Packaging Europe

Polenghi LAS launches its 100% recyclable bottle for organic lemon juice Bio.

Polenghi LAS, in partnership with NatureWorks LLC, has recently launched Europe’s first extrusion-blow-molded bottle completely made of renewable plant material instead of oil.

The Italian company claims that by switching from polyolefin resin to Ingeo™ bio-plastics for packaging 10 million bottles of its Bio organic lemon juice, it will save 1,000 barrels of oil and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 126 tonnes compared to an equivalent oil-based plastics squeeze bottle.

Polenghi’s achievements demonstrate the first European commercial introduction of a proven, low-environmental impact and renewably sourced bioplastic substitute for polyolefin resins in extrusion-blow-molding applications. Moreover bioplastic also offers stable pricing compared to the instability experienced in the oil market.

“We are extremely proud of the technical achievements that led to the development of this low-carbon-footprint Eco bottle, the first of its kind in Europe,” said Marco Polenghi, sales director of Polenghi LAS. “This bottle and shrink-sleeve label, both made from renewably sourced Ingeo™ bioplastic, presents us with the opportunity to differentiate our Bio organic lemon juice.”

“Since its launch in February 2010 at BioFach fair trade in Nuremberg,” Mr Polenghi told Packaging Europe, “the product has been praised as one of the most innovative and environmentally friendly on the European market. We have reached agreements with some of the most important food retail chains in France and Switzerland and we are planning to introduce it gradually on those markets as well as in United States.”

Polyethylene and polypropylene are the polyolefins normally used in the extrusion-blow-molding process to produce the “soft” plastic packaging used for food and personal care squeeze bottles. The manufacturing process to produce Ingeo™ bioplastic emits 38 percent less CO2 and consumes 45 percent less energy than the manufacturing process for an equivalent weight low-density polyethylene.

The resin manufacturing process to produce Ingeo™ bioplastic emits 31.6 percent less CO2 and consumes 42 percent less energy than the resin manufacturing process for polypropylene. “Over the past two years, we’ve seen the expansion of Ingeo™ applications into such manufacturing processes as injection molding and higher-heat thermoforming,” said Marc Verbruggen, president and chief executive officer of NatureWorks. “With its innovative Ingeo™ blend, Polenghi now offers a lower carbon emission/lower energy alternative to polyolefins in extrusion-blow-molding applications.”

Polenghi Bio, organic lemon juice packed in the Eco bottle, is now available in Italy and will soon be stocked in stores throughout Europe. www.polenghigroup.it. The NatureWorks LookBook contains information about other new bio-based products and the NatureWorks website www.natureworksllc.com offers a wealth of information on Ingeo™ biopolymer made from renewable plant material, not oil.

for more information visit www.polenghigroup.it