EEQO and Seesoo have announced a partnership with companies Avery Dennison and Braskem to use biobased polyethylene self-adhesive labels in their packaging.
All EEQO's products use mainly natural ingredients, are biodegradable and, in some cases, even probiotic.
"At EEQO we strive to make our total value chain sustainable. This applies to the product ingredients as well as our packaging materials. We have a sustainability check for all our suppliers and only work with companies having the same footprint as EEQO. We were very pleased to be introduced to Avery Dennison through our label supplier when we asked them for a sustainable solution for our labels. We are proud to collaborate with Avery Dennison and Braskem to create sustainable, environmental value with this new type of label. We are striving to change all of our labels to this sugarcane-based material in the near future", says Bas Bakker, CEO of EEQO.
Avery Dennison, a global leader in labeling and packaging materials and solutions which serve customers with insights and innovations that help make brands more inspiring and the world more intelligent, developed and introduced this sugarcane-based polyethylene label at Labelexpo October 2015, to support increasing brand owners' requests for packaging materials made from renewable resources" says Xander van der Vlies, sustainability director at Avery Dennison Materials Group Europe.
"Simultaneously, this innovative label-construction contributes to Avery Dennison's Sustainability Agenda 2025 and in particular to the long-term goal to expand its sustainable product portfolio. The bio-based polyethylene self-adhesive laminates are available in a white and a clear version and offer a performance and recyclability comparable to standard PE film labels."
The bio-based Polyethylene used in these labels is provided by Braskem, the leading producer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas and the world leader in the production of biopolymers. The resin is called I'm GreenT PE and combines technology, innovation, and sustainability to preserve the same characteristics as traditional polyethylene, both in application and recycling, while generating a negative carbon footprint from cradle to gate. Its manufacturing process uses approximately 46% of its energy from renewable sources and makes 0.428 kWh/lb of surplus energy. The surplus renewable energy is then utilized in the Brazilian energy matrix. The net life cycle of the resin production captures of over 2.15 lbs of carbon dioxide for each pound of Green Polyethylene produced.
"Supporting Avery Dennison together with all partners in the value chain was a great, collaborative experience. In relatively short order after the idea was considered, the labels were ready for a commercial launch. This would not have been possible without Avery Dennison's competent and professional responsiveness. With Braskem's comprehensive portfolio of bio-based PE, not many trials were needed which minimized any investment from the film producer. Our I'm greenT PE simply did the job", says Martin Clemesha, Technical Sales from Braskem.
