Südpack has developed a PP-based film structure for spouted pouches for drinkable yoghurt and other dairy products, offering an alternative to the PET/aluminium/PE laminates commonly used for the format.
The flexible pouch has been developed for cold-filled drinkable yoghurt, drinkable skyr and similar products, with the company targeting demand for convenient, on-the-go formats.
Rigid formats such as PET bottles and cups currently account for more than 44 per cent of the market, according to Südpack, while flexible pouches are forecast to be the fastest-growing alternative format, with growth of 8 per cent.
Südpack believes the European market for yoghurt drinks is expected to grow from a current value of $4.6 billion to around $6.7bn by 2034, with Europe currently accounting for almost 30 per cent of the global market.
Sealing performance
The new pouch uses CarbonLite PurePP, a PP-based material. Its sealing performance and spout integration are said to provide the sealing strength and leak tightness required during filling, distribution and use.
The films have been developed for cold filling processes in which packaging materials undergo UVC (a subtype of ultraviolet light) or hydrogen peroxide treatment to reduce microbial loads. The structure can also be adapted to provide the required oxygen and water vapour barriers.
According to Südpack’s internal testing, the PP-based structure can provide the same shelf-life as the PET/aluminium/PE laminates it says are commonly used for these applications.
The laminate can be processed on standard production equipment at high cycle rates, drawing on its experience with extrusion and previous work with machine and spout manufacturers on fruit purée filling applications.
Recyclability rate
The pouch and its PP spout are designed to be recycled together through the PP recycling stream. Südpack claims the structure has a recyclability rate of more than 95 per cent based on an analysis using the Cyclos-HTP Institute’s Chira software.
The company said the result is aligned with EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation design-for-recycling principles and could allow brand owners to adapt packaging ahead of more stringent recyclability and material efficiency requirements.
Südpack’s internal calculations also indicate a lower carbon footprint for the PP-based structure. Based on raw materials and production, the company says a 111 micrometre PP-based spouted pouch has a carbon dioxide equivalent footprint per square metre more than 40 per cent lower than a 103 micrometre PET/aluminium/PE laminate.
Mechanical recycling
Unlike the conventional laminate, which Südpack noted is generally sent for energy recovery at the end of its life, the PP-based pouch can be mechanically recycled.
The company is also offering technical support during the transition, including application-specific sampling, material and packaging testing, and assessments of carbon footprint and recyclability.
According to Südpack, the development provides dairy producers with an alternative flexible format combining a spouted pouch with a PP-based material structure.
The company’s recyclability figure has not yet been independently validated or certified. Südpack also pointed out that recyclability can vary according to the country and recycling system in which the packaging is collected and processed.
