packaging by 2020.

In this context, feedstock producers an d suppliers are looking at two key trends: a transition to production of phthalate-free packaging and the associated feedstock, and the use of mono structures for much easier recycling of packaging materials. These trends are supported by growing consumer awareness, with preferences shifting toward environmentally friendly and socially responsible goods and services.

SIBUR, being a vertically-integrated company, is already producing phthalate-free polypropylene for BIAXPLEN's films.

Unilever and Mars target a transition to fully recyclable packaging by 2020 and 2025, respectively.

“The phthalate-free trend is taking centre stage: many customers are increasingly looking for greener solutions, and many tenders list phthalate-free products as a key requirement. SIBUR, being a vertically-integrated company, is already producing phthalate-free polypropylene for BIAXPLEN's films,” says Natalya Malkova, Chief of Multinational Sales at BIAXPLEN. “In addition, BIAXPLEN has been working on developing monostructural packaging solutions and replacing the traditional multi-layer flexible packaging with monostructural packaging made of BOPP films in relevant segments. Another big trend is the increased client interest in suppliers’ sustainable development programmes, making implementation of the respective initiatives and standards a prerequisite for business growth.”


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