The new film is made up of roughly 80% organic raw materials – good for nature. Sustainability is a major topic in the recently published market research studies designed to fathom the in-topics of 2016. Consumers are eager to know how indeed the food they consume is produced, and what's behind it. But the packaging has also taken on a new meaning in this regard: it's not only supposed to be attractive and to highlight the product‘s qualities but also meet the sustainability criterion. That's why packaging manufacturers have long been looking for innovative solutions. With the biodegradable film Ecovio®, BASF has introduced a sustainable solution that can serve as basic material for a plethora of foodstuff packagings, including inner trays for praline boxes.
Ecovio® has already proven its practical worth via the Neuhaus-Schierschnitz-based company Zirbs Kunststoffverarbeitung. The company used the film to fabricate the inner trays for a praline box that BASF mailed to its customers. Since that time, Zirbs is very positive about the new film: "The result is excellent. The Ecovio® film is extremely straightforward to handle," explains Martin Zirbs, Managing Director of the company. He sees a lot of promise especially with regard to quality packagings and organic products in the premium segment – because the new film does come at a price.
The new material still is three or four times as expensive as conventional films for the time being, says Zirbs. A drawback that should level out while the product gradually gains a foothold. According to BASF, Ecovio® presently is made up of roughly 80% organic raw materials, with plans to bring the portion progressively up to 100%. Ecovio® is almost fully degradable in the composting process already at this stage. Boasting superb forming characteristics, the new film can be subjected to thermoforming. The level of permeability to water vapour is high, says BASF, but still manageable. Ecovio® can be employed at thicknesses from 200 to 1.100 µm, making it suitable for the packaging of a broad range of foodstuffs. This is BASF's contribution to reducing packaging waste.
